A SECRET country retreat where Edward VIII wooed Mrs Simpson is expected to attract bids from royal enthusiasts when it is auctioned later this year. Pendragon House at Stoke Climsland was the home of royal chaplain Canon Martin Andrews. He was chaplain to George VI and the current queen from 1936 until he retired in 1969 and became a close confidante of the royal family. He was already a close friend of Edward VIII and hosted parties at which he was joined by Wallis Simpson. Edward VIII, who was forced to abdicate in 1936 so he could marry the American divorcee, first met Mr Andrews in the 1930s when he was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. The two men had much in common because Mr Andrews had won a Military Cross during his time as an Army chaplain in the first world war where the Prince had fought with the Grenadier Guards. The Prince visited the house several times and on one occasion during the 1930s depression he spent hours discussing the plight of the unemployed in Cornwall. Mr Andrews wrote an autobiography in 1974 which recorded some of the royal visits. He recalled the Prince?s growing love for Mrs Simpson, which was apparent even though she was still married at the time. He wrote: ?I forget how long my visitors stayed but after they had gone I was convinced in my own mind that our popular prince was deeply in love.? The Canon was vicar of Stoke Climsland from 1922 until he retired in the 1970s. He carried on preaching until he died, aged 102, in 1988. The Rectory was sold by the church in 1978 and renamed and is now on the market for the first time since. It is a huge 200 year-old stone mansion with nine bedrooms and four reception rooms set in 13 acres of gardens but is so well hidden behind high walls and hedges many villagers have never seen it. Parts of the building date back to the middle ages and the site was a priory before the Norman Conquest. Bidding is expected to start at £500,000 and estate agent Sam Elias, from Bradleys in Callington, hopes the royal connections will increase interest in the property. She said: ?There will be a lot of interest in the history of the house and its Royal connections because people are always looking for something different. ?When you think that Kings and Queens have stayed there and its connections to the Edward and Mrs Simpson story, people?s imaginations will run wild.?
