Infamous Scandals

by Anne Williams

  The police feared a violent reaction outside the courtroom and so they kept the young men behind after sentencing for several hours. When the men were finally brought out, they were greeted by cheering crowds. Public opinion had reached a tipping point. Far from stirring-up public hatred, the trial had inspired sympathy for Montagu, Wildeblood and Pitt-Rivers. They were perceived by many, not as dangerous and corrupting homosexuals, but as victims of a Macarthy-esque witch hunt.

  The Wolfenden Report

  It was as a result of this change in public opinion that the government set up the committee on homosexual offences and prostitution, chaired by Sir John Wolfenden. On 4 September 1957, the Wolfenden report was published. It’s primary recommendation was that consensual sex between adult men in private should not be illegal. It took ten years, but eventually homosexuality was decriminalised in Britain. From then on thousands of gay men and women could get on with their lives, free from the threat of prosecution.

  The House of Windsor

  Royalty has always been awash with scandal, which is made all the worse by their high profile and the intense media and public interest. However, it must be said that the House of Windsor does seem to have had more than its fair share of improprieties. The current queen, Elizabeth II, has had to cope with a lot of criticism, and yet she has proved to be a stoical figure who still retains the respect of her people. The behaviour of some of the younger members of her family has often evoked criticism of the monarchy and, at times, brought them close to collapse. Of course, scandal was not confined to the reign of the current queen – royals have long been known for their philandering ways and extravagant lifestyles.

  prince of wales and the actress

  Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales and son of Queen Victoria, and his close circle of friends became known as the ‘Marlborough Set’ and were considered to be the crowning point of London society. They were the elite and anyone of importance dreamt of being accepted into the prince’s circle of friends. Lillie Langtry was the wife of a wealthy merchant, Edward Langtry, who gradually climbed the social ladder by inventing herself as an actress and an entrepreneur. She was intelligent, humorous and fascinated both men and women with her outstanding beauty and was admired by people from all walks of life. Lillie was a highly controversial figure, who had a string of affairs and left many men with a broken heart.

  It was inevitable that the prince – ‘Bertie’ as he was known by his friends – should hear about Lillie and he told his confidantes that he would love to meet the woman with the famous violet eyes. A discreet dinner party was arranged at the home of Sir Allen Young. Some of his closer friends advised against such a meeting as Lillie was married and Bertie himself was married to Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and indeed had five children with her. Despite this fact he refused to give up his bachelor lifestyle and insisted that the meeting went ahead.

  Lillie was placed next to the prince while her husband had no choice but to sit at the other end of the dining table. She was overawed at meeting the prince for the first time and it took Lillie quite a while to relax and found it difficult to get the words out. She was impressed by his sense of humour and the kindness he showed her, and it soon became obvious that Bertie was infatuated with the woman with the witty tongue and stunning face.

  Not long after the first meeting, the prince and Lillie were seen out riding together in Hyde Park and, although this wasn’t an unusual occurrence, on this occasion the prince had become completely infatuated with his companion. It soon became obvious to both Lillie’s husband and the princess that the prince and Lillie were having an affair, and yet they both chose to accept the fact gracefully. This gave way to a period of blissful liaisons between 1877 and 1878, when they were both given the time to enjoy each other’s company. Bertie was so obsessed with Lillie that he even had a house specially built in Bournemouth, where they could share intimate time together.

  Lillie would only have to ask and the prince would oblige and so, when she requested to have an audience with the queen, Bertie arranged a meeting. Although it is suggested that Victoria was somewhat frosty towards Lillie, it did open new doors with regards to her social life. She was invited to all the finest gatherings and soon her close circle of friends included such notable people as Oscar Wilde and the painter Whistler, both of whom helped her climb the ladder of fame. However, the spell was soon broken when the cost of Lillie’s high life was affecting the Langtry’s financial status. Lillie’s simple black dresses had been replaced by expensive haute couture and although Bertie had always been generous with his gifts, he had never given his lover money. Then came another stumbling block – the arrival of another stunning woman in London. Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who had made her fame in Europe in the 1870s. The prince greeted Sarah with great enthusiasm and was soon under her charms, Lillie had quickly fallen from favour.

  As soon as the rumours started spreading that the affair between Lillie and the prince was starting to lose its sparkle, the creditors moved in on the Langtrys. In October 1880 Edward Langtry was declared bankrupt. Lillie was heartbroken and embarrassed and sought solace in the arms of Bertie’s younger cousin, Prince Louis of Battenberg. It wasn’t long before Lillie discovered that she was expecting the young prince’s child and immediately the royal house closed its ranks and sent Louis off to serve in the navy.

  Lillie was moved away from London to try and avoid a major scandal and she rented a cottage outside St Helier on the island of Jersey. With Edward away on his travels, Lillie hoped that she could go through her pregnancy without attracting too much attention, but in such a small community it was impossible to keep it a secret. Although Bertie had not seen Lillie for many months, when he heard the news that she was pregnant he quickly came to her aid. He sent two men from Buckingham Palace to accompany her to Paris, where she stayed in an apartment belonging to one of the prince’s closest friends.

