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Faith / Re: Devotions
« Last post by PippaJane on Today at 11:33:21 AM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/18/numbering-our-days-with-hope?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=257063150&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--qYYKD6OVUxoHaumGEGlhHtVdTG7UeiL1M0OvmRXQg4h1LTxoNdyXxW4nApaR16sdh221iyiET9PZlV-_5bb871UYHtw&utm_content=257063150&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Numbering Our Days With Hope
May 18, 2023
by Ruth Chou Simons

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

Do you ever get bogged down in the everyday mundane?

I sure do.  Do you sometimes feel as if the right-now, never-ending emails, to-dos, laundry, homework, conflict resolution, dirty dishes, and carpool lines are always pressing in, always swirling, but never quite getting you anywhere?

Me too.  One of the encouragements I find myself repeating again and again to myself and the women around me is not to let the mundane, everyday tasks of life or the busyness of any particular season rob us of rhythms and priorities that help us know and love Jesus more. We always need the reminder to keep our eyes on our eternal hope in Him.  Maybe it’s my age (let’s just say I’m in my mid-late 40s, shall we?), or maybe it’s the season I’m in (preparing to graduate my oldest child from college and see him off to grad school in another state), but Psalm 90 and its implications have resonated in my heart and mind over the last several months.  The psalmist, often presumed to be Moses, asks God to “teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12).

Perhaps what’s most encouraging to me in this passage is the use of the word “teach” because that means it’s normal not to automatically have wisdom for how to live our days purposefully, wisely and rightly motivated. This is something to be learned over time.  Numbering our days means pausing for regular consideration of our days in light of God’s ways recognizing the finite gift of our lives here on earth and gaining “a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) as we steward what God has given us. This framework gives us permission to live with both courage and caution, simultaneously constrained and carefree. In the big, life-altering decisions and in the everyday mundane.  The eternal hope of Christ gives purpose to our days. There is a destination we’re headed to a hope not yet fully realized and this world is not it.  So numbering our days isn’t about mustering up fervor to “live life to the fullest” or to “carpe diem” our way through life. No, life’s meaning has already been secured by the image of God we carry in us (Genesis 1:27) and the finished work of redemption purchased for us by Jesus (Ephesians 1:7).  What does it mean to number our days, then?

It means rejoicing in our eternal hope and allowing it to shape the choices we make how we spend our time, where we look for encouragement, how we spend money, what entertainment we seek out, and the people we choose to invest in and listen to.  If we consider every day as part of God’s plan to teach us to take our eyes off of our immediate circumstances, we can set our minds on the God who has purposefully placed us in the midst of our current season so that we might live for Him. When we remember that God has numbered our days, we treasure everything that reminds us we already have everything we need in Him.
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Faith / Re: Devotions
« Last post by PippaJane on Today at 11:27:52 AM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/17/learning-to-calm-and-quiet-your-soul?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=257063106&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ycxh928hR6b1Cqu8gpea8ucmyNZeXCNDuilCuLY9XDXFl4iCrGeO-nZaeFmz0ZpAPy3Xe7fyg9qK82U7_TSJp6vZrkQ&utm_content=257063106&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Learning To Calm and Quiet Your Soul
May 17, 2023
by Sarah J. Hauser

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 131:2 (ESV)

Many days, my soul feels frantic and overwhelmed, hurried or even heavy. I sometimes lie in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, taking inventory of all I didn’t get done. Or I incessantly Google my questions, seeking solutions to my problems and answers to angst.  Whether I’m juggling everyday responsibilities or processing profound heartache, I so often find myself restless, fearful and uncertain.  Maybe you can relate. Maybe you find yourself bouncing from one task to the next, and the pace of your life leaves not just your body but your soul feeling rushed. Or maybe you’re in a season of grief, and the broken pieces of your heart feel like they’re being tossed around by relentless waves.  No matter your circumstances, you can still find true, deep rest. King David carried the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. He was chased by his enemies, suffered loss and wrestled with sin. But in Psalm 131:2, he said, “I have calmed and quieted my soul ...”

