"Edward & Mrs. Simpson" (1978) (mini)TV mini-series

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writers:

Frances Donaldson (book)
Simon Raven (writer)

Release Date:

23 January 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

7x50min episodes. While still the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII meets the married American socialite...

Plot Keywords:

Historical | Royalty | Based On Book | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Edward Fox	...	King Edward VIII
Cynthia Harris	...	Wallis Warfield Simpson
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Queen Mary
Maurice Denham	...	Archbishop of Canterbury
Marius Goring	...	King George V
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Walter Monkton
Cherie Lunghi	...	Lady Thelma Furness
Kika Markham	...	Freda Dudley Ward
Jessie Matthews	...	Aunt Bessie Merryman
Andrew Ray	...	Duke of York
John Shrapnel	...	Major Alexander Hardinge
David Waller	...	Stanley Baldwin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Abbott	...	Mouth Organist
Petal Allen	...	Colonial Wife
Nuala Barrie	...	Queen Mary's Lady in Waiting
T.R. Bowen	...	Duff Cooper
Alec Bregonzi	...	Luigi
Patrick Brock	...	King's Secretary
Anthony Brown	...	Hugh Lloyd Thomas
Simon Cadell	...	Major John Aird
Jeremy Child	...	Piers Leigh
Tony Church	...	Sir Samuel Hoare
Peter Clapham	...	Archibald Travers
Dominic Cox	...	Boy with Mouth Organ
Ed Devereaux	...	Lord Beaverbrook
Clifford Earl	...	Footman
Peter Ellis	...	Osborne
Caroline Embling	...	Angie
Robert Flemyng	...	Sir Donald Somervell
Raymond Francis	...	Mr. Justice Hawke
Hugh Fraser	...	Anthony Eden
Derek Fuke	...	RQMS Neale
Ron Gregory	...	Major Edward Metcalfe
Roger Hammond	...	Sir Harold Nicolson
Robert Harris	...	Speaker of the House of Commons
John Harvey	...	Sir John Reith
Patricia Hodge	...	Lady Diana Cooper
Christopher Holmes	...	Stoker Aldridge
John Horsley	...	Norman Birkett K.C.
William Hoyland	...	Lord Perry Brownlow
Roger Hume	...	Humphrey Butler
Elin Jenkins	...	Maid
Edward Jewesbury	...	Lord Dawson
Richard Kay	...	Godfrey Thomas
Charles Keating	...	Ernest Simpson
John Kidd	...	Sir Percy Watkins
David King	...	Lord Kemsley
Alvar Liddell	...	Radio Announcer
Bessie Love	...	Lady Cunard
Rodney Lovick	...	George Lambert
Geoffrey Lumsden	...	Geoffrey Dawson
Louis Mansi	...	Dante Busclia
Hugh Martin	...	Official
Julia McCarthy	...	Mrs. Quinn
Phil McCaul	...	Thomas Quinn
Jay Neill	...	RSM Reeves
Roy Pattison	...	CSM Owen
Wensley Pithey	...	Winston Churchill
Elsie Randolph	...	Lady Colefax
Trevor Ray	...	Walter Frampton
Amanda Reiss	...	Duchess of York
Terence Rigby	...	Stanley Bruce
Peter Schofield	...	Head Cook
Gerald Sim	...	Theodore Goddard
Caroline Mary Simmons	...	Lady Alexandra Metcalfe
Michael Stroud	...	Esmond Harmsworth
Hugh Thomas	...	King's Messenger
Patrick Troughton	...	Clement Attlee
Gary Waldhorn	...	Chips Channon
Richard Waring	...	Lord Derby
Elaine Wells	...	Mrs. Dalby
Rosanne Wickes	...	Princess Mary

Runtime:

UK:60 min (6 episodes) | USA:350 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Thames Television

Movie Connections:

Featured in Verity Lambert: Drama Queen (2008) (TV)

Great dramatization of the story!

Highly recommended for lovers of history and/or biography. The actors were carefully chosen to resemble the real characters, same goes for the locations. I've read many books regarding the love story between Edward and Mrs. Simpson - this comes very close to what really happened. I do believe Edward fell madly, totally in love with Mrs. Simpson. She returned his love but in a lesser degree. Regardless, theirs was the wedding of the century because how often does a monarch give up his throne for the woman he loves? It's ironic how Prince Charles has followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle, but it looks like he will get to reign with the woman he loves by his side. That's life.