Edward VIII’s marriage to Wallis Simpson is something straight out of a romance novel, but Simpson wasn’t the future king’s only famous mistress. That (extremely) dubious honor also goes to Thelma Furness, the aunt of the infamous Gloria Vanderbilt. The craziest part? Furness’s life is just as wild, if not wilder, than the lives of the famous figures around her.
When Edward ruthlessly dumped Furness in favor of Simpson, the repercussions poisoned the rest of Thelma’s life. At the time of her death, the jilted mistress was found with one of Edward’s “gifts” tucked into her handbag, and it revealed a secret so heartbreaking—it’s unforgettable.
