In 1936, the charismatic new King, Edward VIII, announced to his advisors his intention of marrying his mistress, Wallis Simpson. Not since Henry VIII resolved to marry Anne Boleyn had a royal marriage threatened to wreak such havoc on the country. Henry was able to force his will on the kingdom. 400 years later, Edward found that his personal desires were no match for the State’s, and he was obliged to abdicate, opening the way for a new royal family who would endear themselves to the nation.
Key Facts about the Abdication Crisis
Key Dates
- January 1931 First meeting of Prince of Wales and Mrs. Wallis Simpson
- 20 January 1936 Death of George V. Edward VIII succeeds him
- July 1936 Simpson leaves the family home
- August 1936 Foreign newspapers print photographs of the King and Wallis
- 27 October 1936 Simpsons granted a decree nisi
- November 1936 The King informs Prime Minister he wants a morganatic marriage
- November 1936 King’s proposal rejected by governments of Britain and Dominions
- 2 December 1936 King informed of the decision
- 3 December 1936 British Press break the story and Mrs. Simpson leaves for France
- 9 December 1936 Edward tells government he intends to abdicate
- 10 December 1936 Instrument of Abdication signed and House of Commons informed
- 11 December 1936 Edward broadcasts his decision to the nation
- 12 December 1936 Edward’s brother Albert proclaimed as King George VI
- 12 December 1936 Edward, now Duke of Windsor, travels to Austria
- 3 June 1937 Edward and Wallis Simpson marry in France
Key Figures
- Edward, Prince of Wales, briefly King of the United Kingdom and Dominions, Emperor of India, later Duke of Windsor.
- Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Wallis Spencer, then Wallis Simpson and finally, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
- King George V
- Queen Mary
- Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister
- Prince Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI
- Elizabeth, Duchess of York, later Queen Elizabeth
A Burden Too Heavy Without the Help and Support of the Woman He Loved
Edward, known as David to his family and friends, was born on 23 June, 1894. His great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, was still on the throne and his grandfather, Edward, Prince of Wales, was waiting impatiently in the wings. Young Edward’s parents were the Duke and Duchess of York, who would later become King George V and Queen Mary.
As a child, Edward enjoyed an affectionate, albeit distant, relationship with his parents and grandparents. He was taught by tutors until his early teens, when he was sent first to Osborne Naval College and then Dartmouth Naval College to prepare him for a career in the Royal Navy. This plan was cut short in 1910 when his grandfather died. 16 year old Edward was created Prince of Wales and sent to Magdalen College, Oxford to better prepare him for his role as future king. His academic career was not a great success; whilst he enjoyed the University’s polo club, he did not manage to obtain a degree.
At the outbreak of the Great War, the Prince of Wales was determined to serve his country. He had joined the Grenadier Guards and appealed to be allowed to join the front line. His request was turned down since the government could not countenance the risk of the heir to the throne being captured by the enemy. Edward was allowed to serve behind the lines and occasionally managed to reach the front. Later, he flew military aircraft. Unlike the government, he was sanguine about the dangers and was said to have quipped “What difference does it make if I am killed? The King has three other sons!” This carefree attitude won him a good deal of popularity among the troops, who were proud of the Prince who won the Military Cross.
Following the war, Edward travelled around Britain and the Empire as his father’s representative. Good looking, sporty and unattached, he became a favourite with photographers and gossip columnists, achieving celebrity status. Unlike his stern parents, he was affable and suited the modernity of the “roaring twenties”. The people may have loved his personality, but his character was giving his parents and their advisors cause for concern.
Edward, rather like his grandfather and namesake Edward VII, had grown into a womanizer. His affairs with married women appalled his strait-laced father who began to favour his second son, the quiet and respectably married Albert. King George went so far as to declare that he hoped Edward never had children so that Albert and his wife could eventually succeed to the throne. The King also predicted that Edward would ruin himself within a year of his father’s death. In 1931, Edward met the woman who would turn George V’s hopes and fears into reality.
Wallis Simpson was a vivacious and charming American socialite, possessed a quick wit, effortless elegance and, according to some, endless ambition. Early in 1931, Wallis and Edward met for the first time at a dinner party hosted by Edward’s mistress, Lady Furness. Over the next few years Edward and Mrs. Simpson chanced upon each other at society events. Edward developed a fascination with the charming American and it is likely that the pair became lovers when Lady Furness was abroad in 1934. Part of Wallis’s attraction for the Prince was her lack of deference to his position and he was soon besotted.
Mrs. Simpson had captured the heart of the world’s most eligible bachelor but it was never likely that she would capture his crown. Wallis was entirely unsuitable as a queen consort. Even putting aside the malicious gossip about her earlier scandalous escapades in the Far East, there was the fact that she was a divorcee. As a rule, a divorcee like Wallis would not be allowed at court, much less allowed to marry the monarch. The growing relationship between the Prince of Wales and Wallis was viewed with alarm by the King, many of the Prince’s old friends and the government. Special Branch trailed the couple, reporting back on alleged liaisons between Wallis and other men, in the hope that a wedge could be driven between the pair. Their attempts were unsuccessful. The Prince’s infatuation continued unabated and began to impact his official duties. Worse was to come.
