American women seem to have a way of stealing English hearts. Gwyneth Paltrow, with her flawless home counties accent, has long been a darling of British cinema. And now she is to take on the role of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who almost brought down the monarchy through her relationship with King Edward VIII.
Edward was forced to abdicate in 1936 after his romance with Wallis sparked a huge controversy. He had only held the throne for 11 months when pressures from both the royal family and politicians resulted in him relinquishing it to George VI.
Scriptwriter Heidi Wallis has revealed she is waiting for US and British intelligence documents to be made public before she puts the final touches to the screenplay. The secret reports on the couple have been locked away for 70 years, but are due to be made public on Thursday. "There are many gaps in our understanding of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII because of the secrecy surrounding them," she said. "This is the last piece of the jigsaw."
It has not yet been confirmed who will play Edward in the BBC production, which is to be entitled The American Woman. Frontrunners for the role are Band Of Brothers star Damian Lewis and Gosford Park's Tom Hollander.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
