Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication that December. He caused a constitutional crisis by proposing to Wallis Simpson, an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the UK and Dominions opposed the marriage. When it became apparent he could not marry Wallis and remain on the throne, he abdicated. He was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI. With a reign of 326 days, Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British history.
About Edward VIII in brief
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication that December. He caused a constitutional crisis by proposing to Wallis Simpson, an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the UK and Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands was politically and socially unacceptable as a prospective queen consort. When it became apparent he could not marry Wallis and remain on the throne, he abdicated. He was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI. With a reign of 326 days, Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British history. Edward was born on 23 June 1894 at White Lodge, Richmond Park, on the outskirts of London during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria. His father was the son of the Prince and Princess of Wales. His mother was the eldest daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and Francis, Duke of Teck. At the time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession to the throne behind his grandfather and father. As was common practice with upper-class children of the time, Edward and his younger siblings were brought up by nannies rather than directly by their parents. After the war, Edward spent the rest of his life in retirement in France. He and Wallis remained married until his death in 1972, and the couple were married until Wallis died 14 years later. Edward’s father, though a harsh disciplinarian, was demonstratively affectionate with his children.
He also showed a frolicied side with her public image that belied her austere public image. Upon his return, Edward was placed under the care of two men, Frederick Henry and Henry Finch, who brought him up virtually in Britain. Initially, Edward stayed in Britain with his grandparents, Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII, who showered their grandchildren with affection. When Edward was nine months old, he travelled with his parents to France for almost nine months following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. When his parents travelled to France in 1901, he stayed virtually with their grandparents, Henry and Queen Alexandra, who showed him affection and encouraged him to make toast for their French master as a prank. After his parents’ return, he went to France with his siblings, who were virtually brought up in Britain and brought him virtually in her care. He later went on to become Governor of the Bahamas. During the Second World War he was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France, but after private accusations that he was a Nazi sympathiser,. he was appointed Governor of The Bahamas. Later that year, the couple toured Germany. The names Edward, George, Andrew, Patrick and David were chosen in honour of Edward’s late uncle, who was known to his family as “Eddy’s” or Edward, and King Christian IX of Denmark. The last four names came from the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
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This page is based on the article Edward VIII published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 10, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
