Updated on June 11th, 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 sacrifices also remained an important part of the pages of the past. Not all kings are behind power politics; a few set their priorities in their own way. They left the crown for their love, their passion, and other values as well. The love story of Prince Edward and Mrs Wallis Simpson is a perfect example of how love and passion can really drive the lives of a few, and those few make life more beautiful, livable, and meaningful.
When Prince Edward fell in love with Wallis, she was not only already married but also 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, and then it crossed all limits to become a ‘perfect love story. Nobody in the Royal family liked this relation. The passion in relation was so intense that it sparked a constitutional crisis. Despite all this, King Edward VIII was happy to give up the British throne, and ultimately, he renounced it in December 1936, with his brother Albert crowned King George VI.
Following his abdication, the pair married a year later and remained in union 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 was having relations with different ladies. 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 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 by the time 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 came close to each other when Lady Furness was on a trip to the USA in January 1934. Thereafter, other ladies, including Lady Furness, were cut out of Prince’s life. Freda Dudley Ward also remained close to the Prince until 1934, at the beginning of his relationship with Wallis Simpson. In January 1934, Thelma Furness travelled to the United States, entrusting Prince Edward to Wallis’s care in her absence. Upon Thelma’s return, 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 had a sense of style and a poised personality. She was 35 when she met Edward at a house party hosted by Lady Thelma Furness.
When she grew into a young woman, she married Lieutenant Earl Winfield, a US Navy pilot, in 1916. This marriage lasted until their divorce in December 1927. After a few months of her divorce, she married Ernest Simpson in July 1928.
As mentioned earlier, it was in 1934 that Prince and Wallis became closer. There was a reference to the time Prince invited both Mrs Wallis Simpson and her husband to cruise, but Ernest Simpson could not accompany his wife because of his business commitments. On this cruise, they crossed the limits of friendship and fell completely in love with each other.
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 divorced women with two living ex-husbands as queen. In fact, this relation 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 women he loved
The Church of England did not allow divorced people to remarry if their former spouses were still alive, and as King Edward was the head of the Church, it was believed that he could not remain king and marry Wallis Simpson. Ultimately, he had simple choices: either he had to leave Simpson or abdicate Thorn. As he was 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 certainly a significant decision where he proved that 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 divorce was granted. Edward and Wallis got married on June 3, 1937, in a minimal ceremony.
Voluntary exile in Paris
After the abdication and marriage of Edward to Wallis, the Royal family shunned the couple. Their wedding day was also the first day of the rest of their lives in 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 continue to attend the galas, fashion shows, and dinner parties that had always been her natural environment. Publicly, they were always looking elegant and well-dressed. Edward loved the 12,000-acre secluded estate near Tallahassee, where he was preoccupied with outdoor pursuits, including hunting, picnics, and horse riding, which he enjoyed immensely. 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. With many difficulties, their love tale is really touching.
Royal Family relations in later life
Although their marriage forced Edward into exile (which explained the move across the English Channel to Paris), Wallis was granted some acceptance from the royal family as the years went on. 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 tale ended years ago; it has many aspects to remember for ages. Their tale remained a hot topic for the entire world for more than half a century. Few say it is the greatest love story, while others see it as the ultimate royal scandal. Still, their romance is certainly mired in controversy because, to be with the woman he loved, Britain’s king paid a truly 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 romanticised 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