King George V died on 20 January 1936 and Edward became King Edward VIII. He and Wallis watched from a window at St James’ Palace as the proclamation was read. It was a clear indication that he wanted Wallis by his side. Although the country at large remained unaware of the King’s affair, to his family, the court and government, the unthinkable became obvious: Edward intended to marry Mrs. Simpson. Such a marriage was fraught with difficulty, largely because the monarch was the Supreme Head of the Church of England and the Church did not allow the remarriage of divorced people whose spouses were living. Edward and Wallis plowed on with their plans. Wallis sued for divorce on the grounds of her husband’s adultery and was granted a decree nisi in October 1936. In Edward’s mind, one hurdle to his marriage had been crossed. He turned his attention to the next and came up with a plan he felt would answer his critics.
In November 1936, Edward met his Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, and suggested that he might contract a morganatic marriage with Wallis. This type of marriage would allow Edward to retain the crown, but Wallis would not become queen, instead having a courtesy title. Any children of the marriage would be excluded from the line of succession. There was no precedent for such an arrangement in Britain though morganatic marriages were not unheard of in other European kingdoms. Baldwin told the King that he doubted that the people would accept a marriage to Mrs. Simpson, but undertook to put the King’s proposal to the government of Britain and her Dominions.
Baldwin put three alternatives to the various governments: that the King should be allowed to marry Mrs. Simpson and she become queen; that the King marry Mrs. Simpson in a morganatic marriage or; the King abdicated the throne. With the exception of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, who felt that the morganatic marriage proposal might work, the first two proposals were rejected. Mrs. Simpson was seen as an entirely unsuitable spouse for the King. In Britain, the leaders of the opposition parties also agreed that there could be no marriage between Mrs. Simpson and a reigning King. Winston Churchill was hopeful that if the matter could be delayed, the King would simply fall out of love with Wallis. Baldwin was not in favour of delay, wanting a swift resolution to the crisis.
As news spread about the King and Mrs. Simpson, Edward was not entirely without sympathizers. An unlikely alliance of politicians supported him, ranging from Oswald Mosely and his Union of Fascists to the Communist Party. Winston Churchill was rumoured to be leading the King’s supporters, but this was pure speculation. In the Press, and, therefore, the country, opinion was split. Broadly, the Establishment and the middle-class were against Edward’s marriage to Mrs. Simpson, whilst progressives and the working class were more tolerant of the idea. Perhaps buoyed by his supporters, Edward made a last-ditch attempt to keep his crown and the woman he loved.
At the beginning of December he drafted a speech in which he put his idea of a morganatic marriage to the public, making it clear that he would prefer to stay on the throne. The government blocked him from broadcasting the speech, citing constitutional difficulties. Edward bowed to the inevitable; it was Wallis or the crown and there was no possibility of reconciling the two. He agreed to abdicate.
On 10 December 1936, Edward signed the abdication documentation with his three younger brothers as witnesses. His brother Albert became monarch, taking the regnal name George. The following day, announced as Prince Edward, he addressed the nation, telling the people that he could not carry out the heavy burden of responsibility without the support of the woman he loved.
Edward and Wallis Simpson married the following year in France. As the Duke and Duchess of Windsor they enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, although they did court controversy for their apparent sympathy for the Nazi regime. Edward died in 1972 and was buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore. The Duchess died in 1986 and was buried with her husband.
Legacy
The abdication of Edward VIII cleared the way for George VI, the result that George V had always wanted. Although George VI was a shy man, he and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, provided the country with a calm stability during World War II and the Blitz in particular. George VI also presided over the dismantling of the British Empire and, like his daughter, Elizabeth II, proved to be a popular monarch providing a steady influence in difficult times.
Sites to visit
Fort Belvedere in Windsor Great Park was Edward’s country home, given to him by his father. Edward and Wallis spent time here together and part of the television series Edward and Mrs. Simpson was filmed in the house. It was at Belvedere that Edward signed his abdication documents. The house is currently leased to private tenants, but it is occasionally open to raise money for charities.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor are buried at Frogmore Mausoleum which is located in the Home Park of Windsor Castle. Frogmore House, gardens and the Mausoleum are open to the public on a very limited basis. The annual timetable for opening can be found on the Royal Collection Trust’s website.
The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open for tours, making the public more welcome than Mrs. Simpson once was!
Film and TV
In 1981, Edward Fox and Cynthia Harris starred as Edward and Mrs. Simpson in Thames Television’s drama series. Available on DVD.
Wallis And Edward (2006) stars Joely Richardson and Stephen Campbell Moore. Available on DVD or to rent from LoveFilm.
Further research
Philip Zeigler had unique access to the Royal Archives for his 2012 biography King Edward VIII. The book follows Edward from his childhood, through the playboy prince years, up to his death in exile in Paris.
Behind Closed Doors (2011) by Hugo Vickers explores the Duchess of Windsor’s later years, which were marred by the exploitation she suffered at the hands of those charged with her care.
17 Carnations: The Windsors, The Nazis and the Cover-Up (2015) by Andrew Morton explores Edward and Wallis’ relationship with the Nazi regime.
Related YouTube Videos
Recording of Edward’s abdication speech
Interview with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Edward recalls his first meeting with Wallis
