The Woman Before Wallis

the long version

Prince Edward famously abdicated his crown over his love for American divorcée Wallis Simpson. But two decades earlier, he was an inexperienced young man, stationed behind the lines during World War I, socializing with the aristocracy of Europe while fellow soldiers were being shelled in the trenches. Marguerite Alibert was a beautiful but tough Parisian who had fought her way up from street gamine to the highest-ranking courtesan in Paris. She entertained some of the richest and most powerful men in the world. When Prince Edward was introduced to her, he was instantly smitten. After their tumultuous love affair ended, Edward thought he was free of her, but he was wrong. Several years later, Marguerite murdered her husband, a wealthy Egyptian playboy, in London. When she stood trial, Edward was at risk of exposure. What happened next was kept from the public for decades, uncovered thanks to exceptional access to the Royal Archives and private collections in England and France.--From publisher description.