Today, we chronicle the reign of Edward VIII, one of the shortest reigns in English history, at 11 months. He did not die, he did not get overthrown. No, this king flat out quit his job in favor of his brother. Not that he didn't want to be king, mind you...
So how did this happen? I give you, the controversial life of King Edward VIII!
- Was born in 1894, the eldest son of George Frederick, who was the son of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, who was in turn the son of Queen Victoria. He was christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, quite a long name, all things told. He was named after "Eddy," his uncle who had died, Albert after his great grandfather, (Victoria insisted,) Christian after his maternal great grandfather, the king of Denmark, and the last four names were the four patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, respectively. He often went by "David" with his family.
- Was brought up traditionally, with his parents being loving but distant. George was authoritarian and stern to his sons, but his mother, Mary, was loving and kind, by all accounts. Still, Edward and his siblings, were mainly brought up by nannies, who were a pale reflection of a parent, at best.
- Edward and his siblings were raised strictly by their father, who demanded the best from them. George had not learned French or German, but insisted that his children learn it. (Remember, Edward VII had believed that military training was all a boy needed, and George found out that this was not true.) However, the boys were still expected to spend SOME time in the military, especially the younger boys. Edward was pushed towards a college career, unlike his siblings. Edward was thoroughly average in school, not being the brightest lad in the family. His next brother, Albert, the second son, was a painfully frightened and sickly child who spoke with a major stammer. Mary, the only daughter, was a bit of a tomboy who preferred riding horses and going to the horse races with her grandfather. Henry came next... sickly like Albert, he grew up weak, but would actually outlive all his siblings. George came next, and would enjoy a strong military career until his death in an air crash during WWII. Though sickly, the children were fairly close and the family was generally happy. The problem was the youngest child, John.
- Though the name John was considered an ill omen for the family, George liked the name, and it was still technically a royal one. But it was clear that prince John was... different. He was mentally hampered, and by age 4 it was clear that he wasn't responding to social stimuli the way a normal child should. It was becoming more and more obvious, the boy was autistic. Soon after that revelation, John had his first seizure. He was also epileptic. Knowing this, John was kept as the loving baby of the family. He didn't go to school, being raised instead on a farm, and as he got older, he was kept out of the public eye. Edward and Albert often visited their little brother, pushing him around in a cart, playing with him, and taking him for walks in the woods. However, by age 13, his seizures were so frequent that everyone was worried little John would have to be sent to a hospital. Suddenly, in 1919, John laid down for a nap in the evening. He suffered a major seizure, and died in his sleep. Rumors abounded that he had died of neglect, or that his family had simply left him to rot. We now know that this was simply not true. John was loved by his family, though few other than Edward and Albert were able to connect with him.
-Edward, on the other hand, was becoming a precocious teen. He loved horse riding, polo, girls, and the privileges that came from being an heir to the throne. By now, Victoria and Edward VII were both dead, and his father was King. He managed to scrape by at Oxford, but was considered a thoroughly average student, with no outstanding talents other than polo.
- When World War One broke out, Edward insisted on enlisting and taking part. The Secretary of War and his father were against the idea, for rather obvious reasons. Still, George, in true George style, allowed Edward to serve, as long as he took it seriously. There is every indication that he did. Edward visited the trenches as often as he could, and won some distinction, along with the admiration of the soldiers. Edward was truly keen on aircraft, and became the first royal in history with a pilot's license.
- After the war, Edward, as the Prince of Wales, was sent to all corners of the empire to train him for his eventual role as king. Although he was handsome, single, and most people loved him, an ugly side of Edward was emerging.... he was a racist. Unlike his father and his grandfather, who had championed the cause of minorities, foreigners, and the downtrodden, Edward was known to make offhandedly rude remarks, calling native people "Disgusting, revolting, and near to monkeys." The English government did what they could to cover up these comments, but it was clear that Edward did not have the great heart of his father or grandfather.
- More worrying than his racism was his constant philandering. He was indiscreet and foolish in his choices of women. He began a long affair with a known Parisian prostitute. When he broke it off with her to date a married heiress, the prostitute published his rather nasty love letters, which made him a laughingstock in France. Edward had a real thing for the taboo of having sex with married women, and tended to glorify in it. This upset his father greatly, and it is said that George tried to control Edward through Edward's secretary. However, even the secretary admitted that Edward still had the emotional temperament of an adolescent. Edward continued to break up families as he saw fit.
