subject: Choose Between A Wife Or A Throne [print this page] Choose Between A Wife Or A Throne Choose Between A Wife Or A Throne
When King Edward VIII acknowledged that he was unable to marry a divorcee, the American Mrs Wallis Simpson and retain the throne, it became the most dramatic and romantic action of modern times.
Ernest Aldrich Simpson, a shipping executive, was Mrs Simpson's soon-to-be-divorced second husband.
Edwards reign, the shortest of any British monarch, lasted only 327 days, when he stepped down from his position on 11th December, 1936. He abdicated to his younger, shyer brother, George VI. Edward left the country immediately, never allowed to live again in Great Britain.
King George appointed his senior brother as His Royal Highness the Duke of Windsor, on December 12th.
In June 1937 no representative from Government, or any member of the Royal Family, were allowed to be present at the wedding.
During his lifetime the Duke of Windsor never ceased his battle for royal recognition of his wife, in what became a morganatic marriage, (the title of the husband not shared with his wife).
It is thought severe opposition originated from both the dowager Queen Mary, Edward's mother, who never forgave her son for his disregard for duty and Queen Elizabeth, who was terrified her husband's rule would be destabilized by the strikingly look-alike brother, the outgoing Duke of Windsor.
After much debate the inherited properties of Sandringham and Balmoral Palaces were sold to the crown for 300,000, which was then invested in English Government War Loan stock. The annual income of 10,144 was paid to the Duke for the remainder of his life. The King also gave the Duke a yearly voluntary allowance of 10,855, for the duration of the King's life, provided the Duke never returned to England without the explicit permission of the King.
This demand was in fact illegal, as no British subject can constitutionally be barred from returning to live in the nation of their birth.
Though Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the British throne in 1952, only because of her uncle's abdication, she closely followed her mother and grandmother's example, adamantly refusing to meet with the Duchess of Windsor until late 1967.
"You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance," said the Duchess.
In 1978 Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister and fifth in line to the throne, was not granted permission to marry the divorcee Group Captain Peter Townsend.
In 1986 the Queen finally granted permission (posthumously HRH) Duchess of Windsor to be buried in the royal family grave yard, Frogmore, beside her husband. The Duchess' funeral was astonishing in that her name was never mentioned at any point during the service.
In 2005 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip only attended a Church of England blessing ceremony, which followed a private civil service marriage between Charles, Prince of Wales, successor to the throne of England and the divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles.
On the day of her wedding Camilla Parker Bowles became accepted as part of the royal family when shewas granted the title HRH the Duchess of Cornwall. She, a divorcee wears the engagement ring of the late Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Was this an act of hypocrisy or have the royal family, the British government and the Church of England changed their mind?
