Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Sadly, the years of excess had begun to take its toll on his health.  Nine years as King, he died at the age of sixty-nine. ​

Image courtesy of the Sun

There have been plenty of scandals amongst the Royals, yet the abdication of a King to be with a twice divorced, American woman, ranks right up there as one of the greatest of them all.

Did she really love him?  Was she hoping to be Queen?  Born Bessie Wallis Warfield in June 1896, Wallis Simpson had a difficult childhood and would be twice married before meeting the future king, Edward Albert Christian George, Prince of Wales. 

Still betrothed to her second husband, she was introduced to him by Lady Furness, his current mistress, at Burrough Court in January 1931.  His reputation as a playboy and astring of affairs had already angered his parents, his recklessness and debauched behaviour of great concern to the present Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. 

‘After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in twelve months.’ King George V

The POW (Prince of Wales) was besotted with Wallis Simpson and it is believed they began their affair whilst Lady Furness was travelling.  He strongly denied this to his father, indignantly protesting that this was not the case, whilst showering her with money and jewels.  His parents met Ms. Simpson at Buckingham Palace in 1935 and refused to receive her in the future.  

The Prince began to neglect his duties, choosing instead to travel to Europe with Wallis, becoming slavishly dependent on her and weirdly seemingly to enjoy her abrupt and abrasive manners, her way of domineering him, indifferent to his position as heir apparent.  Once quoted as saying she will soon be Queen of England, their relationship was of such deep concern that they were even followed by the Secret Metropolitan police - all convinced the divorcee had the Prince firmly under her thumb. He was unrelenting, aware that when he did become King, he would also be Supreme Governor of the Church of England, further exacerbating the situation. 

King George V died in January 1936.  The newly crowned King approached Baldwin for a solution to marry Mrs. Simpson, offering to settle for a morganatic marriage where she would never be Queen Consort, taking a lesser title.  All were appalled at the idea, her unpopularity and hold on the king.  Baldwin, the Prime ministers of Australia, Canada and the Union of South Africa opposed any such union; the Government would be plunged into a Constitutional crisis and forced to resign. 

Wallis was forced to flee and hide in France from the paparazzi.

The Instrument of Abdication was signed by King Edward VIII on the 10th December 1936 in the presence of his three brothers, the Duke of York, Gloucester and Kent.  His statement the next day read: ‘I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility, and to discharge my duties as King asI wish to, without the help and support of the woman I love.’

There have been plenty of scandals amongst the Royals, yet the abdication of a King to be with a twice divorced, American woman, ranks right up there as one of the greatest of them all.

Did she really love him?  Was she hoping to be Queen?  Born Bessie Wallis Warfield in June 1896, Wallis Simpson had a difficult childhood and would be twice married before meeting the future king, Edward Albert Christian George, Prince of Wales. 

Still betrothed to her second husband, she was introduced to him by Lady Furness, his current mistress, at Burrough Court in January 1931.  His reputation as a playboy and astring of affairs had already angered his parents, his recklessness and debauched behaviour of great concern to the present Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. 

‘After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in twelve months.’ King George V

The POW (Prince of Wales) was besotted with Wallis Simpson and it is believed they began their affair whilst Lady Furness was travelling.  He strongly denied this to his father, indignantly protesting that this was not the case, whilst showering her with money and jewels.  His parents met Ms. Simpson at Buckingham Palace in 1935 and refused to receive her in the future.  

The Prince began to neglect his duties, choosing instead to travel to Europe with Wallis, becoming slavishly dependent on her and weirdly seemingly to enjoy her abrupt and abrasive manners, her way of domineering him, indifferent to his position as heir apparent.  Once quoted as saying she will soon be Queen of England, their relationship was of such deep concern that they were even followed by the Secret Metropolitan police - all convinced the divorcee had the Prince firmly under her thumb. He was unrelenting, aware that when he did become King, he would also be Supreme Governor of the Church of England, further exacerbating the situation. 

Image courtesy of Fox News

King George V died in January 1936.  The newly crowned King approached Baldwin for a solution to marry Mrs. Simpson, offering to settle for a morganatic marriage where she would never be Queen Consort, taking a lesser title.  All were appalled at the idea, her unpopularity and hold on the king.  Baldwin, the Prime ministers of Australia, Canada and the Union of South Africa opposed any such union; the Government would be plunged into a Constitutional crisis and forced to resign. 

Wallis was forced to flee and hide in France from the paparazzi.

The Instrument of Abdication was signed by King Edward VIII on the 10th December 1936 in the presence of his three brothers, the Duke of York, Gloucester and Kent.  His statement the next day read: ‘I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility, and to discharge my duties as King asI wish to, without the help and support of the woman I love.’
​

Images courtesy of the Alamy and the Times UK

Image courtesy of the BBC 

Some Americans will have heard the children’s jingle, ‘London Bridge is falling down.’  The one we see here is not the original, not even the one that was around in the sixties.  That one was, in fact, falling down.  