- While Edward was living the life of an unruly playboy, Albert, his younger brother, had happily settled down and had a daughter, Elizabeth. George V publicly favored Albert over Edward, even commenting publicly that Edward was a ruinous prince, and that Albert had inherited all his good qualities. George V doted on the little girl, who he called "Lillibet." (You know her as the current monarch of England.)
- By 1930, George V had had enough of his eldest son. He openly scorned him, saying "I hope he never has children, so nothing lay between Bertie and Lillibet and the throne." Again, George would prove to be a prophet.
- Edward, for his part, flat out didn't care. He was very very handsome, rich, and could (and did) have any woman he chose. It was while he was having a relationship with the American wife of a British peer, that the woman introduced Edward to the woman who would finally tame him... an American named Wallis Simpson.
- Wallis, though not overly attractive, won Edward's heart in a way that no one else had. He simply fell head over heels for her. This was a major, major problem. Not only was she American, she was a divorcee. Not only was she a divorcee, she was well known to have had affairs. Not only had she had affairs, she was known to have had affairs with high ranking German men, and was still close to them. Both the American FBI and the British MI5 had files on this woman. And now the Prince of Wales was introducing her to his parents. (To their credit, George and Mary politely met her... once... then refused to let Edward bring her to their home again.)
- Wallis was strong willed, stern, but loving to Edward... it was all too perfect. Parliament knew that Edward was being dominated by this "Yankee German," and started to spy on the couple in earnest. They did not approve of the hold she had over him, and made it known. However, Edward refused point blank to give her up. It became clear to everyone in the world that Wallis wore the pants in the relationship. She didn't hide it. The thought of this woman becoming Queen of England was about as unpopular as it could have been.
- In January 1936, George V died. Edward didn't even attend the announcement of his accession, choosing to watch from an open window while he sat with the still married Simpson. The British people had loved George, but they had NO love for the aloof and arrogant Edward VIII.
- Edward immediately made enemies in government with his off hand comments and lack of concern for what he said in front of the press. When coal miners went on strike, Edward's reaction was a blase "Something must be done." This of course, was interpreted in so many ways that everyone wound up pissed off at the new king.
- He even broke tradition on his currency. It had been tradition that every monarch's face on the coinage be opposite in facing as the previous one. This had been broken by George V, who insisted that he should face left, because his brother should have been king. So, a coin was minted with Prince Eddy on it facing right, and the official coinage had George facing left. This meant Edward VIII should face right. However, Edward declared that he would face left "so people could see the part in his hair." Even in these little things, it was clear that Edward VIII didn't particularly care about being king.
- In August, Edward and Wallis went on a romantic sea tour to Europe. It was clear that he had no intention of doing his job, or getting rid of Simpson to appease the government. Grimly, Parliament began making plans for the coronation of King Edward VIII... and Queen Wallis. It was decided that they could not have a royal wedding, as she was a divorcee. The people would just have to accept a *gasp!* SECULAR ceremony instead.
- Finally, in November, Edward told Parliament what they most dreaded... he was indeed going to marry Wallis Simpson. The Prime minister flat out told him that the English people would not tolerate it. (And this probably was true.) Edward proposed that he become king, but Wallis be given some small, nominal title only. This also was rejected, because by law, any changes in accession or royal title had to be approved by both Parliament in England and all governments in the Commonwealth. Australia, New Zealand, and Canada all refused to accept Wallis as the wife of Edward, under any circumstances. (Most had never heard of the woman before November, as the UK had tried to cover it up, hoping he would get bored of her. Only in the USA was Wallis Simpson well known.) Edward angrily responded that "There aren't many people in Australia, so their disapproval doesn't matter."
- This attitude was the final straw. Stanly Baldwin, the prime minister, laid it on the line. Edward could give up Simpson and become King, Abdicate the throne to his brother, Albert, or go ahead with his plans to marry, and Parliament would simply walk out and quit.
- Angrily, Edward chose abdication. Some believe he was trying to call Parliament's bluff. If so, it backfired spectacularly. When Edward said "Well, I'll QUIT!" Parliament, the people of England, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand all pretty much went "good... and good riddance."
