Open links in new tab
  1. Abdication of Edward VIII - Wikipedia

    • In early December 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose when King Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second. The marriage was opposed by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth… See more

    Prelude

    Edward had been introduced to Wallis Simpson, an American citizen and wife of British shipping executive Ernest Aldrich Simpson, by Lady Furness on 10 January 1931, when Edward was Prince of Wales. Ernest Sim… See more

    Opposition

    Opposition to the King and his marriage came from several directions. Edward's desire to modernise the monarchy and make it more accessible, though appreciated by many of the public, was distrusted b… See more

    Table of Contents
     
  1. However, the controversy surrounding the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII of Great Britain led to a constitutional crisis within the country and its dominions. The ruling monarch’s eventual abdication literally changed the course of history in Britain—and the line of succession to the throne.
    www.history.com/topics/european-history/abdication
    Key points about the abdication crisis Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936 He had been on the throne for less than a year He fell in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson and was determined to marry her The British government, much of the press and many of the people felt it would be inappropriate for Edward to marry Mrs Simpson
    www.gethistory.co.uk/historical-period/20th-century…
  2. People also ask
  3. A Royal crisis: The shocking moment King Edward VIII …

    On 11 December 1936, unable to reconcile his desire for US divorcée Wallis Simpson with his role as King, Edward VIII made the shocking decision to …

  4. The Abdication Crisis - International Churchill Society

  5. Edward VIII | Abdication, Siblings, Wife, & Death | Britannica

  6. Edward VIII and the Abdication Crisis - Get History

    Dec 9, 2016 · What does the abdication crisis tell us about the roles and power of the monarchy compared with the government? How has it changed over the centuries? Is there any way Edward could have married Mrs Simpson and …

  7. Edward VIII abdicates | December 11, 1936 | HISTORY

    Nov 24, 2009 · Learn how Edward VIII, the king of England, gave up his throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. Find out how the British government, public, and church opposed their relationship and how they lived …

  8. Wallis Simpson - Wikipedia

    The King's desire to marry a woman who had two living ex-husbands threatened to cause a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom and the Dominions, ultimately leading to his abdication in December 1936 to marry "the woman I …

  9. Edward VIII Abdication speech - BBC

  10. UK | Edward VIII: Abdication timeline - BBC News

    Jan 29, 2003 · How did the King of England give up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee? See the key dates and events leading up to his abdication in 1936.

  11. Abdication of Edward VIII 1936 - The National Archives

    Learn about the historical event of Edward VIII's abdication from the throne in 1936, and the document that made it official. See the Instrument of Abdication signed by Edward and his brothers at Fort Belvedere.