Thelma Furness | |
---|---|
Viscountess Furness | |
Born | Thelma Morgan 23 August 1904 Grand Hotel National, Lucerne, Switzerland |
Died | 29 January 1970 Manhattan, New York,[1] U.S. | (aged 65)
Buried | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California |
Spouse(s) | James Vail Converse
(m. 1922; div. 1925) |
Issue | William Anthony Furness, 2nd Viscount Furness |
Father | Harry Hays Morgan Sr. |
Mother | Laura Delphine Kilpatrick |
Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness (née Morgan, 23 August 1904 – 29 January 1970), was a mistress of King Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales. She was supplanted in his affections by Wallis Simpson, for whose sake Edward abdicated, becoming the Duke of Windsor. She was the maternal aunt of the writer, fashion designer, and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt.
During most of Furness's relationship with the Prince of Wales, she was married to British nobleman Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness. They married in 1926 and divorced in 1933, the year before Thelma's relationship with the Prince of Wales ended.
Furness's first name was pronounced in Spanish fashion as "TEL-ma".[2]