Wallis Simpson is one of the most reviled women of the 20th century. It was to marry this twice-divorced American that King Edward VIII of England renounced the throne in 1936, after less than a year on the throne. Born in Pennsylvania in 1896, Wallis, orphaned of her father, grew up in precarious conditions, and very early on relied on marriage to advance socially. But her matrimonial choices were far from always happy. From 1935 onwards, her affair with Crown Prince Edward opened the doors to "a shimmering new world", but it also made her the target of numerous rumors and public animosity.