The Duke of Windsor’s wedding to ‘the woman I love’ Wallis Simpson, by all accounts a sad affair six months after his abdication with none of his family present took place in France. The vows were made at 11.47am in Conde en Brie, France on June 3 1937, with a self-protective Water Grand Trine of a Pisces Moon and Scheat in the Dependent 7th house trine Mars in resentful Scorpio trine Pluto in Cancer, formed into two Kites by Mars opposition the destructive Fixed Star Algol and the Midheaven – and a rules-don’t-apply-to-us Pluto opposition Jupiter. Saturn was on the cusp of the 8th hinting at financial restraints as well as emotional ones.
A powerful, unhappy, bitter and self-defeating chart which set the path for what followed.
Transiting Uranus at 11 degrees Taurus then was exactly conjunct the UK’s 8th house Mars – as it was just after Prince Philip’s death in April 2021 and just before Queen Elizabeth 11’s death in September 2022.
The Duke of Windsor, 23 June 1894 9.55pm Richmond, England. Tr Uranus was also exactly opposition the Duke of Windsor’s yod focal point Uranus (inconjunct Pluto Neptune sextile North Node in Aries) – for a mid-life crisis of considerable proportions, sending his life onto a totally different trajectory courtesy of his yod. His Solar Arc Mars was also exactly opposition his Uranus as he caused an explosive and irrevocable rift with his family and country.
Tr Pluto was conjunct his Mercury in Cancer having just moved across his Descendant which fits with impassioned and hostile discussions with family members. The Gemini Sun that day was conjunct his Neptune in Gemini.
Wallis Simpson, 19 June 1896 10.30pm Blue Ridge, Pennsylvania, was another Sun Gemini, also with a Uranian yod inconjunct Mars sextile Neptune Venus. Her Saturn in Scorpio was also inconjunct her Pluto – and tr Uranus was moving to a disruptive, high tension opposition to her Saturn within days. Tr Pluto opposition tr Jupiter was colliding with her Solar Arc Neptune as well for a forcibly confident and delusional move.
Their relationship chart not surprisingly was also dominated by a yod onto Uranus in the 9th inconjunct Mars sextile Pluto Neptune – which indicates a life-altering relationship, one which changed both their destinies – not necessarily for the better as it turned out.
Very descriptive charts which marched to the celestial dance.
Add On: Mary of Teck, his mother, 26 May 1867 11.59pm London, was a tough cookie. She did have a family-oriented 4th house Gemini Sun square Jupiter Moon in Pisces in her 1st which would give a semblance of empathy. But what dominates her chart is a ramrod rigid Saturn in Scorpio opposition Pluto in a harsh square to Mars in Leo – she did not have an easy life and would offer no sympathy for the Duke of Windsor’s dereliction of duty. She evidently was a great mentor and role model for Queen Elizabeth 11, instilling an ethos of sacrifice and duty above all else.
Her Fixed T square clashes badly with the Duke’s Uranus on the focal point of a yod so no surprises his bid for freedom went down so badly with her. Their relationship chart had a volatile composite Moon opposition Uranus square Mars.
If she was his female role model no surprises he made a bad choice.
Thank you for the add-on and birth details, Marjorie. Mary of Teck must have been a powerful persona. And Jane, thank you for the information about Marguerite Alibert. I didn’t know any of that and just looked her up – wow, what a story! No wonder the Royals wanted to hide her connection with Edward. One website about Marguerite says Edward’s mother may have arranged the liason to educate him for sexual life, but that seems rather far fetched since Mary was extremely strict. But who knows, maybe someone else did, practicalities considered, since there are intimations that Edward was bisexual. Recently several books have been published about the scandal around his abdication and his later efforts to regain his royal powers. Two that look interesting are The King Who Had To Go: Edward VIII, Mrs Simpson and the Hidden Politics of the Abdication Crisis by Adrian Phillips (2016) and Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor by Andrew Lownie (2022). Maybe there will be more revelations now that Queen Elizabeth has passed.
Thanks Marjorie – fascinating to see this wedding chart, and how it really reflects much of the marriage. Wallis and Edward married on his late father’s birthday, 3 June 1865, which surely must have been chosen for its significance. As you write “The Gemini Sun that day was conjunct his Neptune in Gemini.” George V’s Sun, 12 Gemini, is then aligned with the Composite Pluto, 11 Gemini, Edward’s natal Pluto 10 Gemini and Neptune 13 Gemini, and Wallis’ natal Pluto 12 Gemini.