- Edward signed his own abdication in December. He wasn't allowed to live with Simpson until her divorce was finalized. He moved to Austria, where he immediately fell in with just about the WORST people imaginable... the Nazis. He and Wallis married, and Albert, his brother, took the throne as George VI. (Poor Victoria, she had so wanted a King Albert...)
- When his brother took over, George VI made Edward the "Duke of Windsor." While it appeared that he was taking care of his older brother, in truth, this was a very canny move. If Edward was a royal Duke, he could not enter into politics as a member of the House of Commons OR the House of Lords. This kept the dangerous ex-king away from politics permanently. In addition, special law was drafted excluding Wallis, and therefore any children, from ever inheriting the throne of the UK.
- Edward finally married Wallis in 1937. He invited the Royal Family. George VI refused to attend, and forbade any other royals from attending. It was clear, Edward was persona non grata in England. Still, Edward did all right for himself. Since he legally owned the royal estates, George VI had to buy them off of him. George VI refused to disclose the amount paid, but Parliament also refused to give Edward any sort of real allowance. When Edward and Wallis wanted money, they would have to beg king George VI for it. For his part, George gave his brother a yearly allowance out of his own pocket.
- George VI was clearly not amused with the behavior of his big brother. Edward insisted that Wallis be given the Royal title "Her Royal Highness, Duchess of Windsor," as he was the Duke of Windsor. George literally laughed it off. Wallis would have to be satisfied with being merely a normal, run of the mill Duchess. (Which was pretty damned good for an American divorcee, all things told!) Edward then started calling his brother literally every day asking for money. George VI responded by simply never taking his calls. Edward then said he would return to Britain. George put his foot down and told his brother, "If you return to Britain without my permission, I will cut off your allowance." Edward began his life of languishing on the continent, bitter and feeling cheated.
- By the late 1930s, Edward was becoming a political nightmare for England. He supported appeasement, and even made worldwide news when he and Wallis publicly supported Hitler and did a whirlwind tour of the 3rd Reich, attending rallies and giving the Nazi salute to a smiling Adolf. Hitler publicly said that he believed that England and Germany were natural allies, and if Edward hadn't abdicated, Germany would have sought England as an ally. This was a public shame for England, and would haunt Edward the rest of his life, forcing England to, in its own way, completely denounce the former king.
- By the outbreak of WWII, Edward was in France. In a rare show of solidarity, Parliament voted to bring Edward back and give him a military appointment. SURELY Edward would see now that he could be of use to England, right? Wrong. He was immediately accused of selling allied secrets to the enemy. He vehemently denied this, and was never formally charged, but the blow to his reputation was terrible. He and Wallis fled to Spain, then Portugal, in disgrace.
- Churchill, afraid of intrigue, demanded Edward return to England. Edward refused. When it became clear that the Nazis intended to install a fascist government in England, with a restored Edward at its head, (Edward knew nothing of this,) Churchill did the best he could do... he and the King gave Edward a governmental appointment as Governor of the Bahamas.
- Edward, as 'charming' as ever, referred to the Bahamas as a "Cheap, third rate British colony,' and set about enraging every person there. He hated being governor, desiring to return to England and live out his life. Edward made political gaffes constantly, stating that the natives, particularly the "Negroes," were incapable of anything due to their "limited mental faculties," and such. Although he did much to improve the lives of the poor, it was generally seen as patronizing rather than generous. He was hated in the Bahamas as much as he was in England. He even managed to offend the Jews on several occasion, due to agreeing with Hitler's anti-antisemitism publicly.
- On many occasions, Duke Edward praised Hitler and the 3rd Reich, although he often backpedalled on his own words saying he had been "misquoted" or "misunderstood." Without trying, Edward was a thorn in the flesh of his brother at every turn.... and the tabloids just ate it up. It seemed that every week, the Duke of Windsor was quoted as saying something ELSE inane and ridiculous, such as "Hitler is the rational and proper leader of the German people," or, "In the past 10 years Germany has totally reorganised the order of its society ... Countries which were unwilling to accept such a reorganisation of society and its concomitant sacrifices should direct their policies accordingly."
- By now, even the Americans were spying on him. It was said that his wife had cheated on him with a German ambassador, one Count von Ribbentrop. Whether or not this was true, when Edward and Wallis visited the USA, they were constantly followed by the CIA and there were even plans to deport him should he cause too much of a problem.