  Lillie gave birth to Jeanne-Marie in March 1881, and after a brief spell at playing ‘mum’ she decided that she missed the bright lights of London and placed her daughter in the care of her own mother in Bournemouth. With no money and a husband who was permanently away, Lillie had to find a way of earning a living and, at the suggestion of Oscar Wilde, she tried her hand at acting. It wasn’t long before she was back on her feet and an accomplished actress.

  Although the real father of Lillie’s child was never revealed, when her husband eventually found out from a newspaper article that his wife had had a baby in San Francisco, he fell to pieces and had to be committed to a mental asylum.

  Edward and Mrs Simpson

  Although Bertie’s affair with Lillie Langtry did nothing to threaten the monarchy, when Edward VIII had an affair with an American divorcee, his infatuation cost him the crown.

  Bessie Wallis Warfield always dreamed of becoming a debutante, but the bright lights of London’s socialites always seemed to elude her. She grabbed the first opportunity to escape her hometown of Baltimore by marrying a naval pilot, Earl Winfield Spencer, but it was a disaster from the start. Wallis was unable to put up with her husband’s moods ,which were exacerbated by a drink problem, and so after a short while she found herself a single woman once more.

  Wallis married again in 1928 to a man named Ernest Simpson, who headed the London office of his wealthy family’s shipping business. At last Wallis was to get to live in London and quickly became a hit on the social circuit. She became the hostess with the mostest and entertained lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses, all of whom she charmed with her amazing confidence.

  The dinner party that was to change her life took place in December 1930. It was hosted by Wallis Simpson in her own home and her illustrious guests were Benjamin Thaw (first secretary of the US embassy in London), his wife Consuelo and her sister Thelma, Viscountess of Furness. Lady Furness was not only stunningly beautiful, but she was also the subject of a well-kept secret. She was the mistress of the Prince of Wales, the future king of England. Wallis, Th
elma and Consuelo became close friends and Wallis was soon privy to the intimacies of Thelma’s life.

  Wallis, despite her popularity, had never met the Prince of Wales and she told her friends that she would love to meet him. Her wish came true when she eventually met him at a house party held by his mistress in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. As soon as she set eyes on Edward, Wallis was charmed and she knew if she could woo him, it would take her to the next level in her social life. Using intimate knowledge she had learned from Thelma, Wallis started to use her charms and seduce the most eligible bachelor in the world.

  Soon the Simpsons became regular guests at the prince’s country retreat, and Edward was also a frequent visitor to the Simpsons’s home. Unaware that her so-called ‘friend’ had designs on her lover, Thelma confided in Wallis that she was off to the United States and asked her if she would look after the prince while she was away. And look after him she certainly did – by the time Thelma returned from her trip Edward and Wallis were already lovers.

  Edward was not a particularly strong man and he loved the strength he found in Wallis. Wallis, in return, doted on the prince, realising that with him she had reached her pinnacle of social status. The prince threw all caution to the wind and started to display his mistress quite openly in public, while the press tried their hardest to keep the news under wraps to avoid a scandal. By January 1936 Edward had become king and his love for Wallis was something that he was not prepared to give up. The Simpson marriage cracked under the strain of the royal affair and Wallis sought for divorce.

  Shortly before the death of his father, Edward had spoken to the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, informing him of Wallis’s intention to seek a divorce from her husband. As head of the Church of England, Edward was forbidden from marrying a divorced woman and Baldwin was horrified. It was one thing to turn a blind eye to the king’s affair with a married woman, but with a divorcee it was a completely different ball game. Baldwin begged the king to get Wallis to reconsider her situation, but the king replied that he had ‘no rights to interfere with the affairs of an individual’ and the prime minister realised that he had a very difficult situation on his hands.

  For a while the king was allowed to carry on his affair, but the situation changed when he was chastised by Dr Blunt, the Bishop of Bradford, for his carefree lifestyle when storm clouds were gathering over Europe. The newspapers chose to break their code of silence and the affair made headline news.

  Edward had made it quite clear that he wanted to marry Wallis and place her on the throne by his side, and foolishly he believed that his people would come round to his way of thinking. Wallis became the target of a hate campaign and had to suffer bricks and stones being hurled through the windows of her London apartment. Meanwhile, Edward was hopelessly in love with Wallis and seemed unable to perform even the simplest of duties. He started turning up late for appointments or cancelled them at the last minute. An emergency meeting was held at Buckingham Palace, aware that there would be no easy way to get Edward to give up Wallis Simpson.

  The king was now faced with three options: he either had to give up Wallis; keep Wallis and face the resignation of his entire government; or abdicate and give up the throne. After a discussion with his beloved Wallis, Edward decided that he had no option but to abdicate. Edward signed the papers that ended his rule at 10.00 a.m. on 10 December 1936, surrounded by his three surviving brothers. The next in line for the throne was his brother, who became King George VI.

