She was the woman who would change royal history forever. Wallis Simpson’s romance with King Edward VIII led to him deciding between love and duty. In the end, it was a choice of love. The King Emperor abdicated the throne as he was unable to marry the American divorcée in the Church of England at the time. The throne passed to his brother, Albert, who became King George VI. And Edward…
Royal Wedding Rewind: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
3rd June 2021
It was the wedding that changed the Royal Family forever. The marriage of Edward, Duke of Windsor to Wallis Simpson on 3 June 1937 was the final act of a dramatic series of events that had reverberated around the world. For, of course, the groom had given up his throne to…
The Sussexes and Wessexes show that royalty is a tradition, not a trade - reinventing it never succeeds
12th May 2021
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to leave the UK for America might seem like a royal first to many, the discussions of leaving ‘The Firm’ have been held more frequently, and more recently, than you may expect.
On the face of it, the Duke and Duchess…
Within the harsh confines of royal life, there exists a cruel trend that nicknames the second child the ‘spare’ to their sibling, the heir. While the life of the heir to the throne is mapped out meticulously from beginning to end, the spare is expected to find their own role.
The life of the spare appears seemingly straightforward – living the ultimate life of luxury in the upper…
Moments that defined the British Monarchy – The abdication and scandal of Edward VIII
28th March 2019
On 20 January 1936, Britain’s King George V died. George V was a popular monarch with strong public morals, his son, the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne upon his father’s death. He became King Edward VIII, a name chosen as opposed to King David as there had been no…
Documentary reveals MI5 spied on the Duke of Windsor during his reign & after his abdication
3rd April 2017
In a Channel 4 documentary, Spying on the Royals, which aired Sunday night in the UK, it was revealed that during and after his brief reign as King, Edward VIII was under surveillance by the British secret service.
Adrian Phillips, author of The King Who Had to Go, has said…
Never-before-seen photos of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson released to the public for the first time
23rd November 2016
Many think that some of the events this year have been earth-shattering, however, wind the clock back eighty years.
In 1936, Britain is coming to terms with losing King George V whilst over in Europe the ominous threat of Hitler was beginning to grow steadily. Then the nation was further shocked when King Edward VIII expressed his desire to marry the divorcee Wallis Simpson, a desire which meant…
A controversial figure in the 1930s, this King caused a scandal when he became the first royal to abdicate the throne – and he did it for love.
Born on 23 June 1894 as David, he was the first son of the future George V and his wife, Mary of Teck.
Edward VIII became King on…
Classically Charles: the flawless style of the future king
31st August 2015
When Issue 41 of The Rake magazine hit newsstands a couple of weeks ago, it threw the spotlight on Prince Charles again. But the immediate focus wasn’t on his involvement in public life or the content of the letters to government ministers that have plagued the front…