Having a calm and quiet soul can feel impossible. There’s so much to do in a day, so much to think through, and so many people hurting. How can we have calm and quiet souls in the midst of it all?

In Psalm 131:1, David wrote, “O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me” (ESV).

In other words, David humbled himself. He wasn’t arrogant but instead recognized who he was in relation to who God is. Without humility, David wouldn’t have been able to admit his need for rest and his need for God’s care and provision.  Rest requires humility.  Then in the next verse, Psalm 131:2, David said he was like a weaned child with his mother. A weaned child isn’t clamoring for his mother’s milk. A weaned child is content in his mother’s arms, trusting she will provide.  I’ve learned from my four kids that the weaning process isn’t always easy. At first, a weaning child will cry and scream for what he wants, but the mother doesn’t love the child any less because she’s not giving him what he craves. She’s helping that child move from infancy to maturity. She’s still providing what he needs, but what he needs may be different than what he wants.  We are so often screaming babies, clawing at God for what we want and He can handle all our cries and questions. But eventually, a child will recognize that his mother isn’t holding out on him when she doesn’t nurse. He begins to understand that he will be fed.  Like that child calm and quiet in his mother’s arms, we can find rest in the arms of our God. When we humbly trust Him, we can find true, lasting peace, come what may. At times, like the child being weaned, we can feel like God is withholding His provision. But He’s not. He provides what we need when we need it, growing us up so we “may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4, CSB).

Like David, we can calm and quiet our souls not because life circumstances are peaceful or our unruly to-do lists are finally tamed. Rather, we can calm and quiet our souls because God is a trustworthy, faithful provider who invites us to rest in His arms.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13247695/gogglebox-stars-died-remembered-wake-george-gilbey-death.html

The Gogglebox stars lost over the years: Famous faces on Channel 4 hit no longer with us remembered in the wake of George Gilbey tragedy

By Matt Strudwick

Published: 09:24, 28 March 2024 | Updated: 10:00, 28 March 2024

Gogglebox fans are in mourning following the shock death of George Gilbey, aged 40, in a 'work accident'.  The former Celebrity Big Brother star died yesterday when he fell to the ground while working at height. He died at the scene.  The TV personality's death has rocked fans of the show as tributes poured in on social media.  The father-of-one had a seven-year-old daughter Amelie Iris Gilbey with Gemma Conway in 2016.  George, from Clacton-on-Sea, rose to fame on the second series of Gogglebox with his mother Linda McGarry and step-father Pete in 2013.  MailOnline has taken a look back to remember all of the famous faces of the Channel 4 hit show who are no longer with us. 

Pat Webb

The beloved Gogglebox star died aged 75 in January following a 'long illness'.  Pat, who featured on the show from series 10 to 12 alongside her son Stephen Lustig-Webb.  Stephen, who appeared on the show for 10 years before leaving in 2023, took to Instagram and shared a sweet photo of himself with his mother.   He wrote: 'Mummy Pat, you were one in a million, took everyone at face value, would share your last fiver with a stranger, the salt of the earth and the absolute centre of our world! Rest in peace mum.' 

Pat joined Gogglebox after Stephen's ex-partner Chris Steed left the programme in 2018.  From 2019 until 2023, Stephen appeared alongside his husband Daniel.  Stephen was one of the series' longest-running stars having joined when it first started in 2013.
 
Dave the Rottweiler

Gogglebox's Malone family shared their devastation in October 2023 that their beloved dog Dave had died.  The adorable pooch was known to millions of viewers as he regularly appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside the family Tom Sr, Julie, Shaun and Tom Jr.  The family took to Instagram to share their heartbreak as they confirmed the upsetting news.  They posted a sweet video of the Rottweiler standing on their driveway waiting for Tom Sr to return home alongside a heartfelt caption.  The family gushed over how much their beloved dog Dave meant to them and confessed that they would miss him 'so much'.  They wrote: 'RIP Dave xxx There are no words to describe you, or how much you meant to us.  We are all going to miss you so much.'

