Janus: The Papers of Anne Seagrim

Churchill/SEAG contains:
1	Papers relating to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
2	Papers relating to Field Marshal 1st Lord Alexander of Tunis
3	Papers relating to C P Snow
4	Papers relating to the Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences
5	Papers relating to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

More information

Please feel free to contact the repository.

The Papers of Anne Seagrim

Title	Papers relating to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Reference	SEAG 1
Covering Dates	1946–2006
Extent and Medium	3 archive boxes

Content and context

Papers relating to Anne Seagrim's work as secretary to the Duke of Windsor, including: letters to friends and family describing Anne Seagrim's life and work with the Windsors; correspondence between Anne Seagrim and the Windsors; correspondence, press cuttings and papers relating to biographies, articles and television documentaries on the Windsors; notes for Anne Seagrim's memoir "An Improbable Career"; photograph albums kept by Anne Seagrim from her time with the Windsors.

Further information

See also Anne Seagrim's pocket diaries in SEAG 3/1.

Index Terms

Windsor, Bessie Wallis (1896-1986) née Warfield, afterwards Spencer, then Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, wife of Edward, Duke of Windsor

Edward VIII (1894-1972) King of Great Britain and Ireland, afterwards Duke of Windsor

Churchill/SEAG 1 contains:

Letters from Anne Seagrim to her family. These 'journal letters' were intended for circulation among the family (as it was too expensive to send individual letters from France), and date from the time when Anne Seagrim started work for the Duke. Subjects include: first impressions of the Duke and Duchess; Biarritz and the Hotel du Palais; Anne Seagrim's flat in Paris; working with the Duke; impressions of the other staff, particularly Victor Waddilove, the Duke's secretary [in charge of finances]; the Windsors' house in Rue de la Faisanderie; the Windsors' dogs; arrangements for going to New York [United States]; the (temporary) resignation of the Duke's valet; difficulties with Charles Murphy [the American journalist engaged to help with the Duke's memoirs]; house hunting for the Duke in Fontainebleau; crossing to New York; staying at the Waldorf Astoria and impressions of New York; Christmas; the Duchess going into hospital [for a hysterectomy]; finishing the Duke's memoirs. Also includes a detailed description of the letters by Anne Seagrim.
1 file.

Sep 1950-May 1951

The Jingo Letters. Letters from Anne Seagrim to her friend "Jingo" (Joan Ingram, later Joan Donaldson) sent mainly from Paris [France], New York [United States] and Biarritz. Subjects include: the Duke's finances; impressions of New York; work on the Duke's memoirs; the villa at Biarritz; looking for houses for the Windsors in France; Christmas in New York (1951 and 1952), including jewellery given to Anne Seagrim by the Windsors; the death of King George VI, particularly relating to dealing with the American press; the Princess Royal's visit to New York in 1953. Also includes a detailed description of the letters by Anne Seagrim and a letter to her from Victor Waddilove, the Duke's secretary, on preparations for King George VI's funeral.
1 file.

Sep 1950-Apr 1954

Correspondence between Anne Seagrim and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Subjects include: finding an apartment for the Windsors in Paris [France]; a statement by the Duchess to be published in the French magazine Realites; various instructions relating to the household; Anne Seagrim's indignation about doubts being cast on her honesty; the termination of Anne Seagrim's post and her search for a new position; an accident to an aeroplane which the Duke was travelling in, 1955; the Duchess visiting [?] the London Clinic and needing a new social secretary. Also includes a detailed description of the letters by Anne Seagrim.
1 file.

Jan 1952-Jun 1972

Letters to Anne Seagrim from family, friends and staff on leaving her position. Correspondents include Russell Page.
1 file.

Aug 1954-Nov 1954

The Michael Bloch Papers. Correspondence concerning two biographies of the Duke of Windsor by Michael Bloch entitled "The Secret File of the Duke of Windsor" and "The Reign and Abdication of King Edward VIII" and also his book "The Duchess of Windsor". Includes: correspondence between Anne Seagrim and Bloch; Anne Seagrim's correspondence with the press; copies of letters between Harrods Limited and Bantam Press after Harrods removed "The Secret File of the Duke of Windsor" from sale; Anne Seagrim's private review of Philip Ziegler's "King Edward VIII" for Bloch; press cuttings on Bloch and reviews of his books.
1 file.

