Design Inspiration

Decades before the press became enamored by Princess Diana, there was a romantic British royal couple who had an even more engaging story. It starts with the dashingly handsome Edward VIII, king of the world's most powerful empire. Edward decided to marry Wallis Simpson, a bewitching American divorcée, but British law did not permit such a marriage. Against determined opposition from the Royal Family and the British government, Edward held steadfast and abdicated from the throne of England in a dramatic radio address on December 11, 1936. The young King spoke to a stunned world “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love.” The couple married in France six months later and lived in exile for the rest of their lives, mostly in Paris but also in the Bahamas and New York. With Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen as adviser and guide, the Duchess set about designing a regal home that mixed French antiques with English needlepoint rugs to remind the Duke of the English palaces he had left behind. She scoured the antique shops of Paris and hired the finest artisans to create the rooms featured below. Read More