Pete McGarry

The step-father of George Gilbey died from bowel cancer in June 2021, aged 71, with his family by his side.  His beloved wife Linda revealed he had been diagnosed with the disease earlier that year but despite a recent operation to remove the tumour, was told he only had six months to live.  He died just days after the prognosis, with the widow telling The Sun: 'Pete was a lovely man and I was so lucky to have him for 25 years.'

A statement issued on behalf of the family announcing his death said: 'Pete will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew. Our thoughts are with Linda, their children and grandchildren.  Since 2000, Pete and Linda have fostered over 100 children and he is a beloved father, husband and grandfather.'

Mary Cook

The TV personality, famed for her witty one-liners, died aged 92 in August 2021. She appeared alongside the show with her best friend Marina Wingrove.  Channel 4 announced the news in a statement that read: 'We are extremely saddened to share that Gogglebox star Mary Cook passed away in hospital this weekend at the age of 92 with her family by her side.  She will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew.'

They added that Mary was a 'beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend to many.'

Mary, who worked in the hospitality trade, had been married and widowed twice, and met best friend Marina at St Monica Trust retirement village more than ten years before her death.  The pair joined Gogglebox in 2016 at the start of series eight and became instant fan favourites due to their 'brilliantly witty and often cheeky comments.'

Andy Michael

The Gogglebox star also died in August 2021 aged 61 following a short illness.  The family first appeared on Gogglebox in the debut episode in 2013, but were dropped in 2014 because Mr Michael was running for Ukip in the 2015 General Election. After he failed to secure the Hastings and Rye seat, the family returned for future episodes.  Mr Michael, who won a legion of fans by sharing his unfiltered views on the week's TV alongside his wife Carolyne and children Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis from their home in Brighton, was the son of immigrant parents from Cyprus.  A family statement, given to the PA news agency at the time, said: 'We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Gogglebox star Andy Michael at the age of 61 following a short illness.  'Andy passed away last weekend with his family by his side. 'Retired hotelier Andy, who brought much wit and insight to Gogglebox, was one of the show's original cast members, appearing in the very first episode in 2013.  Beloved father to Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis, and cherished husband of Carolyne, Andy was a much-loved and respected member of the Gogglebox family, and he will be very sadly missed.  Our love and thoughts are with Carolyne and the entire family. The family have asked for privacy at this very sad time.'

June and Leon Bernicoff

June died in May 2020 aged 82 - three years after her husband Leon passed away.  The retired teacher died following a short illness and was one of Gogglebox's original cast members alongside her husband.  She left the show in 2018 following Leon's death, aged 83, in December 2017 following a short illness.  A statement from Channel 4 and production company Studio Lambert, on behalf of June's family, said: 'We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox's much-loved June Bernicoff passed away at the age of 82 on May 5 at home with her family by her side after a short illness.  As the first couple to be cast for Gogglebox back in 2013, June and her husband Leon were a huge part of the programme's success.  Their warmth, wit and contrasting personalities endeared them to the nation during the course of the first 10 series.  Following Leon's passing in December 2017, June wrote her first book, Leon And June: Our Story, which was a deeply moving and entertaining chronicle of their 60-year love affair.'

June met Leon at teacher training college in 1955, but kept their relationship a secret for five years, as she knew Leon's Jewish family would not approve due to her Catholic faith.  They married in 1960 and moved into the same Liverpool home that they appeared in during their Gogglebox stint, and had four children and three grandchildren.

Caroline Aherne

The comic great died in 2016 aged 52 following a two year battle with lung cancer.  She starred in The Royle Family as well as the show's specials in 2006 and 2010 before becoming the voice of Gogglebox in 2013.  A statement issued by publicist Neil Reading said: 'Caroline Aherne has sadly passed away, after a brave battle with cancer.  The BAFTA award-winning writer and comedy actor died earlier today at her home in Timperley, Greater Manchester. She was 52.'

