COMMITTEE member Ros Rowlands welcomed 59 members and 55 visitors to the meeting.

There was then held a few moments in silence to remember Chris Johnson. She had been a long-serving member, mainly helping on the book stall. Members were saddened to hear this news.

Mary Bodfish was then introduced to the audience – her talk being entitled ‘You can’t abdicate and eat it’ – so said the Duchess of Windsor.

The story of her relationship with Edward VIII is well known, always interesting as a unique event in British history and inevitably subject to embroidery and myth.

Mary’s well-researched and wellpresented version set out to tell the truth.

She began by outlining their respective characters.

Edward’s childhood shaped the man; a lack of outward affection from his parents and a scrappy education produced a man with obvious signs of stress and nervousness but a surprising skill at public relations and a concern (if not much more) for the struggling working class.

Wallis Simpson’s background lay in the southern States, the less wealthy branch of richer family connections, dependent on their support and made aware of it, producing a woman with a determination to do well materially and very aware of how to succeed in this ambition.

Already in her second marriage by the time she met Edward, their relationship becoming obsessive on his side at least, she was clearly unacceptable as even the morganatic wife of a future king – by then twice divorced.

Though the country was divided between support and opposition, the establishment prevailed and Edward opted for abdication.

Living on the continent on a pension quite generously provided by his younger brother – now pushed into an unwanted role as George VI – living something of a playboy lifestyle and making unwise visits to Nazi Germany and its leaders, did not help this uneasy situation.

When war was declared in 1939 and they fled to Spain, itself under a fascist government, Edward expected a role in our war effort but was offered no more than governorship of the Bahamas – a backwater role which the couple carried out but despised.

Largely through the enduring enmity of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), there was no reconciliation with the Royal Family until after Edward’s death in 1972.

The Duchess returned to France after the funeral, living in Paris, increasingly disabled physically and mentally, until her death in l986 when she was buried alongside Edward at the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore.

Ros thanked Mary for a most interesting and extremely well presented talk, obviously greatly enjoyed by the audience.

She also thanked those who had provided the refreshments and reminded everyone of the next meeting on September 10, at 7.30pm in the Community Centre, Wordsley Green when Ned Williams will give an illustrated talk entitled ‘Earl of Dudley’s Railway’.

New members and visitors welcome at a cost of £2 including light refreshments.