November 28, 2021
On December 11, 1936, the world was stunned to hear a radio broadcast by England’s King Edward VIII in which he announced his abdication from the throne. No British monarch before or after him has ever voluntarily given up the crown. The reason for his abdication warmed the hearts of even the most hardened cynics, while still stirring controversy. He gave up the crown for love.
Edward had fallen in love with a woman who was deemed an inappropriate spouse for the king. She was Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee. Edward decided he would rather give up his birthright than give up the woman he loved. In these colorized photographs, let’s look at the love story of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, a love that shook up the British royal family and eventually placed Queen Elizabeth II on the throne.
Edward
Edward was the oldest son of King George V who became king in 1910, when Edward was 16 years old. Aside from an obligatory stint in the British Army, Edward enjoyed a privileged life that included few responsibilities as a young man. He was a regular participant in London’s thriving social scene. He attended parties and galas. He was entangled in a series of scandalous romantic and sexual trysts that caught the wrath of his father, the King, and the British prime minister at the time, Stanley Baldwin. Ever the playboy, Edward was still unmarried into his late thirties, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t deeply in love.
Wallis Warfield Simpson
In 1934, Edward met the acquaintance of an outgoing, strong American woman with a commanding presence. Her name was Wallis Warfield Simpson, and she was living in London at the time with her businessman husband, Ernest Simpson. Edward fell head-over-heels for the married American woman. And she fell in love with him. Their affair was naturally quite scandalous. Not only was Simpson American and married, but she was also a divorcee. She was previously married to a U.S. Navy pilot whom she divorced before her second marriage to Ernest Simpson. Divorce was a huge no-no for the royal family and the Church of England at that time. Despite this, by 1936, Edward made up his mind that he was going to make Wallis Simpson his wife.
Edward Became King
King George V, other family members, and members of Parliament were all concerned about Edward’s affair with Wallis Simpson. The couple, however, was determined to be together. In early 1936, Simpson made plans to divorce her second husband and Edward prepared himself to reveal his intentions to his father. Before he could, King George V died. Edward was quickly named king, King Edward VIII. That certainly complicated his love life.
King Edward VIII’s Short Reign
As king, Edward made a few comments that were viewed as him interfering with Parliament’s duties, putting him at odds with lawmakers. In addition, he showed no signs of ending his romance with Wallis Simpson. Instead, he was so preoccupied with her that he neglected some of his royal obligations. As Simpson’s divorce was being processed, the American press reported rumors of the divorcee’s affair with the King. As for the British tabloids, they kept mum on the affair for as long as they could, even as Edward and Wallis took a month-long Mediterranean cruise together. On November 16, 1936, Edward met with Prime Minister Baldwin to inform him of his intention to marry Wallis Simpson. Baldwin was against this idea, as was the Archbishop of Canterbury. Edward gave them an ultimatum. He explained that if he could not marry the woman he loved because he was king, he would give up the throne.
A Worldwide Radio Broadcast
On December 11, 1936, less than a year after becoming king, Edward delivered a radio announcement on BBC that was broadcast around the world. In that radio address, Edward explained, “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 with the help and support of the woman I love.” He assured his listeners that his decision to abdicate the throne was made without pressure from others. He even added that Wallis Simpson had “tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course.” While the world was reeling from his unexpected announcement, the British monarchy prepared Edward’s brother, the Duke of York, to become the next king, King George VI. This made George VI’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth, the heir apparent to the British throne.
Happily Ever After
Edward was given the title of Duke of Windsor after his abdication. He and Wallis Simpson got married on June 3, 1937, at the Chateau de Cande in France. The couple lived in France until World War II broke out. The new British Prime minister, Winston Churchill, quickly offered Edward the governorship of the Bahamas, allowing the couple to flee Europe ahead of the Nazi invasion. Following the war, Edward and Wallis returned to Europe and enjoyed a life of socializing and traveling. As these colorized photographs show, Edward and Wallis were very much in love. In 1972, Edward died in Paris. His body was taken to Frogmore Estate at Windsor Castle. When Wallis Simpson died in 1986, the royal family followed her wishes and had her buried next to her husband and love of her life.