- After the war, Edward backpedalled again, saying that though he admired Germany, he was always anti-Nazi. This was believed by... pretty much no one. Not long after, he was caught blaming England for causing the war, and bringing on "Roosevelt and the Jews." (Referring to Israel, etc.)
- As he grew older, he retired permanently to France. There, his funds dried up, and he lived on illegal currency trading for the rest of his life. He also made public appearances for France, getting an apartment and a nominal salary for his efforts. He penned an autobiography later, (Well, a ghost writer actually did, but he took credit,) which denounced liberal government and tried to paint Edward as a misunderstood philanthropist. It didn't sell well.
- For the rest of his life, he lived in a sort of limbo. He wasn't welcome in England, though he was invited to come to Elizabeth's coronation. He did attend his brother's funeral, but Wallis was barred from coming. Most scathingly, Mary, Edward's mother, never forgave him. "To give up all this for THAT!" (Wallis,) Mary was quoted as saying. The two were never again close, though they visited.
- By the 1960s, Edward was aging, and was something of an odd second rate celebrity. However, he was rarely invited anywhere, as people noted that he was rather empty headed, and didn't have much to talk about. He loved his wife, he loved his dogs, he loved himself. That was about it. When he was invited by Elizabeth II to come to Charles's investiture, he refused.
- By the late 60s, Edward was dying. A lifetime of smoking had given him throat cancer, and though he took treatment, it soon got the better of him. He died in his Parisian home in 1972. His body was returned to England, where he was finally laid in state, as a former king. He was not laid to rest in Westminster, instead being buried behind Victoria and Albert in Frogmore. Wallis lived another 14 years, but had grown totally senile. She had wanted the two of them to be buried in the USA. Instead, her body was sent to the UK, where she was buried as "Wallis, Duchess of Windsor."
- In the end, even though he only reigned for 11 months, Edward VIII was a disastrous king, and an even more disastrous Duke. If it hadn't been for his abdication, the genuine decency of his brother, World War II, and the smart thinking of his grand-niece, the Royal family may have gone down in history as Nazi sympathizers... England may have even allied with Germany.... imagine THAT!
So how did this happen? I give you, the controversial life of King Edward VIII!
- Was born in 1894, the eldest son of George Frederick, who was the son of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, who was in turn the son of Queen Victoria. He was christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, quite a long name, all things told. He was named after "Eddy," his uncle who had died, Albert after his great grandfather, (Victoria insisted,) Christian after his maternal great grandfather, the king of Denmark, and the last four names were the four patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, respectively. He often went by "David" with his family.
- Was brought up traditionally, with his parents being loving but distant. George was authoritarian and stern to his sons, but his mother, Mary, was loving and kind, by all accounts. Still, Edward and his siblings, were mainly brought up by nannies, who were a pale reflection of a parent, at best.
- Edward and his siblings were raised strictly by their father, who demanded the best from them. George had not learned French or German, but insisted that his children learn it. (Remember, Edward VII had believed that military training was all a boy needed, and George found out that this was not true.) However, the boys were still expected to spend SOME time in the military, especially the younger boys. Edward was pushed towards a college career, unlike his siblings. Edward was thoroughly average in school, not being the brightest lad in the family. His next brother, Albert, the second son, was a painfully frightened and sickly child who spoke with a major stammer. Mary, the only daughter, was a bit of a tomboy who preferred riding horses and going to the horse races with her grandfather. Henry came next... sickly like Albert, he grew up weak, but would actually outlive all his siblings. George came next, and would enjoy a strong military career until his death in an air crash during WWII. Though sickly, the children were fairly close and the family was generally happy. The problem was the youngest child, John.
- Though the name John was considered an ill omen for the family, George liked the name, and it was still technically a royal one. But it was clear that prince John was... different. He was mentally hampered, and by age 4 it was clear that he wasn't responding to social stimuli the way a normal child should. It was becoming more and more obvious, the boy was autistic. Soon after that revelation, John had his first seizure. He was also epileptic. Knowing this, John was kept as the loving baby of the family. He didn't go to school, being raised instead on a farm, and as he got older, he was kept out of the public eye. Edward and Albert often visited their little brother, pushing him around in a cart, playing with him, and taking him for walks in the woods. However, by age 13, his seizures were so frequent that everyone was worried little John would have to be sent to a hospital. Suddenly, in 1919, John laid down for a nap in the evening. He suffered a major seizure, and died in his sleep. Rumors abounded that he had died of neglect, or that his family had simply left him to rot. We now know that this was simply not true. John was loved by his family, though few other than Edward and Albert were able to connect with him.
