The King Who Gave Up the Throne for Love: Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson
Perhaps the most constitutionally significant royal scandal of the 20th century was the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936. The crisis centered on his love for Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite. For a monarch who was also the head of the Church of England, the idea of marrying a divorcée whose former husbands were still alive was unthinkable to the political and religious establishment of the time.
Edward ascended to the throne in January 1936 following the death of his father, King George V. His relationship with Simpson was already a source of concern within the government and the Royal Family, though it was largely kept out of the British press through a voluntary agreement with newspaper proprietors. However, the international press covered the romance extensively, creating a growing sense of unease.
By late 1936, the situation reached a breaking point. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin informed the King that the government, and the governments of the Dominions, would not accept Wallis Simpson as queen. They presented him with three options: end the relationship, marry against the advice of his ministers (which would cause a constitutional crisis and their mass resignation), or abdicate. Edward, determined to marry the woman he loved, chose the latter.
On December 10, 1936, he signed the Instrument of Abdication. The next day, he delivered a now-famous radio address to the nation and the Empire. In it, he explained his decision with the memorable line: “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.” The broadcast, sourced and chronicled by outlets like the BBC, cemented the event in public memory.
His abdication passed the crown to his younger, unprepared brother, Albert, who became King George VI—the father of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Edward was given the title Duke of Windsor, and he and Wallis married in 1937. They lived the rest of their lives largely in exile, primarily in France, with their relationship to the rest of the Royal Family remaining strained. This event fundamentally altered the line of succession and placed an unexpected and heavy burden on a new generation of royals.
