The Abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and his subsequent career as Duke of Windsor — including a notorious visit, with his wife, to see Hitler — has been the stuff of plays, films, television series and many books. Opening tonight at Jermyn Street is A Dangerous Woman, a comedy about the life and times of the Duchess of Windsor. The play focuses on the long-running feud between the Duchess and the late Queen Mother.
The Duchess of Windsor famously quipped that "you can never be too rich — or too thin," and she had little time for the relatively plump Elizabeth (Duchess of York, then Queen, and finally Queen Mother). As the play recalls, she and the Duke used to call the Queen Mum “Cookie” on account of her figure, but of course the QM had the last laugh, with the Duchess being denied the title Royal Highness.
