Edward viii

HRH The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor)what a wasted life

Exclusive: Unearthed in the National Archives, these sketches produced by the Office of Works after Edward VIII became King in January 1936. Above: The decorations at Marble arch

The future Kings Edward VIII and George VI (pictured as teenagers) quarrelled growing up, with their tutor telling in 1907 how the presence of one in the school room acted as a 'red rag' to the other.

Once owned by the American socialite, this Marylebone apartment is where the couple's affair began in 1933 - and is now on sale for £5.35 million.

In 1923 Lander was commissioned to paint his first important Royal portrait of King Edward VIII when Prince of Wales. The resulting picture was highly acclaimed and awarded a medal at the Paris Salon. King George V and Queen Mary then requested that the portrait was sent to Buckingham Palace for a private viewing and consequently commissioned this half-length copy. The Prince is depicted wearing polo kit, with his hands clasped behind his back against a white panelled background. The…

Hats were crucial to a respectable appearance for both men and women. To go bareheaded was simply not proper. The top hat, for example, was standard formal wear for upper- and middle-class men in the Victorian era. The tall silk or top hat continued for formal day and evening wear; the opera hat (gibus), covered in corded silk, also continued for visiting the theatre, as it could be folded flat and put under the seat. A light grey top hat was worn in the late 1860s for coaching or racing…

Author James Pope-Hennessy reveals an extraordinarily detailed account of the few days he spent in 1957 with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in their home in France.