SHE was one of the most famous – or infamous – women of the 20th Century.
Now, a feature-length Channel 5 drama documentary, Wallis: The Queen That Never Was, takes a fresh look at the figure behind the abdication of Edward VIII.
And Georgina Rich, who plays the twice-divorced American the King gave up his throne for in 1936, says it reveals other aspects of Simpson.
“Before I got involved with this I just knew her reputation of being a husband-stealer and how much she was vilified at the time,” Georgina told iN10.
“I didn’t know anything about her as a woman.
“I think it’s helpful that this story takes her from when she was 18 to much later in her life and we get to learn much more of her.”
The story is drawn from Simpson’s diaries, private letters and personal testimony from those who knew her.
It all, insists Georgina, paints a more rounded picture.
“I think she has always been seen as cold and hard but I didn’t find her that way.
“If you look at the pictures of her with Edward when they’re leading their crazy celebrity lifestyle, they’re always laughing.
“I think the impression is partly because of her stern look. She had very dark hair and strong make-up and she was very placed in the way she stood.
“People then projected on to that how they saw her as money-grabbing and ambitious.
“Obviously her memoirs are written for people to read, so there is an element of PR there.
“In her letters, though, a warmth and humour comes across. She certainly wasn’t flawless and there was a hard and flinty side to her, but I really think there was another side, too.”
Wallis: The Queen That Never Was, Channel 5, Wed, 9pm.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe