The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin

 The Windsor Affair recreates the events of the Abdication of Edward VIII that nearly toppled the monarchy, while giving the center stage to two women and their rivalry.

Edward David Windsor is the heir to the throne but the complication comes when he falls in love with a commoner, American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Edward’s younger brother Albert, known as Bertie, falls for Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who descends from Scottish nobility.

Elizabeth doesn’t have the same feelings for Bertie, but his feelings never waver. It takes him three attempts when she finally has a change of heart. Elizabeth’s life was centered on coming out party and what followed. On the other side, Wallis represents stark contrast. With her divorced mother, they lived with their family and were depended on Wallis’ uncle. Her mother groomed her how to behave toward her uncle, especially when Wallis was sent on a mission to ask for money from him. From early age, it taught her how to behave with men. As a woman (during her time), she couldn’t go out and get a job. She felt she had to find a man with money. She becomes good at observing men and reading them.

The story begins with David and Thelma, another American love interest of his. Thelma and Wallis are close friends, and when Thelma departs to spend three months in America with her twin sister, she leaves David in Wallis’ hands. And gives Wallis another chance to study a man and win him over. The lessons Wallis receives as a young girl led her to be pretty calculated with men.

This infamous rivalry between those two women is the driving force of this story. It’s the dynamics between them and the gossip. There are backstories woven into this enmity to better understand both women but I wished there was even more of it, to give even better understanding of how human behaviors are shaped. Both women were of strong character, and having a strong influence over the men. Thus, the feud is very prominent between them, and I believe this was the focus of this story, not so much the character-development.  

Overall, it is well-written, engaging, and I believe it’s a good choice for those who like sensational events of the royal family.

Released in June 2026 by Delacorte Press; Ballantine 

Source: Delacoret Press; Ballantine