  Edward and Wallis married in a simple ceremony on 3 June 1937 and, with a gift bestowed by his brother the king, Edward was allowed the keep the family name of Windsor so that he became the Duke of Windsor and Wallis the Duchess.

  Following the abdication, the Duke and Duchess were exiled from Great Britain and, although many people believed it would only be for a few years, the exile lasted for the remainder of their lives.

  Edward died on 28 May 1972 at the age of 77, while Wallis lived for another 14 years still secluded from the rest of the world. She died on 24 April 1986 at the age of 89.

  princess margaret and forbidden love

  Margaret, born on 21 August 1930, was a beautiful child who was full of personality and born to shine. Had she not been born into a royal line she could have pursued her true passions in life, but as a member of the House of Windsor she was made to tow the line and give up her one true love.

  Much of Margaret’s childhood was spent at Windsor Castle during the harsh years of World War II. To try and relieve some of the boredom she devised practical jokes and as she reached her teenage years loved to flirt with the soldiers. She was wilful, spirited and charming, a stark contrast to her more dutiful and staid older sister, Elizabeth. She was very affectionate and able to wrap her father round her little finger. At the age of 16 Margaret was invited to go on a tour of the Commonwealth with the rest of her family and seeing her father’s health take a turn for the worse, suddenly made her realise the role she was expected to play as a member of the royal family.

  Accompanying the family on the tour was a man named Group Captain Peter Townsend, a loyal servant who knew he had an important role to play in protecting the royal family. He was 16 years older than Margaret, married with two sons, and at the time paid no particular attention to the younger of the two sisters. Margaret was thoroughly enjoying the tour and took full advantage of all the world had to offer.

  Margaret’s father, King George VI, died in his sleep on 6 February 1952, about five years after their tour of the Commonwealth. Margaret, who was 21 at the time, was devastated by his death, something which she never fully recovered from. The Queen Mother appointed Peter Townsend as comptroller of the household, a position which meant he had considerable contact with Margaret. With Margaret still reeling from the loss of her father and Townsend struggling over the failure of his marriage, the couple found increasing solace in each other’s company. When Townsend was finally divorced he was given custody of their two sons. In 1953 Townsend accepted his next royal assignment, this time at Sandringham. It was during this time that the relationship with Margaret really developed and they declared their love for one another. However, being older and wiser, Townsend was aware that the relationship was doomed, realising that it would not be accepted by the all-powerful ‘establishment’. Until Margaret was 25, she would need the queen’s permission to marry and after that she would also require Parliament’s as well. Her uncle, Edward VIII, had been forced to abdicate and she knew full well that this would still be fresh in their minds.

  Aware of the delicate situation, Margaret and Townsend managed to keep their love affair secret for the next few months. It wasn’t until her sister’s coronation on 2 June 1953 that a reporter noticed a rather familiar behaviour between the couple. After that they were caught on more than one occasion recklessly frolicking and showing careless intimacy. They became virtually inseparable and yet they were aware all the time that they were living on borrowed time. Aware that Margaret’s love affair was scandalous, Prime Minister Winston Churchill intervened by sending Margaret on a tour of Rhodesia with her mother. Townsend was sent on an assignment to Belgium the day before Margaret was due to return to England. It was hoped that their affection would cool during his absence, but they didn’t account for the old adage ‘absence makes the heart grow stronger’. Despite the obstacles put in their way, the pair managed to keep their love alive with letters, long-distance phone calls and liaisons at houses of loyal friends. Churchill made it clear that parliament would not allow them to marry under any circumstances and Margaret knew she was faced with a tough decision. If she gave up her life as a royal she felt Townsend would feel forever guilty for not providing her with the same standard of living. Reluctantly, they came to the decision to end the relationship and Townsend helped Margaret write her ‘official’ letter of decision.

  I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of suc
cession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage. But mindful of the Church’s teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others. I have reached the decision entirely alone and in doing so I have been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Peter Townsend. I am deeply grateful for the concern of all those who have constantly prayed for my happiness.

  For Margaret, she had lost the two men she truly loved in quick succession and somehow her eyes lost a lot of their original sparkle. She made the very painful decision to put duty and family in front of the desires of her heart.

  Margaret married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones (bestowed with the title Earl of Snowden and Viscount Linley by the queen) on 6 May 1960. Many believed that Margaret never truly recovered from her broken heart, and although the marriage lasted 16 years, it was often the subject of controversy. After their divorce Margaret lost much of her former vitality, and ill health forced her to scale down many of her public engagements. Suffering from repeated bouts of depression and several strokes, Margaret died on 9 February 2002, a very much loved member of the House of Windsor.

  a dashing prince

  Prince Andrew was born on 19 February 1960, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Even during his school years at Gordonstoun, Andrew was the subject of several romantic rumours, resulting in the tabloids giving him the nickname ‘Randy Andy’. Having been described as the most dashing, daring and handsome of the Queen’s sons, it is not surprising that he had a stream of girlfriends, but none caused the same sensation as his affair with a soft-porn star called Koo Stark.