-Edward, on the other hand, was becoming a precocious teen. He loved horse riding, polo, girls, and the privileges that came from being an heir to the throne. By now, Victoria and Edward VII were both dead, and his father was King. He managed to scrape by at Oxford, but was considered a thoroughly average student, with no outstanding talents other than polo.
- When World War One broke out, Edward insisted on enlisting and taking part. The Secretary of War and his father were against the idea, for rather obvious reasons. Still, George, in true George style, allowed Edward to serve, as long as he took it seriously. There is every indication that he did. Edward visited the trenches as often as he could, and won some distinction, along with the admiration of the soldiers. Edward was truly keen on aircraft, and became the first royal in history with a pilot's license.
- After the war, Edward, as the Prince of Wales, was sent to all corners of the empire to train him for his eventual role as king. Although he was handsome, single, and most people loved him, an ugly side of Edward was emerging.... he was a racist. Unlike his father and his grandfather, who had championed the cause of minorities, foreigners, and the downtrodden, Edward was known to make offhandedly rude remarks, calling native people "Disgusting, revolting, and near to monkeys." The English government did what they could to cover up these comments, but it was clear that Edward did not have the great heart of his father or grandfather.
- More worrying than his racism was his constant philandering. He was indiscreet and foolish in his choices of women. He began a long affair with a known Parisian prostitute. When he broke it off with her to date a married heiress, the prostitute published his rather nasty love letters, which made him a laughingstock in France. Edward had a real thing for the taboo of having sex with married women, and tended to glorify in it. This upset his father greatly, and it is said that George tried to control Edward through Edward's secretary. However, even the secretary admitted that Edward still had the emotional temperament of an adolescent. Edward continued to break up families as he saw fit.
- While Edward was living the life of an unruly playboy, Albert, his younger brother, had happily settled down and had a daughter, Elizabeth. George V publicly favored Albert over Edward, even commenting publicly that Edward was a ruinous prince, and that Albert had inherited all his good qualities. George V doted on the little girl, who he called "Lillibet." (You know her as the current monarch of England.)
- By 1930, George V had had enough of his eldest son. He openly scorned him, saying "I hope he never has children, so nothing lay between Bertie and Lillibet and the throne." Again, George would prove to be a prophet.
- Edward, for his part, flat out didn't care. He was very very handsome, rich, and could (and did) have any woman he chose. It was while he was having a relationship with the American wife of a British peer, that the woman introduced Edward to the woman who would finally tame him... an American named Wallis Simpson.
- Wallis, though not overly attractive, won Edward's heart in a way that no one else had. He simply fell head over heels for her. This was a major, major problem. Not only was she American, she was a divorcee. Not only was she a divorcee, she was well known to have had affairs. Not only had she had affairs, she was known to have had affairs with high ranking German men, and was still close to them. Both the American FBI and the British MI5 had files on this woman. And now the Prince of Wales was introducing her to his parents. (To their credit, George and Mary politely met her... once... then refused to let Edward bring her to their home again.)
- Wallis was strong willed, stern, but loving to Edward... it was all too perfect. Parliament knew that Edward was being dominated by this "Yankee German," and started to spy on the couple in earnest. They did not approve of the hold she had over him, and made it known. However, Edward refused point blank to give her up. It became clear to everyone in the world that Wallis wore the pants in the relationship. She didn't hide it. The thought of this woman becoming Queen of England was about as unpopular as it could have been.
- In January 1936, George V died. Edward didn't even attend the announcement of his accession, choosing to watch from an open window while he sat with the still married Simpson. The British people had loved George, but they had NO love for the aloof and arrogant Edward VIII.
- Edward immediately made enemies in government with his off hand comments and lack of concern for what he said in front of the press. When coal miners went on strike, Edward's reaction was a blase "Something must be done." This of course, was interpreted in so many ways that everyone wound up pissed off at the new king.