Aherne passed away alone at her home in Cheshire because her family were not aware her condition had deteriorated, a family member told The Mirror.  'It was too quick, we didn't expect her to go,' they said. 'She wasn't in a hospice. She was just at home. She left on her own.'
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Fun, Games And Silliness / Re: Movies and Actors
« Last post by Lost Soul on March 23, 2024, 12:36:17 PM »
Devyn McDowell
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Fun, Games And Silliness / Re: Use the last two letters to make next word
« Last post by Lost Soul on March 23, 2024, 12:34:48 PM »
lyre
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Fun, Games And Silliness / Re: Keep A Word, Drop A Word, Add A Word
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camping table
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Fun, Games And Silliness / Re: Word Association
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travel
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Faith / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Lost Soul on March 21, 2024, 07:19:10 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2023/05/16/standing-on-the-god-whose-plans-always-stand?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=257062956&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BdJeFSF1AkYaGMT8T--HyF5C4cvl_06XdlmcwpiapJQFomq3t8oZVjPXrc81moYzl6I16Na6BLuP2suEGbJ2PQFZdpQ&utm_content=257062956&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Standing on the God Whose Plans Always Stand
May 16, 2023
by Meredith Houston Carr

“Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines … David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.” 1 Samuel 18:25b-30 (NIV)

If you’re like me, you love a good story one of the classics where an embattled hero emerges victorious over the enemy. Or where light overcomes darkness. Or good triumphs over evil.  In one challenging chapter of my marriage, I longed for that kind of storybook ending. Daily, I’d cry out to God, begging Him for victory and protection against the enemy’s schemes that made me wonder: God, are You truly stronger than this opposition we’re facing?

In that season, God led me to a passage of Scripture in 1 Samuel detailing the epic struggle between Saul and David.  In a nutshell, the nation of Israel begged for a king, so God chose Saul as their inaugural leader. However, after Saul failed to obey God’s commands fully, God anointed David, a young, obscure shepherd boy, as Israel’s next king. David entered Saul’s service as a musician and quickly rose to fame and fortune by defeating the notorious Goliath (1 Samuel 15-17).  When the people showered David with adoration and praise, Saul ruled by murderous jealousy went from frustrated to unhinged, bent on taking out his competition.  The first part of today’s key verses clues us in to Saul’s sinister state of mind: “Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 18:25b).

Yes, this wayward king had big plans to place David in the path of the Philistines (Israel’s longtime enemies) and let them wipe him out.  On paper, Saul certainly had every resource, power and opportunity to accomplish his evil task. To all the world, it looked like David was at the mercy of Saul’s plans what a vulnerable place to be!  It’s how I felt during that tough time in my marriage, and I wonder if you’re feeling that way today too. Maybe you feel like you’re at the mercy of a challenging season where everything or everyone seems to be against you. We know that Satan is our one true enemy, yet he works through all kinds of people and circumstances to incite fear and doubt inside us.  Like the boss who refuses to recognize your potential.  Or that family member who’s stuck in toxic patterns.  Or the health crisis that’s pushed you past your breaking point.  Or the bills that keep piling up with no end in sight.  With our backs against the wall, we long for an answer to that question nagging at our faith: God, are You really stronger than this opposition I’m facing?

We don’t know if David ever whispered that question, but we do know he moved forward in courage as God’s chosen, anointed future king: “… David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known” (1 Samuel 18:30).

Saul had his plan, yes, but so did God, and no amount of trying, tricking or treachery would stop God’s plan!  Nothing can stop His plans for you either, dear one.  If the enemy has you backed into a corner, try taking these two steps today:  First, resolve to reject fear. We can make this choice with our heads even when our hearts haven’t entirely caught up. Something as simple as repeating the words “I will not fear” throughout the day can make a massive difference in bolstering your courage!  Second, take the next step in front of you. Time and again, that’s what David did he faithfully said “yes” to whatever opportunity God placed in his path, whether it was tending sheep or leading a group of men into battle. He kept his eyes focused on God instead of the enemy  and we can do likewise!  God is bigger than the biggest enemy you’ll ever face. And nothing can or will thwart His excellent and gracious plans for you! I’ve stood on this truth in every hard season of my life, and it’s a truth you can stand on too today and always.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13191273/Iron-lung-man-Paul-Alexander-dead-78-Man-paralysed-suffering-Polio-six-year-old-lived-iron-lung-70-years-dies.html

