Edward VIII ( Edward Albert Christian George; 23 June 1894 -28 May 1972 ) was the king of the united kingdom and the dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December 1936
Edward was the eldest son of king George V and Queen Mary. he was born on 23 June 1984 at the lodge, Richmond park, London. He baptized Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David on 16 July 1894. In his childhood days, he was abused by one of his nannies, As the king and queen knew about the mistreatment of the children, she was replaced by charlotte Bill. Edward served in the British army during the first world war. Edward has been named for a series of sexual affairs that worried his father. In 1935 George famous said to his son “ after I am dead, The boy will ruin himself within 12 months “.By 1934 Edward was deeply in love with married woman Mrs. Wallis Simpson. He wanted to discuss his intention to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson with his father but he never got a chance as his father king George V died in January 1936 and Edward become the king.
Edward’s father King George died in 1936, As the elder son Edward became the king but the new king showed impatience behavior with the court protocol and showed his disbelief in the constitutional establishments. After a few months of his reign, A Constitutional crisis because of his proposal to marry Wallis Simpson. At that time Wallis has married to Ernest Simpson an English -American businessman and seeking a divorce from her second marriage. Wallis Simpson had earlier married to win spencer,an united States naval officer. The kings desired to marry a woman whose both ex-husbands are living. Most British politicians and the church of England were against the prospective queen .“ The women I love “ Edward married Wallis Simpson after his abdication in December 1936. On the night of 11 December 1936, Edward decided to abdicate in a worldwide BBC radio broadcast. He said, “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.” He added that the “decision was mine and mine alone … The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course”. After the abdication, the former king became the duke of Windsor. Edward married Wallis Simpson after 6 months of abdication and Wallis became the duchess of Windsor but she was not allowed to use “ Royal Highness “ .
A Nazi Sympathiser: The duke and duchess was supposed to be the nazi sympathiser during the second world war,Many british politicians suspected the duke and duchess of bein a nazi sympathiser ,In 1937 the couple visited germany and met adolf hitler .its is belived that the couple had made many visits to Germany during the world war II . The duke of winsor received the honor from the nazi official .
In 1940 , Prime minister Churchill offered the governorship of Bahamas in the west indies . The duke accepted but resigned from his post in 1945 and moved to France with Wallis . The couple lived at 4 route du champ entrainment in the Bois de Boulogne for most of their lives and they traveld frequently between Europe and America ..
The royal family never accepted the duchess of Windsor .Mother of Edward Quneen mary never met her formally ,However duke of windsor sometimes met his mother and his brother ,he also attended his brother the king George funeral in 1952. Edward mother queen mary remained angry with duke of windsor over his marriage to wallis “ to give up all this for that “ she said . The last royal ceremony the Duke attented was the funeral of princess marine in 1968. The duke of windsor rejected an invitation from the queen Elizabeth II to attend the investiture of the prince of wales by replying that prince charles would not like to have his “aged great uncle in the the ceremony .
In the late 1970s the duke health deteriorated ,the Duke was a smoker from his early age and was diagnosed with throat cancer .On 18 May 1972 ,Queen elizabeth II visited the duke and duchess of windsor while on a state visit to france . The duke and the queen had a private conversation for fifeteen minutes but he was not able to present for the official photoshoot beacuse of his health ,Only duchess was present in the photoshoot with the queen Elizabeth II
On 28 may 1972 ,the Duke died at his home in paris,France .His body was returned to britain ,lying in state at St George’s Chapel,Windsor Castle .The Duchess of Windsor stayed at Bukingham palace during the her visit and attended the funeral service .
After the death of her husband, The duchess became frail and succumbed to dementia , living the final years of her life with the help of her both husband’s estate and the royal family allowance . In 1980 Wallis was not able to speak and she was bedridden towards the end, Apart from her doctors and nurses nobody visited her in her last days . The Duchess of Windsor died on April 24, 1986, at her home in Paris, France at the age of 89. As per the agreement with Queen Elizabeth II in the 1960s, The duchess of Windsor was buried next to her husband, The duke of Windsor at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her funeral was attended by the members of the royal family, The Queen, the duke of Edinburgh, the Prince, and the princess of wales. the princess of wales Diana said after the funeral that it was the only she had seen the Queen weep.
Edward VIII was the only king who abdicated the throne