Edward VIII
Edward VIII ( 1894 – 1972 )King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of dependencies overseas, Emperor of India ( 1936 ). The eldest son of King George V , he abandoned the crown in the Abdication crisis. The king let it be known that he wished to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson , a twice-divorced American, which would have required legislative sanction from the British Parliament and from all the dominions. The British government under Stanley Baldwin, reflecting public opinion and strong opposition from the Church of England under the Archbishop of Canterbury (Cosmo Lang), opposed the king's wish, as did representatives of the dominions. Edward chose to abdicate, making a farewell broadcast to the nation, and commending his...
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