Iron lung man Paul Alexander dead at 78: Lawyer who was paralysed after suffering Polio as a six year old and lived in an iron lung for 70 years dies

    Paul Alexander contracted polio in 1952 and spent a lifetime in an iron lung
    His team confirmed via his fundraiser that he had died aged 78 on Monday

By James Reynolds

Published: 08:51, 13 March 2024 | Updated: 11:41, 13 March 2024

Paul Alexander, the man who lived in an iron lung for more than 70 years, has died at the age of 78.  A fundraiser for his healthcare confirmed Alexander, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on Monday without providing further details.  Alexander spent an extraordinary lifetime in the iron lung machine after contracting polio in 1952, aged six, which left him paralysed from the neck down.  Unable to breathe by himself, he relied on the machine to breathe for more than seven decades even as new technologies became available.  But in spite of his physical constraints, Alexander achieved much as a published author, lawyer and avid traveller, remembered worldwide for his enduring positive attitude and smile.  Writing on Alexander's GoFundMe page, Christopher Ulmer, organiser and disability-rights activist, said on Tuesday: 'Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung”, passed away yesterday.  'After surviving polio as a child, he lived over 70 years inside of an iron lung. In this time Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author.  His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world.  Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered.'

Over an extraordinary life, Alexander's determination saw him achieve a number of remarkable achievements.  At 21, he became the first person to graduate from a high school in Dallas without ever attending class in person.  He was accepted into Southern Methodist University in Dallas, after much difficulty with university administration and then got into law school at the University of Texas, Austin.  He pursued his dreams of becoming a trial lawyer, and represented clients in court in a three-piece suit and a modified wheelchair that held his paralysed body upright.  He also staged a sit-in for disability rights and published his own memoir, titled 'Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung'.  The 155-page memoir was carefully crafted and took five years to complete; Paul wrote each word with a pen attached to a stick in his mouth.  Paul outlived both of his parents, his brother and even his original iron lung, which began leaking air in 2015, but was repaired by a mechanic Brady Richards, which was prompted by a YouTube video of Paul pleading for help.  The ventilator, a large yellow metal box, requires patients to lie down inside, with the device fastened tightly around their neck.  It works by creating a vacuum to mechanically draw in oxygen to the lungs for patients whose central nervous system and respiratory function were affected by polio.  While in hospital, doctors tried to get Paul to breathe on his own, turning off the machine and forcing him out, but it wouldn't take long for him to turn blue and pass out.  Despite the availability of more modern ventilators, Paul decided to continue using the iron lung machine because he was used to it.  Other devices also require intensive surgery.  Over his lifetime, Alexander never let the device get in the way of what he wanted to achieve, travelling on planes, living independently, praying in church, visiting the ocean, and falling in love.  While at university, Alexander met Claire, who he later became engaged to. He spoke candidly to The Guardian about how her mother forbade him from speaking to her daughter.  'Took years to heal from that,' he told the outlet.

In later life Alexander built a close relationship with Kathy Gaines, who became his caregiver or 'arms and legs', in his words.  Gaines stepped in to help after Alexander graduated law school, supporting him for more than three decades.  Alexander said the pair 'grew together', Gaines herself legally blind from type-1 diabetes.  Polio is an infectious viral disease that affects the central nervous system respiratory function and can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. It is transmitted through contaminated water and food or contact with an infected person.  It has largely been eradicated around the world after widespread use of the vaccine which came into use in the 1950s.  The disease remains endemic in just four countries today: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Polio was recently eradicated in India following an extensive campaign over a period of some 20 years, successfully ending the epidemic with sustained oral and injected vaccines.

