Lecture
Anne Sebba
Tuesday 24.02.2026
Anne Sebba
Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
Tuesday 24.02.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 24 February at 7:00pm (UK).
Summary
Ninety years after the abdication which shook the British monarchy to its core, surely it is time to reconsider if Wallis Simpson (1896–1986) was more than a mere style icon. I would argue not only that she did the monarchy a great favor but that she has been misunderstood for decades. Who exactly was she and why does she still matter today?
Anne Sebba
Anne Sebba is a broadcaster, journalist, and lecturer. The author of eleven books, Anne’s most recent title is Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy (2021). She has also written biographies of Jennie Churchill, Mother Teresa, and Laura Ashley, among others. She is currently working on a book about the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz for publication in 2025, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the camps. Anne is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a senior research fellow at the Institute of Historical Research.