Updated on November 2nd, 2026
History is not only a subject full of kings, queens, fights, conspiracies, and power-capturing strategies. It also has many other things besides dry tales and discussions. Love, emotions, and sacrifice also remained important parts of the past. Not all kings are behind power politics; a few set their priorities in their own way. They left the crown for love, passion, and other values. The love story of Prince Edward and Mrs Wallis Simpson is a perfect example of how love and passion can drive a few lives, and how those lives can make life more beautiful, livable, and meaningful.
When Prince Edward fell in love with Wallis, she was already married and divorced. Prince himself was also involved with other women. Mrs Simpson entered his life, but being American was a big hurdle in their love story, as Americans were not highly regarded in Britain. Their relationship grew into a deep friendship, then crossed all limits to become a ‘perfect love story’. Nobody in the Royal family liked this relationship. The passion in the relationship was so intense that it sparked a constitutional crisis. Despite this, King Edward VIII was happy to give up the British throne and ultimately renounced it in December 1936, with his brother Albert crowned King George VI.
After his abdication, the pair married a year later and remained married for 35 years, until Edward’s death in May 1972.
The first meeting of Edward & Mrs Simpson
King Edward was a good-looking person with blonde hair and blue eyes, a boyish look on his face. He maintained this look throughout his life. Yet Prince Edward preferred married women. Because of his appealing personality, many women were attracted to him. Before meeting Mrs Wallis Simpson, he had been having relations with different women. One of those was Lady Furness, who hosted a party on 10 January 1931, where she invited both Prince Edward and Mrs Simpson and her husband, Ernest Simpson. It was the first meeting between Prince and Mrs Simpson. No doubt it left no powerful impression on the Prince. Thereafter, they met on different occasions during the next few months. Very truly, it was not love at first sight for either of them. Edward continued his affair with Lady Furness, although he and Wallis met at various house parties.
Prince Edward’s other relations:
In 1918, Prince Edward met Mrs Winifred (“Freda”) Dudley Ward. Although they were about the same age (23), Freda had been married for five years when they met. For 16 years, Freda was Prince Edward’s mistress.
Mrs Simpson also remained a frequent guest of Prince Edward for the next two years. They grew close when Lady Furness traveled to the USA in January 1934. Thereafter, the Prince cut other ladies, including Lady Furness, out of his life. Freda Dudley Ward also remained close to the Prince until 1934, when he began his relationship with Wallis Simpson. In January 1934, Thelma Furness traveled to the United States, entrusting Prince Edward to Wallis’s care in her absence. When Thelma returned, she found she was no longer welcome in Prince Edward’s life—even her phone calls were refused.
Mrs Simpson & her earlier life
Simpson was born on June 19, 1896, in Pennsylvania, but grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She was a socialite who had been married twice when she met Edward at a party. Mrs. Simpson was not only exquisite but also stylish and poised. She was 35 when she met Edward at a house party Lady Thelma Furness hosted.
When she grew into a young woman, she married Lieutenant Earl Winfield, a US Navy pilot, in 1916. They remained married until they divorced in December 1927. A few months later, she married Ernest Simpson in July 1928.
As mentioned earlier, it was in 1934 that Prince and Wallis became closer. Prince invited both Mrs Wallis Simpson and her husband to go on a cruise, but Ernest Simpson could not accompany his wife because of his business commitments. On this cruise, they crossed the line from friendship and fell completely in love.
The testing phase of their relationship
The relationship between Prince and Mrs Simpson entered a testing phase when King George V, the prince’s father, died in January 1936, and thereafter the Prince became King Edward VIII. The New King was occupied with big state affairs responsibilities, but no one in the King’s circles welcomed his infatuation with Mrs Simpson. Then-Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin believed people would not accept a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands as queen. In fact, this relationship rocked Britain’s most prominent institutions – Parliament, the monarchy, and the Church of England – to their cores. But Edward was excited and wanted to make her Queen, but he couldn’t.
King left his throne to be with the woman he loved
The Church of England did not allow divorced people to remarry if their former spouses were still alive, and because King Edward was the head of the Church, many believed he could not remain king and marry Wallis Simpson. Ultimately, he had two choices: leave Simpson or abdicate the throne. Deeply committed to being with his love, King Edward finally abdicated in December 1936.
In his famous abdication speech, he said, “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.” His brother, Prince Albert, who became George VI, acceded to the throne. Edward went off to marry Wallis in France and was rarely seen in Britain again.
It was a significant decision that proved love is more important than anything in life. More interestingly, Edward abdicated the throne for her, even though she was still married to her second husband. Later, she sued for divorce, and the court granted it. Edward and Wallis got married on June 3, 1937, in a minimal ceremony.
Voluntary exile in Paris
After Edward abdicated and married Wallis, the Royal family shunned the couple. Their wedding day also marked the first day of their permanent exile. Once Edward abdicated, he lost his title as King and was immediately referred to as Prince Edward. As Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the couple lived in voluntary exile in Paris, where they were known for their elegant dinner parties. They continued to attend the galas, fashion shows, and dinner parties that had always been their natural environment. Publicly, they were always looking elegant and well-dressed. Edward loved the 12,000-acre secluded estate near Tallahassee, where he enjoyed outdoor pursuits like hunting, picnics, and horse riding. They were also sent to the Bahamas as the Governor for a short period.
Edward passed away in May 1972 due to his health declining because of heavy smoking. Mrs Wallis lived for 14 more years, dying in April 1986 at the age of 89, and they buried her beside her husband, the Duke of Windsor. The couple had no children. They could never return to Britain unless Edward came to attend the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and again to attend the funeral of his mother, Queen Mary, in 1953. Wallis didn’t attend either funeral, but she could return for Edward’s funeral in 1972. Despite many difficulties, their love story is truly touching.
Royal Family relations in later life
Although their marriage forced Edward into exile (which explained the move across the English Channel to Paris), the royal family gradually accepted Wallis over the years. When Edward died, his funeral was held in England, and she stayed at Buckingham Palace for the event, according to Anne Sebba, the author of the book That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor
Eyes for each other: Wallis and Edward in more tender moments in Florida, 1956
Love ultimately proved
Love certainly is more than just going on dates, holding hands, and kissing. It’s about accepting each other’s weirdness and flaws. Sometimes people also say, ‘Love is being stupid together.’ This love story ended years ago, but it has many aspects people will remember for years. Their tale remained a hot topic worldwide for more than half a century. Some call it the greatest love story, while others see it as the ultimate royal scandal. Still, their romance is mired in controversy because, to be with the woman he loved, Britain’s king paid an extraordinary price—he gave up the British throne for his love.
A king left his throne to be with the woman he loved. The Duke of Windsor has become a romanticized figure over his devotion to American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Few believe that this was the love story of the century, but for others, it was a scandal that threatened to weaken the monarchy.
Read another interesting article, The Tragic Tale of a Dream Lady, Bollywood actress Vimmi
References
- King Edward VIII Abdicated for Love by Jennifer Rosenberg at About.com.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2699035.stm
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
- http://www.people.com
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3 Comments
Nice one.
Really, a great love tale from the historical past. Very detailed description. Keep writing more inspiring stories.
Rajni, Thanks a lot for your words