Duchess of Windsor
1
8.6
- proper noun
:
duquesa de Windsor
- The Duchess of Windsor, 1945, in a dress by Vionnet.
- Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Examples
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In 1937, she became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying Edward VIII, leading to his abdication.
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"When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place." - The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.
Blog text (13) -
At Gatwick Airport, going home, I bought a biography of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to read on the plane.
Fiction book (1990) -
The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, captured the world's attention with her unique sense of style.
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Many fashion experts consider the Duchess of Windsor to be a timeless icon in the history of couture.
Synonyms
An American woman whose marriage to Edward VIII led him to give up the British throne in 1936
An American woman whose marriage to Edward VIII caused him to give up the British throne
An American woman whose marriage to King Edward VIII made him give up the throne in 1936
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'duchess' (a noblewoman) + 'of' (showing association) + 'Windsor' (the royal house/place), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it denotes a duchess associated with Windsor. Knowing the specific historical referent (Wallis Simpson and the abdication) requires extra cultural knowledge, but the basic title meaning is transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Duchess of Windsor is the title Wallis Simpson took after she married Edward VIII, the king who chose love and 'gave up the throne' to marry a divorced American woman. Think of a king handing his crown away for one person — that image helps explain why the name is famous today.