Engineers discovered a serious deterioration in the vast, 1000 foot bridge, which took quite a hammering during the Second World War.  Serving the citizens of London well for over 130 years, the constant traffic took its toll.  The bridge was not only sinking from the constant weight of traffic, but crumbling too.

The plan was to build a new one, and the question arose as to what to do with the old London Bridge. A member of the Common Council of the City of London, Ian Luckin, suggested they put the bridge up for sale.  Why not make some money on the old girl, he offered his peers.

‘Not just a bridge’, he said. `It is the heir to 2000 years of history going back to the first century AD, to the time of Roman Londinium.” 

‘They all thought I was completely crazy when I suggested we should sell London Bridge when it needed replacing.’ 

It was a long shot and did not seem to appeal to the locals at all, but they did put the sale of the bridge into public view, hoping for any potential buyers. They got lucky. In 1968, a wealthy American Industrialist, Robert McCulloch paid £2.46m for the bridge. The industrialist from Moussourri owned the single largest tract of land in Arizona in 1963, intending to develop a city, Lake Havasu City.  What he needed was a major attraction, something to draw tourists and investors. London Bridge would be perfect. 

The sale went through and the careful dismantling of the bridge began, each block carefully marked for shipment and re-assembling. The operation took three years to complete.  First, the blocks were transported to the Merrivale Quarry, in Devon and from there, shipped via the Panama Canal to California and finally trucked to Arizona.  
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Now it spans the Bridgewater Canal, a testament to the genius, or folly of one man who wanted to bring London Bridge to the USA.

ALL HALLOWS-BY-THE-TOWER

The All Hallows-by-the-Tower stands on ground that has revealed signs from Roman times and could well have been built as early as the 7th Century.  Firmly established as a church between the 11th and 15th centuries, its proximity to the Tower of London indicates there were strong royal connections.  It was declared a Royal Chapel by Edward IV but more importantly, it served as a temporary burial ground for the more eminent victims of executions at Tower Hill, such as Sir Thomas Moore. ​The church sustained damage over the years. Fortunately it escaped being gutted by the Great Fire of London in 1666, thanks to the quick action of Admiral William Penn. 

Image courtesy of Britain Express

Penn ordered his men from a nearby naval yard to blow up any still existing houses surrounding the church, creating a firebreak and saving the church. Admiral Penn was the father of William Penn of Pennsylvania, who was baptised in this church. The younger Penn was schooled in Chigwell, Essex, and the establishment was run according to very strict Puritan rules.  

Later he was to be drawn to Quakerism, and rejected the Anglican faith.  His beliefs saw him imprisoned many times, but his faith held steadfast.  The Quakers (Society of Friends) were seen as religious radicals and often subjected to persecution. Undaunted, he continued to profess his religious beliefs through public speaking, writing books and pamphlets, and even spent time in the cells of the Tower of London in 1669 where he wrote ‘No Cross, no Crown.’

His father’s death in 1670 left him with large estates in England and Ireland, though he continued to preach his sermons and write.  He married and had eight children, four of which died in infancy.  A prolific writer, he also became interested in American Colonisation, fostering a long found dream of a colony where all could live with religious tolerance. In 1681 he, and 11 other Quakers, bought the rights to East New Jersey, which he renamed after his father, Pennsylvania. 

When he sailed to America in 1682, his plans for a new government and the establishment of Philadelphia were well under way. He managed to secure a number of treaties, including those with the Delaware Indians, but not all was plain sailing and in due course he was forced to return to England.

His family connections offered Penn excellent relations with King James, and he enjoyed the good fortune bestowed upon him by the King.  He was able to exercise his faith without intolerance - helping secure the release of many Quakers held in London prisons.  The death of King James, and the accession to the throne of King William and Queen Mary, who were suspicious of his intentions, cast him from the Royal Circle, at times living in fear of his life.

Things deteriorated progressively in Pennsylvania.  In his absence they lost the colony which was ceded to New York.  He returned to the colony and tried to restore relationships, repair the broken treaties, but was eventually compelled to grant the lower countries their independence and grant Pennsylvania, a revised constitution.  Less than two years later, he was forced, once again, back to London. The rest of his life was an unhappy one. A severe stroke left him helpless and dependent until his death in 1718.
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Another famous American, John Quincy Adams, who became the 6th President of America, was married in this church on July 26th 1797.  His wife Louisa Catherine Adams,  was born in America and raised in London.  Her father, Joshua Adams would like to entertain visiting Americans and it was there that the young Louisa met John Adams, American minister to the Netherlands.  John Adams’ father, John Adams, was also a President of the United States of America.

ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

Image courtesy of Traveling Boy Blog

Image courtesy of Britain Express

Benjamin Franklin lived in this house between 1757 and 1775, and this is believed to be the only surviving house that Franklin lived in, right in the heart of London. 

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was known as a philosopher, inventor, diplomat, scientist, writer and founding father of the United States of America.  He is the only statesman to have signed all four documents in the creation of this new nation; The Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Alliance with France, The Treaty of Paris, bringing peace with Britain, and The Constitution.  Quite the man.

Arriving in London, he took up lodgings in the house, run as a boarding house by Mrs. Margaret Stevenson. A few quirky rumours about Dr.. Franklin.
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It is said that Dr. Franklin liked to have ‘air baths’, in front of the window. It is believed that he also formed a relationship with Mrs. Stevenson and later her daughter in the time he stayed there. His role as an Ambassador to England from the United States was important, but he found plenty of time to continue to write articles, letters and contribute to the Craven Street Gazette.  He had a very full and happy social life, and did not seem to worry all that much about his wife and family back home!

TRAFALGAR SQUARE AND GEORGE WASHINGTON

Image courtesy of Royist

‘Little America in London.’ Dating back as far as the late 18th century, this square has been associated  with Americans, living in or visiting London.  Between 1785 and 1788, John Adams, 1st United States Minister to the court of St. James’s and the 2nd US President stayed here, on the corner of Brook and Duke Street.

Talking of Brook street, Jimmy Hendrix lived there briefly in June 1969, which is a museum now.  

The beautiful green square in the heart of Mayfair belongs to the Grosvenor family, the Duke of Westminster.  During the war, General Dwight Eisenhower established a US Military headquarters at 20 Grosvenor Square,  Whilst running the operations for the D-Day landings, this square was known as ‘Eisenhower platz.’

The Duke of Westminster granted a piece of land in the square, in 1947, for the erection of a statue dedicated to President Roosevelt.  The statue was funded entirely by British Citizens, showing their support for the relations between Britain and the United States.  The statue, designed by Sir. William Reed Dick, was unveiled by his wife in 1948, in the presence of the Royal family and many other important dignitaries.

In 1960, the Brutalist building you see before you on the west side of the square, was commissioned as the new home of the US Embassy, designed by an American, Eero Saarinen, with the brief that it blended in naturally with the style of Grosvenor Square (not so sure about that.) 

Only six floors are above ground, the rest below. The exterior facade is Portland Stone and the Eagle above has a 35 foot wingspan, inspired by a carved, wooden eagle in the New England museum.  The embassy moved to Nine Elms in 2018.  It is the only US Embassy on land not owned by the US.

The Embassy has since been bought by the Qatari Royal Family and is scheduled to open as a five star hotel.

Another statue you will find in the square, is that of President Ronald Reagan, the 40th US President, also made from bronze as the one of Eisenhower.  This was unveiled on the 4th of July.

The obelisk is the Eagle Squadron Memorial. Consisting of a Portland Stone column, surmounted by a bronze sculpture of the American Bald Eagle, sculpted by Dame Elizabeth Frink.  

Before the US entered the war, many Americans wanted to volunteer for the RAF to fight against Nazi Germany.  This was illegal, as they could only fight for the US and many did so illegally, or using fake Canadian papers. More than 600 applied.  After Pearl Harbour and the inclusion of the US into the war, there were more than 80 Eagle Squadrons.  These were later quietly incorporated into the US military.

Sponsored by the Hearst Foundation, the monument was unveiled on the 12th May, 1986.  Inscribed are the names of the 244 American and 16 British fighters.

‘They came not as warriors in search of conflict, but rather as crusaders in the cause of liberty.  They became brothers in arms to their British colleagues …’

The beautiful pergola and created garden in Grosvenor Square, is a memorial to the British victims of September 11th, 2001, who died in the terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Shanksville.  Beneath the memorial is buried, a half-ton steel girder taken from ruins of the One World Trade Centre in New York.

The garden, opened by the Princess Royal in 2003, contains flowers from Britain and the United States.  The flowers bloom in September. The white, Bianca rose, is prominent here.  The rose was part of the bouquet carried by Queen Elizabeth at the memorial and each family placed the white rose outside the Abbey.  On the first anniversary of the tragedy, more than 30 000 white petals were dropped from the whispering gallery in St. Pauls to honour the victims.

The inscription on the pergola reads: ‘Grief is the price we pay for love.’
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Coutours has an American in London tour that includes this and much more. For further information on this private tour, please contact Emma. emma@coutours.co.uk

I am not a fan of a sandwich. Years spent working in a press office where sandwiches were brought on a platter and any uneaten left to harden and curl at the edges managed to turn me off. Saying that, there are three sandwiches I would push you out of the way to eat. So let me tell you about the best sandwiches in London.