- He even broke tradition on his currency. It had been tradition that every monarch's face on the coinage be opposite in facing as the previous one. This had been broken by George V, who insisted that he should face left, because his brother should have been king. So, a coin was minted with Prince Eddy on it facing right, and the official coinage had George facing left. This meant Edward VIII should face right. However, Edward declared that he would face left "so people could see the part in his hair." Even in these little things, it was clear that Edward VIII didn't particularly care about being king.
- In August, Edward and Wallis went on a romantic sea tour to Europe. It was clear that he had no intention of doing his job, or getting rid of Simpson to appease the government. Grimly, Parliament began making plans for the coronation of King Edward VIII... and Queen Wallis. It was decided that they could not have a royal wedding, as she was a divorcee. The people would just have to accept a *gasp!* SECULAR ceremony instead.
- Finally, in November, Edward told Parliament what they most dreaded... he was indeed going to marry Wallis Simpson. The Prime minister flat out told him that the English people would not tolerate it. (And this probably was true.) Edward proposed that he become king, but Wallis be given some small, nominal title only. This also was rejected, because by law, any changes in accession or royal title had to be approved by both Parliament in England and all governments in the Commonwealth. Australia, New Zealand, and Canada all refused to accept Wallis as the wife of Edward, under any circumstances. (Most had never heard of the woman before November, as the UK had tried to cover it up, hoping he would get bored of her. Only in the USA was Wallis Simpson well known.) Edward angrily responded that "There aren't many people in Australia, so their disapproval doesn't matter."
- This attitude was the final straw. Stanly Baldwin, the prime minister, laid it on the line. Edward could give up Simpson and become King, Abdicate the throne to his brother, Albert, or go ahead with his plans to marry, and Parliament would simply walk out and quit.
- Angrily, Edward chose abdication. Some believe he was trying to call Parliament's bluff. If so, it backfired spectacularly. When Edward said "Well, I'll QUIT!" Parliament, the people of England, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand all pretty much went "good... and good riddance."
- Edward signed his own abdication in December. He wasn't allowed to live with Simpson until her divorce was finalized. He moved to Austria, where he immediately fell in with just about the WORST people imaginable... the Nazis. He and Wallis married, and Albert, his brother, took the throne as George VI. (Poor Victoria, she had so wanted a King Albert...)
- When his brother took over, George VI made Edward the "Duke of Windsor." While it appeared that he was taking care of his older brother, in truth, this was a very canny move. If Edward was a royal Duke, he could not enter into politics as a member of the House of Commons OR the House of Lords. This kept the dangerous ex-king away from politics permanently. In addition, special law was drafted excluding Wallis, and therefore any children, from ever inheriting the throne of the UK.
- Edward finally married Wallis in 1937. He invited the Royal Family. George VI refused to attend, and forbade any other royals from attending. It was clear, Edward was persona non grata in England. Still, Edward did all right for himself. Since he legally owned the royal estates, George VI had to buy them off of him. George VI refused to disclose the amount paid, but Parliament also refused to give Edward any sort of real allowance. When Edward and Wallis wanted money, they would have to beg king George VI for it. For his part, George gave his brother a yearly allowance out of his own pocket.
- George VI was clearly not amused with the behavior of his big brother. Edward insisted that Wallis be given the Royal title "Her Royal Highness, Duchess of Windsor," as he was the Duke of Windsor. George literally laughed it off. Wallis would have to be satisfied with being merely a normal, run of the mill Duchess. (Which was pretty damned good for an American divorcee, all things told!) Edward then started calling his brother literally every day asking for money. George VI responded by simply never taking his calls. Edward then said he would return to Britain. George put his foot down and told his brother, "If you return to Britain without my permission, I will cut off your allowance." Edward began his life of languishing on the continent, bitter and feeling cheated.
- By the late 1930s, Edward was becoming a political nightmare for England. He supported appeasement, and even made worldwide news when he and Wallis publicly supported Hitler and did a whirlwind tour of the 3rd Reich, attending rallies and giving the Nazi salute to a smiling Adolf. Hitler publicly said that he believed that England and Germany were natural allies, and if Edward hadn't abdicated, Germany would have sought England as an ally. This was a public shame for England, and would haunt Edward the rest of his life, forcing England to, in its own way, completely denounce the former king.
