David and Goliath: The Abdication of a Throne

The year 1936 would come to be known as the Year of the Three Kings. King George V died as the night was falling to a close on January 20. His oldest son, known as David in the family, became Edward VIII, and would abdicate before the year was out. During those 326 days, it would become apparent to those around him that he was not fit for the throne. His desire to marry Wallis Simpson would be the final straw. His younger brother, Albert, or “Bertie,” became George VI, and Edward became known as the Duke of Winsor. Through declassified FBI reports, years later, it was discovered that Windsor had Nazi ties, and was seen by Nazi leadership as a potential King-in-Waiting for the peace movement. This paper will argue that if King Edward VIII had had his way and stayed King of the United Kingdom, instead of his brother, World War II would have been drastically different