While there are many stories and movies nowadays about "forbidden love" and royalty, Edward VIII was the original. In December of 1936, Edward took the throne and then abdicates it not even a year later to marry an American woman, Wallis Simpson.
The image to left depicts the lovely, young couple. So, what led to this and why is it culturally significant? Well, to answer that, we will have to do a deep dive into the royal world and culture that has ruled the UK since its establishment.
Monarchs are held to a strict standard of who they can marry and how they can go about their lives. However, from a young age, there were murmurs that he was not ready for the throne. The prince enjoyed his lavish lifestyle that came with being one of the richest men in Europe, but the pressures that came along with being king were incredibly different.
In 1931, the prince met the very beautiful American woman for the first time. Her status as a divorcee, made their love affair acceptable, let alone that she was currently married when they met. In 1934, the prince ramped up his affections and began to make her the object of his desire. After she divorced her second husband, the two began to show up at royal events together, to the horror of the prince's family.
After the death of the king in 1936, the prince was still entranced with Wallis (pictured left). Against the advice of his prime minister, he continued to pursue her and never let up on his intentions to marry her. However, as the church refused to marry them with his current status and her status as a divorcee with a living ex, this proved to be a difficult task.
The prince was nothing short of obsessed with Wallis Simpson. He was obsessed with her independence, wit, and beauty. A journal entry from the first night he met her details that "she was the most independent I had ever met, and presently the hope formed that one day I might be able to share my life with her."
In 1936, not even a year after taking the throne, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in the name of love over the radio. He declared that he could not see his life without Wallis Simpson and couldn't do his role without her. The two spent the rest of their lives as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and spent much of their time happily in France.
This story has been repeated in many pop culture references and still proves to be one of the most romantic stories of all time. A man that was willing to give up everything for the woman he loves, despite her past, is a story that has been copied and rewritten a thousand times over. This original could prove to show that love is more than just a chemical in our heads and something that is worth changing your life over.
To hear the radio special where King Edward VIII abdicated his throne, watch the video below.
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