King Edward VIII Abdicated the British Throne
On this day · 11 December 1936
A king chose love over a crown, walking away from the throne after less than a year to marry a twice-divorced American.
On 10 December 1936, King Edward VIII signed an Instrument of Abdication, renouncing the throne for himself and any descendants. The document gained legal force the very next day, 11 December 1936, when Edward gave Royal Assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.
The crisis stemmed from his determination to marry Wallis Simpson, an American who had been divorced once and was divorcing again. As head of the Church of England, which then opposed remarriage while a former spouse lived, the King faced firm resistance from the British and Dominion governments.
“I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility without the help and support of the woman I love.”
Edward’s reign lasted just 325 days, and he was never crowned. His younger brother became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. Edward married Simpson in France in 1937 and lived out his life abroad as the Duke of Windsor.
Sources & references
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