iowabelle said:I remember the Queen's visit to the Windsors shortly before the Duke's death. It's a shame that they were estranged for so long, because he seems to have been a favorite with the York girls when they were young.
According to many royal biographers, the Queen was not really estranged from the Duke, especially after his visit to London in 1965 for an eye operation. Once there, she paid a personal visit to him and the Duchess at the Clinic and again at their hotel. Privately, she also invited the Duke for tea at Buckingham Palace and they walked in the gardens together for hours, getting to know each other better.
After this visit, the Queen approved the Duke's request that he and Wallis be allowed funeral services at St. George's Chapel with burial at Frogmore. She also planned the ceremony honoring Queen Mary at Marlborough House in 1967 to ensure the Duke and Duchess could attend, which marked the first time they publicly joined the rest of the royal family for a royal event.
Unfortunately, the Queen did not accept advice from Adeane and other members of the Household to issue letters patent granting the dignity of Royal Highness to Wallis before the 1967 ceremony as a final act of reconciliation. The opposition of the Queen Mother was strong and she felt it had to remain as is.