Dramatization Revisits Friction Between Wallis Simpson and Queen Elizabeth that Changed the Course of Today's Monarchy
“Royal Wives At War” presents a revealing new look at England’s abdication crisis of 1936, seen through the eyes of the two women at its heart.
In a series of dramatized monologues set in 1967, Elizabeth the Queen Mother (Emma Davies, EMMERDALE) and Wallis Simpson (Gina McKee, THE BORGIAS) look back at events that led King Edward VIII (Nick Waring, "The Merchant of Venice") to give up the throne for the woman he loved.
Combining dramatic reconstructions, archives and a chorus of acquaintances and biographers, the program tells the intimate and moving story of two strong women and the friction that characterized their relationship.
"Royal Wives At War" explores not only the scandalous love story, but also the emotional impact of the post-abdication fallout: how Wallis regretted a marriage she now couldn’t avoid and how Elizabeth, miserable at becoming Queen Consort, schemed to ostracize and exile both Edward and Wallis.
Upon the outbreak of war, the British government was forced to step in, banishing the Windsors to the then-sleepy backwater of the Bahamas. Elizabeth became the power behind the throne during the war years while Wallis lashed out bitterly from afar.
“'Royal Wives At War' is a fresh new look at one of Britain’s most dramatic royal moments of the 20th century,” says Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming for PBS. “The brilliant English actresses Emma Davies and Gina McKee give us compelling new portrayals of the friction between the two wives, while also showing us the personal, emotional stakes of the abdication crisis and its aftermath.”
In addition to Davies, McKee and Waring, "Royal Wives At War" features Emma Campbell-Jones (DOCTOR WHO) as Thelma Furness and Richard Harrington (HINTERLAND) as the narrator.
Biographers Andrew Morton, Lady Colin Campbell and Anne Sebba also are featured in the program.
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Produced by BBC in association with PBS.