What is polio?

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease that can cause paralysis or even death.  While efforts to produce vaccines effectively ended the epidemic in the western world by the latter half of the 20th century, polio remained one of the most deadly threats to children well into the 1950s.  Polio spreads from person to person through the ingestion of faecal matter from an infected person, or less commonly through coughs and sneezes.  Despite advances in sanitation and hygiene practices through the 19th century, the number of cases of polio in Europe and America soared through the early 1900s.  In the first stage of contracting the disease, the infection stays in the digestive system and throat. Most babies are able to fight off the disease at this point without it becoming debilitating, developing immunity.  Children who develop the disease later on are often less well prepared to fight it without having developed resistance, which can see polio enter a second, more aggressive stage, affecting the central nervous system.  Awareness of how diseases spread in unsanitary conditions saw great steps forward in overcoming epidemics in cholera and typhoid, but the reduced exposure to the polio virus in youth meant many children caught the disease later in development by the 20th century, with horrifying consequences.

Sources: Science Museum, NHS
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-13176811/How-young-Queen-foiled-cynical-campaign-Edward-Mrs-Simpson-gatecrash-early-years-reign-ALEXANDER-LARMANs-new-book-reveals-exiled-couple-formidable-foe-saw-like-shed-Harry-Meghan.html?login&param_code=tn1k5iuclyy255wqgd6h&param_state=eyJyZW1lbWJlck1lIjpmYWxzZSwicmFuZG9tU3RhdGUiOiI1MDVhYjY3ZC04MmYwLTRkYTctOGI1Mi02NzU2ZWRlNWQ4NGMifQ%3D%3D&param__host=www.dailymail.co.uk&param_geolocation=row&base_fe_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2F&validation_fe_uri=%2Fregistration%2Fp%2Fapi%2Ffield%2Fvalidation%2F&check_user_fe_uri=registration%2Fp%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fuser_check%2F&isMobile=false

How the young Queen foiled a cynical campaign by Edward and Mrs Simpson to gatecrash the early years of her reign, ALEXANDER LARMAN's new book reveals. The exiled couple found a formidable foe who saw them off like she'd see off Harry and Meghan

By Alexander Larman

Published: 12:10, 9 March 2024 | Updated: 12:10, 9 March 2024

Had the Duke of Windsor wished to portray himself as a king-in-exile, he could not have done so more ostentatiously than at La Croe, the chateau in the south of France which he and his wife had moved to following his abdication.  With a staff of 28 and guests of the calibre of Noel Coward and Winston Churchill, they indulged in self-aggrandising theatricality, as if in compensation for all that he who ruled so briefly as King Edward VIII had given up to marry Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who was now the Duchess.  'A tiny little white table for us four was set on the huge lawn,' recalled one visitor. 'There were rows of footmen the night was furiously hot but the Duke was in full Scottish regalia. I thought he was staging a production of some sort.'

Another observer was similarly dismissive about the relationship between the Duke and Duchess. Describing their presence at a Monte Carlo gala, he wrote: 'She had on every jewel. He wore a kilt. It was like watching a couple in pantomime the studied gestures, the automatic smiles.'

The Duke was no more subtle when he returned to England in February 1952 for the funeral of his younger brother, King George VI, who had so reluctantly come to the throne following his abdication.

One observer remarked on Edward's 'swaggering' manner, and described how he was 'talking and looking around, gesticulating and almost waving to the huge and completely silent crowd'.

As the late King himself had written to their mother Queen Mary, the Duke 'seems to think that when he gave up his work for which he was trained, he could "live" it down and return here as a private individual and all would be well. He has to consider others beside himself, and I doubt whether even now he realises the irrevocable step he took and the ghastly shock he gave this country.'

