WALLIS WINDSOR: (1895-1986) American socialite, the wife of King Edward VIII from 1937. Duchess of Windsor. A.L.S., Wallis, to the recto and verso of her personal monogrammed blue bordered correspondence card, n.p. (Paris), 24th October 1957, to then Countess of Harewood (´Dear Marion´). The Duchess writes to thank her correspondent and their husband for ´the lovely yellow and red roses´, remarking ´I do appreciate your charming thought of me´. The Duchess continues, making a reference to her husband (by his family name), ´David and I enjoyed having you both with us enormously and we hope when you are next in Paris you will come and see this house – it is the exact opposite to the mill´. Accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by the Duchess and signed by her with her initial (´W´) to the lower left corner. A couple of light, minor stains, and one small tear to the upper edge, otherwise about VG

Marion Stein (1926-2014) Marion Lascelles, Countess of Harewood. Austrian-born British concert pianist, the first wife of the British classical music administrator George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (1923-2011) from 1949-67. A member of the extended British royal family, the Earl of Harewood was a maternal grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

From 1952 until 1972, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor owned and used a converted 17th-century mill called Le Moulin de la Tuilerie as their weekend retreat and country estate.