Both Pamela Churchill and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, had been shunned by British society despite their social status - Pamela's was born with, Wallis' acquired with marriage. They were both divorced women. And Wallis had been a Mistress before she was a wife. (Page 180) Though Pamela was twenty-four years younger than Wallis, they had much in common. They both coaxed their beauty, dressed exquisitely, and learned to entertain in beautiful surroundings. The Duchess was kind and affectionate to her young-enough-to-be-a-daughter friend.
Alexander Liberman ( who worked for Conde Nast Magazines such as Vanity Fair) said of Pamela in the 1950's "She was part of a very grand tradition of mistresses kept on a grand scale." But British aristocrats made fun of Pamela, just as she'd been made fun of by some of her peers as a debutante. And as always she kept a game face, acting as if she were not bothered or even knew.
For all her energy, her championing of her men, Pamela didn't have much of a sense of humor. While not putting pressure on a man, she would try to make one jealous with another. She shared many a man with his wife - and perhaps other women too - let them end the relationship - and stuck around for the friendship.
Wallis Simpson was our Mistress of the Month for January 2010 and is also mentioned in August 2018's Mistresses of the Riviera,
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