Edward VIII became first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate throne on Dec 11, 1936
On December 11, 1936, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne.
- World News
- 2 min read
On December 11, 1936, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. The British government, public, and the Church of England, deeply condemned his decision of marrying the American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. Giving a radio address on the evening of December 11, he said, “I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of king, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love”.
This day in history
After this, the duke of York, was proclaimed King George VI, on December 12. After giving up the throne, he left the country within a few hours. Edward ruled for a total of 325 days. His reign brought the storied British monarchy to a crossroads. When he was young, Edward emerged as one of the most popular members of the royal family. He had served in the Great War and had also taken extensive tours of the Commonwealth on behalf of the Crown, according to History.com.
The prince met Simpson at the house of friends in early 1931. After her divorce, she had resettled in London with her second husband, maritime broker Ernest Simpson. As termed in his own accounts, the first meeting between the two of them was ‘unremarkable’. In his memoir, Edward wrote, "she was not feeling or looking her best," and their "stilted" conversation turned to the dreaded topic of the weather.
Advertisement
Edward's interest in day-to-day governorship had lessened. He was basically preoccupied with marrying Simpson. Simpson was granted a preliminary divorce in October 1936, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin finally confronted Edward. After few meetings, he expressed his belief that the Edward-Wallis marriage would not be supported by the government or the British people. Edward even tried proposing a morganatic marriage, in which Simpson would not receive a royal title. However, this was rejected. Therefore, Edward made his decision.