- By the outbreak of WWII, Edward was in France. In a rare show of solidarity, Parliament voted to bring Edward back and give him a military appointment. SURELY Edward would see now that he could be of use to England, right? Wrong. He was immediately accused of selling allied secrets to the enemy. He vehemently denied this, and was never formally charged, but the blow to his reputation was terrible. He and Wallis fled to Spain, then Portugal, in disgrace.
- Churchill, afraid of intrigue, demanded Edward return to England. Edward refused. When it became clear that the Nazis intended to install a fascist government in England, with a restored Edward at its head, (Edward knew nothing of this,) Churchill did the best he could do... he and the King gave Edward a governmental appointment as Governor of the Bahamas.
- Edward, as 'charming' as ever, referred to the Bahamas as a "Cheap, third rate British colony,' and set about enraging every person there. He hated being governor, desiring to return to England and live out his life. Edward made political gaffes constantly, stating that the natives, particularly the "Negroes," were incapable of anything due to their "limited mental faculties," and such. Although he did much to improve the lives of the poor, it was generally seen as patronizing rather than generous. He was hated in the Bahamas as much as he was in England. He even managed to offend the Jews on several occasion, due to agreeing with Hitler's anti-antisemitism publicly.
- On many occasions, Duke Edward praised Hitler and the 3rd Reich, although he often backpedalled on his own words saying he had been "misquoted" or "misunderstood." Without trying, Edward was a thorn in the flesh of his brother at every turn.... and the tabloids just ate it up. It seemed that every week, the Duke of Windsor was quoted as saying something ELSE inane and ridiculous, such as "Hitler is the rational and proper leader of the German people," or, "In the past 10 years Germany has totally reorganised the order of its society ... Countries which were unwilling to accept such a reorganisation of society and its concomitant sacrifices should direct their policies accordingly."
- By now, even the Americans were spying on him. It was said that his wife had cheated on him with a German ambassador, one Count von Ribbentrop. Whether or not this was true, when Edward and Wallis visited the USA, they were constantly followed by the CIA and there were even plans to deport him should he cause too much of a problem.
- After the war, Edward backpedalled again, saying that though he admired Germany, he was always anti-Nazi. This was believed by... pretty much no one. Not long after, he was caught blaming England for causing the war, and bringing on "Roosevelt and the Jews." (Referring to Israel, etc.)
- As he grew older, he retired permanently to France. There, his funds dried up, and he lived on illegal currency trading for the rest of his life. He also made public appearances for France, getting an apartment and a nominal salary for his efforts. He penned an autobiography later, (Well, a ghost writer actually did, but he took credit,) which denounced liberal government and tried to paint Edward as a misunderstood philanthropist. It didn't sell well.
- For the rest of his life, he lived in a sort of limbo. He wasn't welcome in England, though he was invited to come to Elizabeth's coronation. He did attend his brother's funeral, but Wallis was barred from coming. Most scathingly, Mary, Edward's mother, never forgave him. "To give up all this for THAT!" (Wallis,) Mary was quoted as saying. The two were never again close, though they visited.
- By the 1960s, Edward was aging, and was something of an odd second rate celebrity. However, he was rarely invited anywhere, as people noted that he was rather empty headed, and didn't have much to talk about. He loved his wife, he loved his dogs, he loved himself. That was about it. When he was invited by Elizabeth II to come to Charles's investiture, he refused.
- By the late 60s, Edward was dying. A lifetime of smoking had given him throat cancer, and though he took treatment, it soon got the better of him. He died in his Parisian home in 1972. His body was returned to England, where he was finally laid in state, as a former king. He was not laid to rest in Westminster, instead being buried behind Victoria and Albert in Frogmore. Wallis lived another 14 years, but had grown totally senile. She had wanted the two of them to be buried in the USA. Instead, her body was sent to the UK, where she was buried as "Wallis, Duchess of Windsor."
- In the end, even though he only reigned for 11 months, Edward VIII was a disastrous king, and an even more disastrous Duke. If it hadn't been for his abdication, the genuine decency of his brother, World War II, and the smart thinking of his grand-niece, the Royal family may have gone down in history as Nazi sympathizers... England may have even allied with Germany.... imagine THAT!