The King's Speech, Baltimore Style

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to view quite a few of the movies contending for the Best Picture Oscar. One of the front runners, in my opinion, is The King's Speech.

A story about the English Royals, The King's Speech focuses on the relationship of King George VI with his speech therapist, following their developing friendship over the years as George overcomes a crippling stammer and rises to take the crown. George’s ascension to the throne occurs after his brother, King Edward, abdicates to marry his American lover, Wallis Warfield Simpson.

The story concerning Wallis and Edward was not the main point of the movie, but after leaving the theater I found myself thinking quite a bit about this woman and the enormous charisma she must have possessed. How did Wallis, an American woman, not of aristocratic birth, divorced once before and still married to her second husband when she met the future king, stir enough passion within him to trigger the first voluntary abdication of the throne in the history of the Monarchy?

Tell you what, girlfriend must have had game. And, according to gossip at the time, a working knowledge of some ancient Asian sexual practices. That probably helped.

I decided to learn more about this woman.  After extensive research I was surprised to discover a little known fact that convinced me of the primary origin of her outstanding charm. It seems that Wallis, while born in Pennsylvania, actually spent most of her childhood in Baltimore, under the care of her uncle, S. Davies Warfield, following her father’s death from tuberculosis shortly after her birth.

That’s right, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor began her long journey to Buckingham Palace as a 'Hon,' a fact I’m sure played no small role in providing the chutzpah needed to snare a king and then lead him around by his cravat for the rest of his life.

My curiosity piqued, I resolved to find evidence of the Duchess’s connection to Baltimore. I learned that her father, Teackle Wallis Warfield, fifth and youngest son of prosperous Baltimore flour merchant Henry Warfield, was buried in the family plot in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore city. I decided to visit his grave, not only to obtain visible proof of Wallis’s Baltimore heritage, but to also validate that Wikipedia had not misspelled Mr. Warfield’s first name.

Teackle? Seriously.

For this adventure to Green Mount Cemetery I took along my friend Jane and my dog Linus.  Situated on the corner of North and Greenmount Avenues, the cemetery is not located in one of the best areas of the city. I thought it might be good to travel with protection- Jane for actual security, and Linus to annoy the general public by peeing on their legs and begging them for treats.

After a somber drive down North Avenue, past block after block of row homes, once stately but now shuttered and crumbling; and past one corner supporting the business endeavors of a few extremely affectionate and hardy looking women, we arrived at our destination.

Situated on a hill overlooking Baltimore City, Green Mount Cemetery is a beautiful example of an urban garden cemetery.  Beginning in the first half of the 19th century, urban garden cemeteries (i.e., public cemeteries in a park-like setting) began to gain in popularity as cities became more populated and church graveyards filled. Green Mount was one of the first urban garden cemeteries established in the U.S., developed in 1839 on a plot of land which was, at the time, on the northern edge of the city. The first burial, that of 2-year-old Olivia Cushing Whitridge, took place in December 1839. Since then, over 65,000 individuals have been laid to rest here, including eight Maryland governors, six mayors and 20 generals.

And, as I was determined to discover, one Teackle Wallis Warfield.

After obtaining a map and other information from the very helpful staff at the cemetery office, Jane and I set off to explore (unfortunately, Linus had to stay in the car for the most part because dogs are not permitted on the cemetery grounds). Stepping among the stones we saw beautiful examples of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Gothic style monuments, all outlined against the backdrop of the city skyline. A murder of crows rose and fell as we walked carefully in an effort to leave undisturbed the peaceful slumber of those around us.

We were happy to find the graves of such notable Baltimore figures as Enoch Pratt, original benefactor of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Henry Walters, founder of the Walter’s Art Gallery and Johns Hopkins, the Quaker philanthropist who bequeathed over $7,000,000 upon his death in 1873 to fund the hospital and university which bear his name.  Also buried on these grounds is the infamous John Wilkes Booth- in 1869, upon a request by his brother, his remains were posthumously interred in the family plot under orders of secrecy by Green Mount Cemetery officials.

Finally, on one of the highest points in the cemetery we found the Warfield family plot, situated next to the Chapel, whose stately flying buttresses cast shadows on the headstones beneath.  One of these headstones contained the name of the person who had brought me here- Teackle Wallis Warfield, born in 1869 and dying just 27 years later, only months after the birth of his only daughter. He is buried next to his sister, as Teackle’s wife Alice is interred in her family plot in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.

Jane and I paused before the grave, reflecting upon the many twists of fate (and, er, apparently, twists of panties) that guided the former Bessie Wallis Warfield away from a final resting place here on this hill in Baltimore, among her Warfield relations, to her actual internment in the Royal Cemetery near Windsor Castle under a stone inscribed Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.

I was happy to have located Mr. Warfield’s grave, and pleased to have had this chance to explore Green Mount Cemetery, appreciating its beauty in spite of, or perhaps because of, the frigid temperature and hilltop winds.

Jane, with three small children at home, had enjoyed this trip as well, the cold weather offering no deterrent compared to the extra pairs of wriggling arms and legs usually hanging off of her.

And Linus, well, Linus probably thought this whole thing was a fool’s errand. Everyone knows the real Royals are the corgis.

I know with certainty that I’ll return again to explore this wonderful cemetery, possibly in the spring when the vibrancy of emerging life provides vivid contrast to the endless sleep of those interred below.

And when I return I’ll make sure to visit the grave of a father whose American daughter stole an English king’s heart.

You know a cemetery is pretty fabulous when they offer embossed coffee mugs and t-shirts for sale-  I encourage all my readers to visit. 
Guided tours of Green Mount Cemetery are offered on Saturdays in May and October. Cost of admission for the tours is $15 and reservations are required.
Free self-guided tours are also available year round. Stop by the cemetery office to obtain maps and information.
Visit their website for more information- www.greenmountcemetery.com