Why Joan Collins is perfect to play Wallis Simpson in new biopic - Royal historian

Dame Joan Collins volition beryllium playing celebrated royal Wallis Simpson successful The Bitter End - a caller biopic portraying the arguable Duchess of Windsor’s last years.

Former Dynasty prima Joan, 91, is the latest successful a agelong enactment of women stars to play the American divorcee - often compared to Meghan Markle - blamed for causing her hubby King Edward VIII to abdicate successful December 1936.

Though determination are plentifulness of taste offerings of the precocious royal's life, the years starring to her decease from dementia, aged 89, person seldom been portrayed. “I americium thrilled astir the situation of playing this iconic pistillate successful a antecedently untold communicative successful what I’m definite volition beryllium a precise palmy endeavour,” says Joan.

First married, aged 20, to an alcoholic Navy aviator, the duchess past divorced and joined English-American shipping enforcement Ernest Simpson successful the precocious 1920s, earlier opening an matter with Edward, then Prince of Wales, who she went connected to marry.

According to royal historiographer Tessa Dunlop, Joan - who she describes arsenic “wonderfully effortful”- is the cleanable prime for the role. She says: ”I can't deliberation of anyone amended to bash Wallis justice.

"Joan is effortfully beauteous - she's not going to unreal she hasn't enactment a batch of clip and effort into her look.

"And Joan is truthful sharp-edged - she's ninety but looks sixty. If Wallis was live today, she would person Botox and person done everything to enactment looking arsenic glamorous arsenic possible. She died lonely and determination was thing pitiful astir her successful the end, truthful The Bitter End rubric is apt."

Here, Tessa gives her verdict connected different women who person played Wallis done the years:

Faye Dunaway, The Woman I Love, 1972

Bonnie and Clyde prima Faye Dunaway played Wallis, other Thorn Birds histrion Richard Chamberlain as Edward, successful the TV film, charting the opening of the royal romance.

Edward had said of their archetypal meeting: "I was instantly impressed with her vivaciousness, wit and astute repartee. I peculiarly admired her implicit frankness."

Of the film, which came retired the twelvemonth Edward died, Tessa says: “It captures that claustrophobic formality which Edward professed to loathe astir royal beingness - and however besotted helium became with Wallis.

"Richard is handsome arsenic Edward was so, similar the existent Windsors, Faye and Richard chopped a precise glamorous couple. I besides emotion that Queen Mary is simply a suitable crystal queen - which she was!

"Also they person Faye begging him not to abdicate, which is what happened. She is depicted arsenic distraught and she would person been. She was past trapped with this antheral successful royal purgatory for the remainder of time."

Jane Seymour, The Woman He Loved, 1988

Told from Wallis’s constituent of view, the movie with Anthony Andrews playing Edward, won Jane Seymour an Emmy nomination. It tells Wallis’s communicative successful flashbacks, starting with her 1972 accomplishment successful Britain for Edward’s funeral.

Tessa says of Jane Seymour’s performance: “I deliberation present we would spot this arsenic excessively brushed connected Wallis. It visually truly works - the astonishing costumes. It evokes Wallis's unthinkable sartorial presence.

"This movie was much favourable to Wallis than much caller depictions, due to the fact that successful the eighties and nineties, the Royal Family was seen arsenic a spot of a messiness with the Queen's children getting divorced - hence this softer presumption of Wallis. "

Joely Richardson, Wallis & Edward, 2005

Joely Richardson plays an aloof Wallis, other Stephen Campbell Moore’s Edward, successful this 2005 made-for-TV movie - the archetypal to beryllium told from the duchess’ viewpoint.

Tessa believes this is the astir close portrayal of the divorcee, saying: "She's flirtatious, consecutive talking and ambitious, which is precisely who Wallis was - but besides rather susceptible to Edward's insistence she leaves her 2nd hubby Ernest Simpson.

“Wallis didn't privation Edward to abdicate - she was rather blessed to beryllium the mistress, but helium benignant of gave her nary choice. "

Tessa besides feels Joely Richardson captured her physically, saying: "Joely isn't a earthy beauty, but has that outstanding look - she is striking similar Wallis."

Gillian Anderson, Any Human Heart, 2010

No alien to depicting formidable women, having played Margaret Thatcher successful Netflix bid The Crown, 1 professional described Gillian Anderson’s Wallis arsenic a "paranoid psycho-snob" successful this Bafta-winning drama.

The William Boyd TV adaptation of his caller is simply a fictionalised relationship of the beingness of Logan Mountstuart, a writer who crosses paths with galore influential figures of the 20th century, and Wallis is not a cardinal quality - but makes an interaction nevertheless.

Tessa says: "I deliberation this is simply a caricature mentation of Wallis - the paranoid snob was her Victorian armour."

Eve Best, The King's Speech, 2010

Eve Best, who plays fierce Rhaenys Targaryen successful the HBO play House of The Dragon, was "just not beauteous oregon edgy enough" for the role, according to Tessa.

"Where is the crisp glamour? " she asks. "Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Queen Elizabeth should person been Wallis and vice versa.

"The occupation with The King's Speech is the heroine is Helena Bonham Carter, due to the fact that she's redeeming her husband. And it's a classical British portrayal. In caller years we flatter the Royal Family. The older films with Jane Seymour and Joely Richardson were overmuch braver."

But the utmost dislike betwixt Wallis and the Queen Mother, who thought she was a gold-digger, was accurate, according to Tessa.

"Women had fewer choices for earning money, truthful marrying good was Wallis's way - though she did genuinely emotion Edward,” she says. "Also, Wallis was amusive and sociable, arsenic we spot her here. She was a precise generous big and entertainer."

Andrea Riseborough, W.E, 2011

Written and directed by Madonna, the movie examines Wallis and Edward's emotion communicative done the eyes of a pistillate who becomes obsessed with their romance.

"This 1 is astir the cautionary communicative of fame and riches." says Tessa. "Edward tells her to effort and bask the property attention, but really helium hated it. Wallis was successful immoderate ways amended equipped to negociate it than him. She had her costumes to fell down and the brooches.

"They usage immoderate of Wallis's existent jewellery and you tin spot wherefore Madonna was drawn to making the movie - they were some akin successful that they were decently celebrated and hung retired with each the apical designers and names.

"Andrea is precise young - the other extremity to Joan Collins's portrayal. But, arsenic the caller movie volition bookend Wallis' life, this volition service arsenic a reminder that her standards ne'er slipped."

Lia Williams, The Crown, 2016–2023

Mr Bates vs The Post Office histrion Lia Williams played Wallis other Alex Jennings arsenic Edward successful The Crown - but Tessa thinks she was woefully miscast.

"She conscionable was not stylish enough,” she says. “Wallis said herself that she wasn't a beauteous pistillate - but she had exquisite sartorial style. Combined with wealth - and she had plentifulness erstwhile she joined Edward - she was capable to exude a precise crisp glamour."

Tessa is besides captious of The Crown’s depiction of the portrayal of the mates arsenic Nazi sympathisers - and she accuses the programme makers of being hard connected them, arsenic they were “easier targets” than different royals.

"I truly didn't similar however The Crown truly ramped up the Nazi connection,” she says. Wallis and Edward were overmuch softer easier targets to spell for - radical already condemned by the royal household itself.”

A Bitter End is owed to commencement shooting soon successful London and Paris and a merchandise day has not yet been revealed.