If you have been shocked by the royal scandals of recent times and think it is a sign of the times, you must know about the great royal scandal of the last century.
King Edward VIII was born on 23 June 1894 and reigned as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936. He was the eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary and was known as the Prince of Wales prior to his accession to the throne.
Edward VIII’s reign was one of the shortest in British history, lasting just 326 days. After his father’s death, he became king; however, he soon caused controversy by expressing his desire to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had already divorced her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second. The Church of England, the British government and many members of the royal family were against the marriage, as it was considered unacceptable for a future king.
In December 1936, Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Consequently, his younger brother, George VI, succeeded him and led the country during World War II. In June 1937, Edward and Wallis were married in France and received the titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. For the rest of their lives they lived mainly in France and were largely excluded from official royal activities.
Edward VIII was renowned for his interest in social issues and charitable work, particularly in the areas of public health and child welfare. He was also an avid sportsman, with a particular fondness for horse racing. Over the next few years, he became increasingly critical of the British government and its policies.
Edward VIII died on 28 May 1972, aged 77. His life and reign continue to be the subject of much historical and popular interest, particularly in connection with his controversial abdication and his relationship with Wallis Simpson.
What ideas did Edward VIII have, was he really a friend of Hitler?
King Edward VIII’s policy is a matter of debate among historians, but it is generally believed that he was sympathetic to right-wing and Conservative views. He was seen as an advocate of appeasement of Nazi Germany in the years leading up to World War II and was heavily criticized for his meetings with senior Nazi Party members, including Adolf Hitler himself.
While there is no evidence that Edward VIII was a Nazi sympathizer or supported the Nazi regime, his views on race and imperialism were seen as problematic by many. In private conversations, he has made a number of controversial statements about Jews, blacks and other minorities.
It is worth noting that some historians have argued that Edward VIII’s reputation as a Nazi sympathizer was exaggerated and that he was not actively promoting the Nazi cause. However, his conduct in the years preceding World War II remains a matter of debate.
Who was Wallis Simpson?
Wallis Simpson was an American socialite who became the center of a major scandal in British royal history. Born Bessie Wallis Warfield in Pennsylvania in 1896, she was the daughter of a wealthy businessman. She was first married in 1916 and subsequently divorced twice before meeting her third husband, Ernest Simpson, in the 1920s. They married in 1928 and moved to London, where they became part of British high society.
In 1931, Wallis Simpson first met King Edward VIII, later the Prince of Wales, in London. The two soon became close and their relationship quickly became the subject of gossip and speculation. In 1936, after Edward became king, he made it clear that he wished to marry Wallis, even though she was still married to Ernest Simpson.
The prospect of a divorced American socialite becoming queen caused a great deal of controversy in the British establishment, so Edward was forced to abandon his plans to marry Wallis. Eventually he chose to abdicate the throne to marry her, and the two married in France in 1937. They became known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, but were largely excluded from official royal activities for the rest of their lives..
Wallis Simpson has been the subject of much fascination and speculation over the years, and her role in the abdication crisis continues to be debated by historians. She died in 1986 at the age of 89.
