Edward & Mrs. Simpson is a seven-part British television series that dramatises the events leading to the 1936 abdication of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, who gave up his throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
The series, made by Thames Television for ITV, was originally broadcast in 1978. Edward Fox played Edward, and Cynthia Harris portrayed Mrs. Simpson. The series was scripted by Simon Raven, based on Fox's maternal aunt Frances Donaldson's biography of the King, Edward VIII. It was produced by Andrew Brown, overseen by Head of Drama Thames Television Verity Lambert and directed by Waris Hussein. The incidental music was by Ron Grainer.
The series won the 1980 Emmy award for Outstanding Limited Series, and BAFTA Awards in 1979 for Best Actor, Best Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Series or Serial. It has been released on DVD in Region 2 (UK) by Network, and in Region 1 (United States) by A&E.
The series was produced and aired during the Duchess of Windsor's lifetime and though becoming increasingly ill, it is reported she found the series to be a gross invasion of her privacy. Her requests to be sent a copy of the script were apparently ignored and she received an amount of correspondence from people who said they would not watch the series.
Edward Fox as King Edward VIII
Cynthia Harris as Wallis Simpson
David Waller as Stanley Baldwin
Nigel Hawthorne as Walter Monckton
Peggy Ashcroft as Queen Mary
Marius Goring as King George V
Cherie Lunghi as Lady Thelma Furness
Kika Markham as Freda Dudley Ward
Jessie Matthews as Aunt Bessie Merryman
Charles Keating as Ernest Simpson
Andrew Ray as the Duke of York
Amanda Reiss as the Duchess of York
John Shrapnel as Alexander Hardinge
Maurice Denham as Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury
Ed Devereaux as Lord Beaverbrook
Patrick Troughton as Clement Attlee
Trevor Bowen as Duff Cooper
Patricia Hodge as Lady Diana Cooper
Elsie Randolf as Lady Sybil Colefax
Bessie Love as Emerald Cunard
Tony Church as Sir Samuel Hoare
Wensley Pithey as Winston Churchill
1979 Won BAFTA TV Award Best Actor
Edward Fox
Best Costume Design
Diane Thurley
Jennie Tate
Best Design
Allan Cameron
Martyn Hebert
Best Drama Series/Serial
Andrew Brown
Waris Hussein
I watched this series last month. Edward Fox is brilliant as he is in everything he does. I did not warm up to Cynthia Harris as Wallace Simpson but then again, I do not think we were expected too. It was interesting to note how far we have come with TV Drama today..eg..Downton Abbey. :)
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