Among the biggest upsets caused by the Duke was one all too familiar to today's Royal Family following the publication of Prince Harry's autobiography Spare in January 2023. This came seven decades after the release of the Duke of Windsor's memoirs, his revenge on those he believed had wronged him in the years since his decision to give up the throne had left him jobless, stateless and rootless.  Much given to self-pity, he never admitted to being the author of his own misfortunes, instead blaming his brother for just about everything, including his inability to find a job that suited him.  His tenure as governor to the Bahamas between 1940 and 1945 had been dogged by endless controversy, including his friendship with the Nazi-sympathising mogul Axel Wenner-Gren, who had an estate there and no doubt agreed with the Duke's privately expressed view that 'Hitler was not such a bad chap'.

After leaving the Bahamas in May 1945, the Duke and Duchess based themselves at the Waldorf Towers in New York where their suite was decorated in suitably regal if garish style. One visitor noted that it contained everything from full-length portraits of George III and George IV the latter being the ruler the Duke had often explicitly compared himself to to two liveried footmen, and even napkins embossed with the Royal arms.  Shortly afterwards the Duke suggested to the King that he should become an ambassador-at-large to the United States, leaving the official ambassador, Lord Halifax, to attend to the drudgery and official business while he travelled the world first class, naturally and the bill was picked up by someone else.  Halifax, a former Foreign Secretary who had dealt with the Duke during his governorship of the Bahamas, remembered his arrogance, lack of consideration to his fellow man and general inability to do his work to the required standards. When asked to comment on the Duke's proposal, he wrote: 'I cannot but think that anything of this sort would lead to inevitable trouble.'

In March 1946 the King wrote to his brother to tell him that the appointment would not be possible, and the Duke's anger was exacerbated by his brother's continued refusal to give his wife the recognition he believed was her due. Although the terms of the abdication entitled him to use the title of His Royal Highness, this was denied to the Duchess and he considered this insulting and wrong.  Within two months he had written to his lawyer, Sir Walter Monckton, outlining his plans to write 'my side of the abdication story'. He claimed he wanted to explode the 'considerable doubt and conjecture' that existed in people's minds. But as he confided in former courtier Godfrey Thomas, he had noted the lucrative deal secured for Winston Churchill's six-volume history of the Second World War and didn't see why he shouldn't be similarly rewarded.  Edward may have airily compared himself to Churchill, but there was a key difference between the two men. The former Prime Minister was a talented writer with an ear for a killer phrase, while the former monarch was an adequate, if verbose, correspondent given to unjustified self-regard.  A ghostwriter was needed, and his American publisher appointed journalist Charles Murphy, a former China correspondent for Fortune magazine and an expert on global intelligence matters.  When they began work at La Croe in the summer of 1947, Murphy discovered that the then 54-year-old Duke was spending most of his nocturnal hours in various nightclubs, often remaining out until dawn. He later wrote: 'His span of attention was two and a half minutes maximum, and when the story of the preceding night was plainly written in his trembling hands and bloodshot eyes, I knew that another workday would have to be scrubbed.'

The book still wasn't finished by the end of 1949, by which time the King had learned that rumours of its intended publication were not mere gossip. According to the Conservative politician Harold Nicolson, he was 'very distressed at the news'.  Although fully aware that the King was recovering from an operation to address vascular problems caused by his heavy smoking, Edward came to London that December to raise with him once again the increasingly vexed situation of the Duchess's HRH title.  Their meeting did not go well. In a letter to Princess Elizabeth, the Queen described how Edward 'came & had one of his violent yelling conversations, stamping up and down the room, & very unfairly saying that because Papa wouldn't (& couldn't) do a certain thing, that Papa must hate him'.

The book was eventually published in September 1951 just five months before the King's death from a coronary thrombosis. Although there are no letters detailing the King or Queen's reaction, it is a safe assumption that their opinion did not stray far from that of his private secretary Sir Alan 'Tommy' Lascelles. Writing to a colleague, he expressed disgust at 'a former King of England selling for money his recollections of his family life, in a form that is indecent and for a motive that is squalid'.

The reviews were mixed. The Times Literary Supplement talked of how 'it is the Duke's own book his own personality, his likes and strong dislikes, spring to life as well as his keen sense of humour'.

