King Edward VIII's Lost Memoir Has Been Discovered

Prince Harry's Spare may have recently made waves, but there's definitely a collection of royal revelations that came before him. When it comes to royal memoirs, we always seems to uncover many royal secrets without having to travel back in time to centuries-old palaces. This time, we're turning to the intriguing story of the former King Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, in his memoir, A King's Story.

Back in 1951, the Duke of Windsor decided to write down the extraordinary story of his abdication from the British throne and his decision to marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. With the help of ghostwriter Charles Murphy, he told us all about his life journey in this memoir. But that's not where the story ends. A few years later, Wallis told her side of the story in her own memoir, titled The Heart Has Its Reasons. An author named Jane Marguerite Tippett has recently stumbled upon an early draft of the Duke's memoir, transcriptions from interviews with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as many additional insights. This discovery prompted Tippett to embark on a literary journey of her own, which ended in her releasing a new book titled Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII. This literary gem has already hit the shelves in the UK, and will later be available to readers in the U.S. on March 19, 2024.

In Once a King, Tippett doesn't just offer a peek behind the curtain of royalty - instead, she throws the doors wide open to reveal Edward's thoughts and emotions. The book showcases his flaws and naivety, but also his intelligence, loyalty, love, and resolve. In the words of Tippett herself, "It is, for the first time, Edward's story." Tippett's book isn't just a republishing of the Duke's 1951 memoir. Instead, it reproduces unseen writings and interviews, including some of Edward's most guarded and intimate reflections.

So, while Prince Harry's memoir may have recently grabbed headlines, there's more to discover in this series of royal tell-alls, and it looks like Once a King will add an intriguing new chapter to this historical collection.