King Edward VIII did something that monarchs do not have the luxury of doing - he fell in love. King Edward was in love with Mrs. Wallis Simpson, not only an American, but also a married woman already once divorced. Yet, in order to marry the woman he loved, King Edward was willing to give up the British throne - and he did.
To some, this was the love story of the century. To others, it was a scandal that threatened to weaken the monarchy. In reality, the story of King Edward VIII and Mrs. Wallis Simpson never fulfilled either of these notions. Instead, the story is about a prince who wanted to be like everyone else.
On January 10, 1931, Prince Edward attended a party. It was here that he met Mrs. Wallis Simpson and her husband Ernest Simpson. Though Prince Edward was soon to be infatuated with Mrs. Simpson, she didn't make a big impression on Edward at their first meeting.
Mrs. Wallis Simpson was born Wallis Warfield on June 19, 1896 in Maryland, United States. Though Wallis came from a distinguished family in the United States, in the United Kingdom being an American was not highly regarded. As Wallis grew into a young woman, she was not necessarily considered pretty. Yet Wallis had a sense of style and pose that made her distinguished and attractive. She had radiant eyes, good complexion and fine, smooth black hair which she kept parted down the middle for most of her life.
Though many blame Mrs. Wallis Simpson for seducing the Prince, it seems rather more likely that she was herself seduced by the glamor and power of being close to the heir of Britain's throne. At first Wallis was just glad to have become included in the Prince's circle of friends. According to Wallis, it was in August 1934 that their relationship became more serious. During that month, the Prince took a cruise on Lord Moyne's yacht, the Rosaura. Though both Simpsons were invited, Ernest Simpson could not accompany his wife on the cruise because of a business trip to the United States. It was on this cruise, Wallis stated, that she and the Prince "crossed the line that marks the indefinable boundary between friendship and love."
When King George V, Edward's father, passed away, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII. However, his infatuation with Wallis had grown so extreme that he was severely distracted from his State duties. Some thought she might be a German spy handing State papers over to the German government. The relationship between King Edward and Mrs. Wallis Simpson came to an impasse when he was warned that the government might resign en masse if it continued.
King Edward was faced with three options: give up Wallis, keep Wallis and government would resign, or abdicate and give up the throne. Since King Edward had decided that he wanted to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson, he had little choice but to abdicate. Mrs. Wallis Simpson sued for a divorce from Ernest Simpson, which was granted, and Wallis and Edward married in a small ceremony on June 3, 1937.
To Edward's great sorrow, he received a letter on the eve of his wedding from King George VI stating that by abdicating, Edward was no longer entitled to the tile "Royal Highness." But, out of generosity for Edward, King George was going to allow Edward the right to hold that title, but not his wife or any children. This greatly pained Edward for the rest of his life, for it was a slight to his new wife.
After the abdication, the Duke and Duchess were exiled from Great Britain. Though a number of years had not been established for the exile, many believed it would only last a few years; instead, it lasted their entire lives. Royal family members shunned the couple. The Duke and Duchess lived out most of their lives in France with the exception of a short term in the Bahamas as governor.
Edward passed away on May 28, 1972, a month shy of his 78th birthday. Wallis lived for fourteen more years, many of which were spent in bed, secluded from the world. She passed away on April 24, 1986, two months shy of 90.
Source: Jennifer Rosenberg, About.com guide
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