Edward VIII, the former King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions, abdicated the throne in 1936 after less than a year of reign. His decision to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had been married twice before, was met with widespread opposition from the British government and the Church of England. Edward's abdication caused a constitutional crisis and led to the accession of his younger brother, George VI. Edward's actions during the Second World War, including his visit to Nazi Germany in 1937 and his alleged Nazi sympathies, tarnished his reputation and led to accusations of treason. Edward's legacy remains controversial, with some viewing him as a sympathetic figure who was forced to abdicate for love, while others condemn him as a traitor who should have been stripped of his royal titles.
