Name: Duke and Duchess of Windsor

Maker: unknown-likely artist dolls- Elsie Krug ?

Size: 11”

Medium: composition

Date: 1937-1938

Description: Another Royal wedding is in the works!!

I would like to say these are one of a kind, but a woman who had an "Everything Royal" shop for 25 years had never seen any other Duke and Duchess of Windsor dolls. Her set were the first dolls of the Duke and Duchess of Wndsor of this type she had ever seen. So, there are at least two sets.

As you will recall, King Edward VIII gave up the throne of England in 1936 to marry twice divorced Wallis Simpson. Edward's abdication made way for the future King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II, current Queen of England. Had Edward not married Wallis, the course of history most assuredly would have been different and we would have never known the late Princess Diana. Her set was purchased from a man who said his grandmother had worked for the Duchess in Paris after the death of Edward. She was told the dolls were given to the Duchess by the maker and the clothes were supposedly made from fabric from the Duke and Duchess. The dolls faces are a composition with fabric bodies.

Research had been done at Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams who have specialists in royal memorabilia. They had never seen these dolls, nor could we find any information in the dozens of doll books they have in their reference departments. The dolls are 11 inches from head to toe.

The dolls are in excellent condition. They are wrapped with archival paper used to protect the clothing from deteriorating.

Both are dressed in their wedding day finery. Edward (David as he was called in the family) in tails. The Duchess is in a replica of her slipper satin wedding dress. The periwinkle has mellowed to a nice shade of lavender. They even have typewritten wrist tags identifying them. I wish I knew more about their provenance to share.

Marks: unmarked

Condition: Excellent.

Price: $1,650

Shipping: $50