Edward VIII

1892-1972. Full name: Edward Albert Christian George Andreas Patrick David. Son of George V and Mary of Teck. King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and the Emperor of India 20 January 1936-11 December 1936).

David, Prince of Wales, studied for a short period of time in Oxford and appeared in the British Expeditionary Force in France during the First World War, but did not serve in the war. He was not allowed to fight in any combats because he was the next in the line of succession. After the war he visited several countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, the Far East and South America.

He had several sexual affairs with married women and one of these women introduced him to Wallis Simpson. His relationship with her was unknown in Britain because of an agreement between the Royal House and editors of newspapers, but in the ruling circles it was well known. He wanted to marry her and this led to a constitutional crisis, which ended in his abdication.

After his abdication on 10 December 1936 he travelled with Wallis Simpson to France and his younger brother became King George VI. Edward, now the Duke of Windsor married Wallis Simpson in 1937, but she was not granted the title "Her Royal Highness".

Edward visited Adolf Hitler in 1937 and after France was occupied by the German Forces in the Second World War the couple fled to Spain, which was also under fascist rule. Winston Churchill, who was Prime Minister at that time, helped them to get to the Bahamas, where Edward became governor.

In 1972 Edward died in Paris. He is buried in the royal mausoleum at Frogmore.

Sources:

Cannon, John, ed. Dictionary of British History. New York: Oxford UP, 2001.

Ziegler, Philip. King Edward VIII. London: Fontana, 1990.