First we must tackle that eternal question: when is a sandwich a sandwich? Is a flatbread a sandwich? Does a wrap count? Well, I am not a purist but I will say that as long as there are two pieces of bread type material holding in a filling of some description, we have a sandwich. Whatever you believe, there is no doubt the idea originated in the Middle East. The classic sandwich as we now know it, was ‘created’ for a lazy English person in 1762?
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As the story goes, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, had a serious gambling problem. Since this caused him to spend hours on end at the table, he requested his cook to make him something he could easily eat without leaving the table and suggested they put the meat between two slices of bread. Et voilà - the sandwich was born! Apparently, he loved the bread/meat/bread arrangement so much he asked for it constantly and as the dish grew in popularity amongst London’s high society, it took on the earl’s name.

How many of you think of Winston Churchill as a style icon? I think he looked rather dapper in his
pinstripe suits and hats but he did have a rather interesting impact on the history of fashion. So let’s
take a look at some of his most famous outfits and fashion choices!

​First up, the pinstripe suit; a classic that gained popularity in the 1920’s and has been in and out of
fashion ever since. Of course, when we look at its history, the most famous wearer of this particular
style was Winston Churchill (although there were a few bootleggers and those from the organised
criminal underground who also favoured this look!) Though he had a hard time holding onto money,
his clothes were always bespoke. More often than not, his suits were specially tailored by Henry
Poole & Co.
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Interestingly, tailoring gave us the word ‘bespoke.’ Once a client had chosen a fabric, it was then
‘spoken for’ or ‘bespoke.’

​History is full of important figures, people who changed the world, heroes even. The 20th century knew a lot of struggle and during those extraordinary times, Britain needed extraordinary people. We all know the names of those in the spotlight, such as Winston Churchill, but who was fighting behind the scenes? Spies played a vital role in the Allied war effort, so let’s remember some of the most extraordinary female spies from the 20th century.

“Mata Hari” sounds quite exotic, doesn’t it? Of course, that was exactly the point it was chosen by Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. She was as much a “femme fatale”, as she was a woman living in a time when choices for a woman were limited. After marrying young and struggling with married life, she had to leave her daughter behind with her ex-husband because she was unable to provide for her. She moved to Paris in 1902 for a better life and took several odd jobs to support herself. This is where she first took to the stage as an exotic dancer and quickly made a name for herself.
She performed under the name Mata Hari, meaning “eye of the day” in Malay and danced nearly nude, with only a decorated breastplate and jewellery. As she spun stories about being a Javanese princess and performed draped in gauzy shawls, her fame grew. When the war started, her career was already in decline, but since she was still beautiful and well-known, she became a courtesan and took rich and powerful lovers of all nationalities.

As she continued travelling, she caught the eye of the Germans, who offered her 20.000 francs to become a spy. She accepted, but there’s little evidence she actually passed them any information. She was also approached by the French secret service and agreed to spy for them but was soon after suspected to be a double agent working for the Germans. Her trial took place in 1917 and she was found guilty, though no real evidence that she had passed any information was provided.
So was she really a spy? Did she seduce men left and right to pass on information to the other side? Or was she just a woman trying to survive in difficult times? It’s hard to say who Margaretha really was, as history looks back on her as the ultimate femme fatale, though she herself claimed she’d never been a spy.”
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Her legacy, however, is undeniable. French investigator Captain Pierre Bouchardon called her “a born spy”, though she herself claimed “I have always lived for love and pleasure.” She was killed by a firing squad, but showed grace and courage until her final moments, as she refused to wear a blindfold and reportedly blew the soldiers one last kiss before they opened fire.

​Of all the Wren churches in London, this is my favourite. If churches were a selection of cakes, this would be the Fondant Fancy, a small, light, pastel gem that is easy to miss as you wander around the City. You really need to ensure that you step back from this church to admire it. It is easy to miss its best asset if you stand too close. It has the most darling of domes – a small, perfectly formed verdigris cupola. The walls are high and fortress-like with high oval windows that provide both privacy and security.

It is sad and rather strange to think that, up until the late Victorian age, ordinary working people were never formally recognised if they gave their lives to save others. It was the aristocracy or officers in the armed forces who were commended for acts of heroic self-sacrifice. It is also quite unusual for an artist to create a commemorative wall of glazed tiles to recognise these everyday acts of heroism. George Frederick Watts, a recognised artist of the time, devised the idea of individual tiles to immortalise the bravery of ordinary men and women for future generations to see. Each tile was hand painted using their name and a brief description of their sad sacrifice.

Just south of Tower Bridge there is a little piece of secret London – a hidden market. There are no signposts and there are few visual clues. Look closer and you will see a trail of people wandering away into small back roads that lead you towards Bermondsey and into a street market called Maltby Street. You will also recognize the happy faces of people who have sampled the delights of the market and are heading off elsewhere, charmed and satisfied.