Jan 1988-Jun 1995

The Media File. Correspondence with the press and media on books and television programmes about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Includes: correspondence and transcripts of interviews with Robert Lacey; correspondence with the BBC on a documentary to mark the 40th anniversary of the Abdication, "The King and Mrs Simpson", 1976; correspondence and cuttings on the BBC programme "Love in Exile", with transcript of an interview with Anne Seagrim, 1984; correspondence with Penguin Books on "The English Garden Abroad"; correspondence with Andrew Roberts, 1992. Also includes a detailed description of the letters by Anne Seagrim.
1 file.

Apr 1976-Jun 1995

Notes for Anne Seagrim's memoir ["An Improbable Career"]. Notes relating to Anne Seagrim's work as Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, including extracts from her letters and draft text for the memoir.
1 file.

c 1984-c 1988

Correspondence with members of the Duke's staff. Includes: correspondence with Victor Waddilove, the Duke's secretary on subjects including Anne Seagrim's job interview, travel plans, accounts and Anne Seagrim's search for a new job; correspondence with "Georges" Gaston Sanegre, the Windsors' butler, with notes from Anne Seagrim's memoir ["An Improbable Career"]; correspondence with Sydney Johnson, the Duke's valet, with an article about the Windsors' house in Paris [France]; job applications, including copies of references from the Duke and C P Snow. Also includes a detailed description of the letters by Anne Seagrim.
1 file.

Mar 1950-Aug 1989

Press cuttings. Cuttings about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, including a detailed list by Anne Seagrim.
2 files.

Feb 1952-Oct 2006

Souvenir issue of The New York Times magazine on the city's 300th anniversary.
1 file.

Feb 1953

Cards and invitations. Includes cards from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with a detailed list by Anne Seagrim.
1 file.

1952–1954

Passenger lists. Lists for the RMS Queen Elizabeth, crossing from Cherbourg [France] to New York [United States], Dec 1951, and for the SS United States, from New York to Le Havre, May 1953. Passengers include the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Anne Seagrim, Paul Getty, Burt Lancaster, Glynis Johns, Bela Lugosi and Jacqueline Bouvier [later Jackie Kennedy]. Also includes Anne Seagrim's passport and luggage tags.
1 file.

1946–1953

Envelopes addressed to Mrs Donaldson. Empty envelopes addressed by Anne Seagrim to her friend "Jingo" (Joan Ingram, later Joan Donaldson).
1 file.

1950–1952

Filing note regarding SEAG 1/1-13.
1 file.

c 1990

" Windsors". Photograph album starting from the beginning of Anne Seagrim's employment with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with subjects including: the Bois de Boulogne, Paris; New York, 1950-51, including the crossing from France to the United States on the RMS Queen Elizabeth and the Windsors' apartment at the Waldorf Hotel; Biarritz, 1951; the Windsors' pet dogs; New York, 1951; Westport, Connecticut, 1952. Also includes detailed list by Anne Seagrim, though not all of the photographs described are contained in this album.
1 item; Unfit for production..

Sep 1950–1952

" Windsors". Photograph album kept during Anne Seagrim's employment with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with subjects including: the Windsors' apartment at Avenue Foch, Paris [France]; Victor Waddilove [the Duke's secretary]; the Windsors' pet dogs; the Windsors [?] leaving the United States, 1952; group photographs from crossing the Atlantic, 1953; Paris and the Windsors' house in the Bois de Boulogne; the Windsors at the microphone on board ship; the mill at Gif-sur-Yuette. Also includes detailed list by Anne Seagrim.
1 item; Unfit for production..

1952–1954

" Windsors". Photograph album kept during Anne Seagrim's employment with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with subjects including: early photograph of the Duke, possibly from the First World War; the Windsors at various events; crossing to New York [United States], 1950; the Duke with Winston Churchill [Prime Minister], 1953; the funeral of King George VI, showing the Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Windsor and Duke of Kent walking in the funeral procession; photographs of the Windsors on board ship, including the Duke in mourning following the death of Queen Mary; the Windsors with the Princess Royal, 1953; the Windsors at the Vatican; the Windsors at a dog show, Paris [France]; the Windsors' pet dogs; the house in the Bois de Boulogne; the mill at Gif-sur-Yuette. Also includes later photograph of [?] Anne Seagrim being interviewed. Also includes detailed list by Anne Seagrim.
1 item; Unfit for production..

1950–1954

Copy of "The Crown and The People" by the Duke of Windsor. Includes hand-written dedication to Anne Seagrim, with a photograph of the Windsors.
1 file.

Dec 1953

Pencil drawing of the Duke of Windsor by Anne Seagrim.
1 item.

1980