"For a gallant spirit there can never be defeat"
About this Quote
In Wallis Simpson’s orbit, that’s not abstract inspiration; it’s survival strategy. She became the hinge of a constitutional crisis, the American divorcee blamed for a king’s abdication and then frozen out by the institution she had upended. In that light, "never be defeat" reads like a privately minted consolation prize: if you’re denied legitimacy, you can still claim victory in style. It’s an ethic of endurance that quietly dodges moral accounting. The subtext is: they can take the crown, the titles, the invitations, even the narrative - but they can’t take your self-possession unless you surrender it.
The sentence works because it’s taut and absolute, a maxim built for repetition in a world where reputation is currency. It’s also a neat bit of self-mythmaking: gallantry as invincibility, not because you win, but because you refuse to look like you lost.
Quote Details
| Topic | Never Give Up |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Simpson, Wallis. (2026, January 18). For a gallant spirit there can never be defeat. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-a-gallant-spirit-there-can-never-be-defeat-18716/
Chicago Style
Simpson, Wallis. "For a gallant spirit there can never be defeat." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-a-gallant-spirit-there-can-never-be-defeat-18716/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"For a gallant spirit there can never be defeat." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-a-gallant-spirit-there-can-never-be-defeat-18716/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.











