Edward VIII, later known as
Edward, Duke of Windsor, was the eldest child of George,
Duke of York and Princess Mary of Teck. He was born June 23,
1894 in Richmond, Surrey, England. With his father's
accession on May 6, 1910, Edward became heir to the throne.
Edward lived in an 18th century home called Fort Belvoir,
which was given to him by his father, King George V. He
enjoyed the privacy of "the Fort" and became an expert on
gardening, especially roses. Through his small, private
circle of friends who visited him at the Fort, Edward met
Wallis Warfield Simpson. At the time, she was married to
Ernest Simpson, but by 1934, Edward considered himself
"deeply in love."
Soon after, on January 20, 1936, George
V died, and Edward was proclaimed king. Edward was
determined to marry the now-separated Mrs. Simpson, and he
attempted to gain the royal family's acceptance of the
relationship. However, Edward's family, Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin, and British political leaders were opposed
to a marriage. Through government pressure of the press, the
relationship was kept secret from the British public until
December 2, when the entire matter was revealed. Cries for
abdication began the next day. Edward submitted his
abdication on December 10, and announced it to the public
during a radio address the next evening, saying "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." On December 12, after Edward had already departed for
Austria to stay with friends, his brother, now King George
VI, named him the Duke of Windsor.
Mrs. Simpson's divorce
became final several months later, and the two were married
on June 3, 1937. They lived in France until the outbreak of
World War II, at which time Edward accepted the governorship
of the Bahamas offered to him by Winston Churchill. Edward
remained in the Bahamas until the end of the war.
Still,
the division between he and his family was not yet remedied.
While living in Paris after the war, Edward returned only
twice to Great Britain; in 1952, after the death of his
brother, George VI, and in 1953, after the death of his
mother, Queen Mary. He was not formally invited to an
official public ceremony until 1967, when he and Simpson,
now the Duchess of Windsor, were invited to the unveiling of
a plaque dedicated to his mother, Queen Mary. For the rest
of his life, Edward lived with Wallis in both Paris and the
United States. He died in Paris on May 28, 1972. She died in
Paris nearly 14 years later on April 24, 1986. The duke and
duchess were buried side by side within the grounds of
Windsor Castle.
