While there have been many talks about The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, acclaimed Royal biographer Hugo Vickers’s lecture provides a fresh perspective on the doomed royal couple’s years in exile. While Mr. Vickers has his own theories about the Abdication itself; this lecture will highlight the untold drama of the final years of The Duchess’s life. He will discuss how Wallis’ life plummeted after Duke’s death and illustrate how her later years ended with the criminal exploitation of an old, sick woman. Mr. Vickers will introduce Suzanne Blum, the ruthless French lawyer, and explain how once she was widowed, The Duchess’s precarious financial and social position added to her horrible plight. Using previously unpublished papers and other private letters, he will show how The Duchess of Windsor’s once-glamorous life quickly spiraled into one of desperation and fear. Vickers will paint a resonant portrait of a complex and tragic icon and reveal the truth behind her final years—research that became the basis for the 2026 film starring Isabella Rossellini and Joan Collins.

Hugo Vickers is a well known biographer, lecturer and broadcaster. He has covered royal events such as weddings and funerals—including the State Funeral and Committal of The Queen Elizabeth II—and celebrations such as the Coronation of King Charles III. The Financial Times recently described him as: ‘the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet.’ He has written many biographies of 20th-century figures, including Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, Princess Andrew of Greece, and the Queen Mother. His first biography, about Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough (1881-1977) was based on two years of his interviews with her before her death. In 2022, he published a book with HRH The Duke of Kent, entitled A Royal Life. In 2024, Mr. Vickers published a novel – Pining in Paradise – and his biography of Clarissa, Countess of Avon (widow of PM Anthony Eden). When not writing, he travels through the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories, establishing Commonwealth Walkways. Mr. Vickers is a Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire and Captain of the Lay Stewards of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. He has given too many lectures in too many places to keep track.

IN-PERSON: Lecture at 6:30 p.m. PT, preceded by a cash bar reception at 6:00 p.m. PT. Business attire required. 

Location: The Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S Broad St., Philadelphia PA 19120

Tickets: $35 members; $45 non-members

Or call 212-480-2889 x200