George V’s Gemini Sun was square Chiron at 18 Pisces. That internal challenge he carried is reflected in Edward’s natal Chiron, 16 Virgo square ‘kingly’ Jupiter 18 Gemini. The Wedding day’s Neptune, 16 Virgo, Nodes 15 Sagittarius/Gemini and the Composite’s Neptune 16 Gemini square Nodes 16 Pisces/Virgo, along with Wallis’ natal Neptune 18 Gemini, and Mercury 16 Gemini, all seem to create a confusing mutable web that connects the couple with Edward’s parents. Queen Mary, another Gemini (!) had Moon’s Nodes at 19 Virgo/Pisces. Perhaps worth noting Prince Harry’s natal Mars, 16 Sagittarius and Sun, 22 Virgo here as well.
Edward’s Chiron/Jupiter square was also activated during his passionate affair in Paris with courtesan Marguerite Alibert (Fahmy) between 1917-8. Much was done behind the scenes to cover this scandal up later, when Marguerite shot her aristocratic Egyptian husband dead at the Savoy Hotel in 1923.
Marguerite’s Sun 17 Sagittarius, was square Saturn 16 Virgo, with Moon’s Nodes at 14 Gemini/Sagittarius (see Wedding Day’s Nodes and Virgo Neptune). By curious coincidence, she ended up living in an apartment in Paris for many years. It was right opposite the Paris Ritz Hotel, where Edward and Wallis had often stayed. There is a suite there known as the Windsor Suite named in their honour. Obviously, the hotel was also significant as the last place Princess Diana stayed before her untimely, tragic death in Paris.
It seems few things are more ‘fateful’ than a family pattern, but perhaps only if it is an unconscious one?
It is doubtful that Edward 8th ever really loved anybody but Edward 8th! He is known to have been a very selfish person. There are lots of videos, articles and books about his admiration and association with Adolf Hitler. Wallis Simpson probably did the world the biggest favour by taking Edward out of the picture. Apparently, Edward was entirely willing and would have become able to support Hitler had he been crowned king. But he wasn’t (or history would not be the same today). As it was, a terrible war followed, but it would have been worse if Britain had been a collaborator instead of an enemy of the Nazi regime. Thanks to Wallis’s siren attractions, at least that disaster was avoided.
In the 3 charts, Uranus is in the 9th house, with the wedding in Taurus, and the couple’s in Scorpio, both signs fixed. Once Edward made his choice there was no going back to kingship (though he tried). It must have been a devil’s bargain for the couple, whose passion overcame everything. They wanted what they wanted regardless of the consequences in social status, money and reputation in Britain. However, there was more to it, the royal family being as secretive as it has typically (though not very successfully, especially in the later 20th century) tried to be. The 9th, apart from the usual association with religion and travel, rules censorship and political propaganda. There was actually a huge conflict behind the scenes.
Queen Mary of Teck, Edward 8’s mother, was born in England in 1867 and didn’t die until 1953. She was 69, and fully in charge of herself when her husband, George V, died in 1936. She was a cousin of Queen Victoria and her father was German, but with no inherited social advantages, status, or money from the father’s side. Mary traveled a great deal as a young person and while she was queen, and she was hardly naive. She was conservative in her views, supported the church, and was deeply involved in the WWI effort, sponsoring health care of British soldiers.
Mary was completely opposed to her son’s proposed divorce given her status (she was even titled HM after George’s death), and she disliked Wallis. In the wedding chart, the Moon in Pisces (mother) in late degrees, is in the 7th house of open enemies, and exactly inconjunct (150) Pluto. Pluto would have been pulling strings behind the scenes as the influence of an inconjunct aspect is not openly visible in traditional astrology. As well, Pluto is in Cancer (the sign of tradition) in the 11th house of political alliances. And Pluto, in the wedding chart, rules Scorpio on the 4th of the homeland. Pluto was patriotic all the way. So, Edward was a fool and made a bad bargain for himself going up against his mother. She probably knew (but never said) he was a traitor with his Nazi sympathies. And the rest, as they say, is history. Thank you Mary.
Transiting Pluto in Leo in the 10 was square the UK Mars in the 8th in 1945. Pluto in Aquarius in the 4th will be square the UK Mars again in 2030. This is another indication of a possible large-scale military conflict in the years preceding.
P. William birthday is 2 days before K. Edward.
Did Edward actually love Wallis, or was there something else going on?
Have a read of this…very curious. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2012/02/american-girl-the-wallis-simpson-story-told-differently-079623
The original plan was that he would wed one of the Czar’s daughters. Of course, they were all killed in July 1918.
Oh, wow. Never really understood this whole ‘marry a cousin’ business. And even a few years ago I was shocked to hear the discussion on LBC regarding the ban on first-cousin marriages, which is some cultures is strictly prohibited. Just look at some Orthodox Christian rules on who you can marry, for example.
Funny, because just today I was mentioning them, and one description of them and their lives becoming sort of useless, aimless, and maybe even pointless after the exile. I would have to dig a bit to find exactly what I meant.
Are there any pointers as to who he would have wedded if Wallis hadn’t turned up?