Freda Dudley Ward
| Freda Dudley Ward | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Winifred May Birkin 28 July 1894 |
| Died | 16 March 1983 (aged 88) |
| Residence | St Johns Wood, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Freda Birkin |
| Known for | mistress of the Prince of Wales (1918–34) |
| Title | Marquesa de Casa Maury |
| Spouse(s) |
William Dudley Ward (1913–31) Pedro Jose Isidro Manuel Ricardo Mones (1937–54) |
| Children |
Penelope Ann Rachel Dudley Ward Claire Angela Louise Dudley Ward |
| Parent(s) | Colonel Charles Wilfred Birkin & Claire Lloyd Howe |
Winifred May, Marquesa de Casa Maury (née Birkin; 28 July 1894 – 16 March 1983), universally known by her first married name as Freda Dudley Ward, was an English socialite best known for being a mistress of the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.
Born Winifred 'Freda' May Birkin, she was the second child and eldest of three daughters of British Colonel Charles Wilfred Birkin (fourth son of a lace embroidery and tableware magnate of Nottingham, Sir Thomas Isaac Birkin) and his American wife, Claire Lloyd Birkin (née Howe).
Freda was the mistress of the Prince of Wales from 1918 to 1934, when he fell in love with Wallis Simpson. The relationship between the Prince of Wales and the married Ward was common knowledge in aristocratic circles. In 1927, Winston Churchill, after traveling with them on a train, observed, "It is quite pathetic to see the Prince and Freda. His love is so obvious and undisguisable."
'Freda' Birkin married:
Issue:
Her portrait by the artist John Singer Sargent was discovered on the Antiques Roadshow television series in 2016
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Wikipedia