Who was Bessie Wallis Warfield (1896-1986)?

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (previously Wallis Simpson, Wallis Spencer, and Wallis Warfield; 19 June 1896 – 24 April 1986) was an American socialite.

Her first marriage, to U.S. naval officer Win Spencer, was punctuated by periods of separation and eventually ended in divorce. In 1934, during her second marriage, to Ernest Simpson, she allegedly became the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales. Two years later, after Edward's accession as king, Wallis divorced her second husband in order to marry Edward.

The King's desire to marry a woman who had two living ex-husbands threatened to cause a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom and the Dominions. This crisis ultimately led to his abdication in December 1936, in order to marry "the woman I love".

After the abdication, the former king was created Duke of Windsor by his brother and successor, King George VI. Wallis married Edward six months later, so becoming sister-in-law to George VI. She was formally known as the Duchess of Windsor, without the style "Her Royal Highness".

The picture is a childhood snapshot of Bessie Wallis Warfield.