A Very Royal Crisis: Countdown to Abdication

In the 1930s, the Prince of Wales met and fell in love with an American socialite, Wallis Simpson. When the prince's father died and he was to be crowned King Edward VIII, Edward was determined to have Wallis as his Queen.

Edward VIII's desire to marry an American divorcee set him on a collision course with the British press, the Royal Household and the government. The prime minister was desperate to prevent a constitutional crisis by stopping the king from marrying.

The British nation was divided as the crisis concerning Edward VIII and his relationship with American socialite Wallis Simpson rumbled on. In the eye of the storm, Edward battled with his aides and family members before relinquishing the crown.