Had they known of the extent of Charles Murphy's involvement, the praise may have been more lukewarm, like that of The Observer which sighed: 'The wisdom of publication is arguable the hero emerges as rather a pathetic figure.'

Such criticism did not harm sales. Charles Murphy estimated that the Duke earned close to £357,000 the equivalent of about £10million today from A King's Story. But the couple's expensive tastes meant that sums of money that would have kept most people happy for a lifetime were spent in a matter of months.  The book also estranged the Duke from his family for ever, as became clear following the King's death on February 6, 1952.  During a press conference given aboard the Queen Mary as he sailed from New York, the Duke hinted that his visit to London for the funeral was not a purely selfless one, pointing out to American newspaper reporters: 'Queen Elizabeth is only 25 how young to assume the responsibilities of a great throne in these precarious times?'

Backing away from the clear implication that he might step in as regent for 'the girl' as he and his wife referred to her in private he concluded: 'She has the good wishes and support of us all.'

But it was clear that he and Wallis had discussed the likelihood that they stood to gain preferment if they played their cards right.  While the Duke was in London for the funeral, Wallis wrote to remind him to ingratiate himself with the new Queen and her husband, adding: 'I know how you hate being there but this is a golden opportunity and it may only knock but once.'

Whatever their plans, they had underestimated their implacable opponent in the Queen Mother who, for all her public and private proclamations that she would be taking on a supporting role now that her daughter was on the throne, remained a powerful figure who was not yet ready to shuffle off into her dotage.  The first indication that she was prepared to flash steel concerned not the Duke but Prince Philip.  Having spent a considerable amount of time and money refurbishing Clarence House as a home for Princess Elizabeth and their young children Charles and Anne, Philip objected to moving to Buckingham Palace, insisting there was no need for the expense and bother of uprooting the new Royal Family.  His mother-in-law did not agree. 'I have been feeling very unhappy all today, and I suppose that talking about leaving Buckingham Palace just finished me off,' she wrote in a letter to Elizabeth.

But although she was clearly still coming to terms with her altered status, she knew that every monarch since Queen Victoria had lived at the palace, and nobody believed more strongly in upholding protocol than she.  'Naturally you must move back to B.P. in the spring,' she insisted and eventually Philip had to accept the monarchy was a greater institution than four people. He gave in.

The Queen Mother was more unyielding still when it came to dealing with her brother-in-law, reserving continued contempt for the man whose actions she believed had affected her husband's health irreparably in the years leading up to his death.  Shortly before the funeral, the Duke learned that the £10,000 he had been receiving as an annual allowance since his abdication was to be stopped, as it had been purely in his brother's gift.  Lingering in Britain after the ceremony, he wrote a letter to 'Cookie' the insulting sobriquet he and the Duchess used for the Queen Mother to request a private appointment.  'I can well understand your not wanting to be bothered by people at this terribly sad moment in your life,' he said. 'But I would very much like to have a talk with you alone.' 

His request was granted, but if he had hoped to bring his brother's widow to his side over the vexed question of money he was to be disappointed, as he was over his plan to attend his niece's Coronation.  Following a conversation with the young woman about to take up the mantle of majesty, Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, recorded in his notes that 'the Queen would be less willing than anyone to have him there'.

In this she may have been influenced by her mother, but the new Queen was also discovering confidence in adversity, commenting to one friend: 'I no longer feel anxious or worried. I don't know what it is, but I have lost all my timidity somehow becoming the sovereign.'

Her uncle had been an appalling, selfish king; her father a dutiful and serviceable one. But Elizabeth II was someone quite different.  Her reign would not be without controversy, incident or upset, but never would she be regarded by her loyal and adoring subjects as anything other than an inspiration. She was the longest-serving monarch in British history, and in many regards the greatest.

© Alexander Larman, 2024

Adapted from Power And Glory by Alexander Larman, to be published by Orion on March 28 at £25. To order a copy for £22.50 (offer valid to 23/2/24; UK p&p free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
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