# Wallis Simpson and Antiamericanism in UK. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614 "2019-05-27T20:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/101 "2019-06-01T22:23:22Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Obviously not too many French-Canadians make it to Arizona. Canadians in general [seem to love Arizona](https://www.canadatoarizona.com/canadians-in-arizona/). Surprising, as I thought the big-ass Canadian RVs all headed to Florida in winter. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/102 "2019-06-02T03:09:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Canadians in general [seem to love Arizona](https://www.canadatoarizona.com/canadians-in-arizona/). Surprising, as I thought the big-ass Canadian RVs all headed to Florida in winter. No, it’s the East-coasters who go to Florida. People west of the Mississippi (and Midwesterners) go to Arizona for the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/103 "2019-06-02T04:36:07Z")
There’s an even more specific rule of thumb about where people from the North retire to in Florida. People from the Northeast (say, New York State) tend to retire (or move as an adult) to the east coast of Florida, while those from the near Midwest (say, Ohio) tend to retire (or move as an adult) to the west coast of Florida. This seems bizarrely specific, but it seems to be true. I remember noticing this when I, from northwest Ohio, went to college in Florida near where my grandmother had retired and my aunt had moved in her twenties. It’s like the people who travel to Florida via Interstate 95 didn’t leave that road and the people who travel to Florida via Interstate 75 didn’t leave that road. This isn’t absolutely the case, of course, but it’s a strong tendency: > **[Why Do Midwesterners Prefer the West Coast? (Tampa, Orlando: transplants,...](http://www.city-data.com/forum/florida/2699944-why-do-midwesterners-prefer-west-coast.html)** > > Here's an excerpt from a retirement guide. For some unknown reason, central Florida and the state's west coast seem to draw an unusual number of > **[Sunrise Vs. Sunset: Florida's East Vs West Coasts For Retirement — Villages...](https://www.citrushills.com/blog/sunrise-vs-sunset-floridas-east-vs-west-coasts-for-retirement)** > > In this article you will get a better understanding of the differences between Florida east and west coast living, and help you come to a decision that best fits your needs and desired lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/104 "2019-06-02T14:35:33Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I think the flak Charles gets is about the popular understanding of the circumstances of his first marriage and its dissolution, not the fact that Camilla is herself divorced. Yes, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/105 "2019-06-02T14:38:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Edward was not heir to the throne. He was king. You have to be king before you can abdicate. Semantic quibble. He was not crowned. He was called king after his daddy died, but he did not have a coronation. And he was only PoW for the earlier part of his relationship with Wallis. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/106 "2019-06-02T15:03:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Canadians in general [seem to love Arizona](https://www.canadatoarizona.com/canadians-in-arizona/). Surprising, as I thought the big-ass Canadian RVs all headed to Florida in winter. > [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > No, it’s the East-coasters who go to Florida. People west of the Mississippi (and Midwesterners) go to Arizona for the winter. True, it’s almost all Alberta and British Columbia plates. Saskatchewan and Manitoba not nearly so much but I suspect that’s because there’s hardly anyone there to drive down. Ontario is rare and I don’t remember the last Quebec plate nor any of the maritime provinces I saw. US side, it’s all of the cold states west of the Mississippi river plus Wisconson\* and Illinois (Chicagans, mostly). With all of the plains states, we quickly learned between Thanksgiving and Easter, not to go out for dinner at 5pm – you’ll be eating at 6. If you go at 6pm you’ll be eating at 6:15. I also learned to eye a Buick with a four-pack – two men in the front and two women in the back – suspiciously until I’m safely past them. \*CostCo here carries cheese curds but only in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/107 "2019-06-02T15:58:41Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Semantic quibble. He was not crowned. He was called king after his daddy died, but he did not have a coronation. Not according to the universal opinion of English lawyers for hundreds of years. ‘The King never dies’ etc. Anyway, in the specific case of Edward, the fact that he had ceased to be the heir and was now King was actually the immediate cause of the crisis. That was because his accession removed what had seemed to be the biggest obstacle in his path. He had until then been subject to the Royal Marriages Act. Either he would have had to get his father’s permission to marry, which realistically was never going to be given, or he would have had to give a year’s notice and hope that Parliament did not then use its powers under the Act to veto the marriage. All that vanished the moment his father died. As King, he could legally marry any non-Catholic he wished. It is clear that the complexities of the Royal Marriage Act meant that he had never seriously considered marrying Mrs Simpson while Prince of Wales. Once he was King, however, that was a possibility that he and everyone else could suddenly take very seriously indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/108 "2019-06-02T16:12:25Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Semantic quibble. He was not crowned. He was called king after his daddy died, but he did not have a coronation. And he was only PoW for the earlier part of his relationship with Wallis. No, not a semantic quibble. Coronation is optional. The heir becomes monarch at the moment of the old monarch’s death. No coronation ceremony need ever happen. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/109 "2019-06-02T20:28:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, not a semantic quibble. Coronation is optional. The heir becomes monarch at the moment of the old monarch’s death. No coronation ceremony need ever happen. Yes, otherwise there would have been a period of months when the country had no head of state. Good point from APB about the significance of him no longer being merely the heir - I’d never considered that. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/110 "2019-06-03T11:44:35Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, not a semantic quibble. Coronation is optional. The heir becomes monarch at the moment of the old monarch’s death. No coronation ceremony need ever happen. The coronation is optional, but usual. Edward never got to hear “Zadok the priest” played for him. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/111 "2019-06-03T12:22:27Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > The coronation is optional, but usual. Edward never got to hear “Zadok the priest” played for him. Point is, he was still King. Hence the need to abdicate. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/112 "2019-06-03T12:27:15Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > And he was only PoW for the earlier part of his relationship with Wallis. I knew marriages could be harsh, but geesh … oh, you mean _Prince of Wales_… nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/113 "2019-06-03T14:46:05Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Point is, he was still King. … Even though no moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at him? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/114 "2019-06-14T11:39:05Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > People were objecting to the statements I made and I wished to further explain myself. > > I apologize if you feel stupider for reading something about someone you find uninteresting or irrelevant. The point is that it is all tabloid gossip stuff, even including a conspiracy theory or two. There’s nothing in there that resembles any legitimate criticism of the woman. It just seems catty and pointless, like when you talk to the office gossip who is always looking to stir up drama. It’s not a comment on caring about the woman, but on the quality of the information. I mean, there’s literally a conspiracy theory that she faked a pregnancy. Even if she did have a baby bump for longer, the most likely explanation would be a miscarriage, which most people would not want to talk about, and no one would hate her over. It genuinely sounds like some people just don’t like her and are making up excuses and/or the tabloids are exploiting it for views by making up stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/115 "2019-06-14T13:05:12Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The point is that it is all tabloid gossip stuff, even including a conspiracy theory or two. There’s nothing in there that resembles any legitimate criticism of the woman. It just seems catty and pointless, like when you talk to the office gossip who is always looking to stir up drama. > > It’s not a comment on caring about the woman, but on the quality of the information. I mean, there’s literally a conspiracy theory that she faked a pregnancy. Even if she did have a baby bump for longer, the most likely explanation would be a miscarriage, which most people would not want to talk about, and no one would hate her over. > > It genuinely sounds like some people just don’t like her and are making up excuses and/or the tabloids are exploiting it for views by making up stuff. Exactly. I might not be particularly interested in knowing about the Duchess of Sussex, but ordinary factual information wouldn’t particularly affect me. What I was objecting to was the tabloid nonsense, rank speculation, conspiracy theories, silly so-called “violations of standards of behavior” that the Royal family itself has never commented upon, and other stuff that’s just some other people’s private business. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/116 "2019-06-17T15:14:33Z")
I believe one of the other objections to Simpson was that she was suspected of encouraging Edward’s flouting of British constitutional convention. Both she and Edward seem to have felt that the King should **rule** , not just reign. Note also that, at the time he announced his intention to marry her, she was not yet divorced. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/117 "2019-06-17T18:01:26Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Like most countries, we have a small minority of white supremacist types who think that letting someone with a black ancestry into the royal family is the beginning of the end, but they truly are a small minority. It is this. It really is. It’s a couple of things based on this: 1. This type is also seriously pro-royal (previously), and it forms as much of their make up as being anti anyone but themselves. It clashes completely with their basic nature, that the Queen is head of the country and beyond reproach. The queen is the union flag and is the head of the whites. Meghan is not up to scratch there. 2. The internet is a nutter amplification machine. These nutters are being magnified and feel safe to speak their mind nowdays. The UK media nows default to showing 1500 old brexit pensioner nutters marching to london, when ignoring 500 times that amount protesting elsewhere. Personally, I’ve never much cared about the royals, and its just an annoyance with weddings and funerals, and I realise I’ve never actually looked at Meghan Markle. I believe she is supposed to be mixed race in some way, but I’d never be able to tell. I think a lot of people in the UK probably didn’t even notice or care. However, the nutters do. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/118 "2020-01-14T21:03:56Z")
This Buzzfeed article reminded me of the Meghan Markle gossip in this thread – [Meghan Markle And Prince Harry UK Royal Reporters Coverage Compared To Kate Middleton And Prince William](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-double-standards-royal) It compares tabloid headlines that hail the Duchess of Cambridge but knock the Duchess of Sussex for the same thing. There’s clearly a right-wing tabloid culture bias against Markle. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614/119 "2020-01-15T13:22:39Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > This Buzzfeed article reminded me of the Meghan Markle gossip in this thread – [Meghan Markle And Prince Harry UK Royal Reporters Coverage Compared To Kate Middleton And Prince William](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-double-standards-royal) > > It compares tabloid headlines that hail the Duchess of Cambridge but knock the Duchess of Sussex for the same thing. There’s clearly a right-wing tabloid culture bias against Markle. Indeed, and the strange thing is it feels completely invented by the tabloids - I just don’t see poor comments about her elsewhere. I honestly don’t understand it, aside from the fact the tabloids have never liked outsiders in the royal family. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614.md?page=5)