THE KING who lost it all

Unlike Charles IIT who made a divorcee his Queen, his great uncle Edward was forced to give up his throne

I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love…’

With these final words, broadcast over BBC Radio on 11 December 1936 at Windsor Castle, the man who had until recently been Edward VIII announced that he had abdicated as king in favour of his younger brother, bringing an end to his 325-day reign. Once the wildly popular monarch, he would never feel welcome in Britain again and would live the rest of his life a somewhat embarrassing outcast. And the reason he felt compelled to surrender the throne was that he wished to marry a divorced woman.