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Jul 22, 2021 · But for George VI and the Duke of Windsor, the stakes were much higher—with the world in turmoil due to World War II, their private family feud had the potential to alter the course of history....
On 12 December 1936, at the accession meeting of the British Privy Council, George VI announced his intention to make his brother the "Duke of Windsor" with the style of Royal Highness. He wanted this to be the first act of his reign, although the formal documents were not signed until 8 March the following year.
6 days ago · The new king, George VI, created his elder brother duke of Windsor (December 12, 1936), but in 1937, on the advice of the cabinet, he refused to extend to the new duchess of Windsor the rank of “royal highness” enjoyed by her husband. This decision severely wounded the duke.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Early years
- Reign
- Marriage
- Later life
Edward, born in 1894, was the eldest son of King George V, who became the British sovereign in 1910. Still unmarried as he approached his 40th birthday, he socialized with the fashionable London society of the day. By 1934, he had fallen deeply in love with American socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson, who was married to Ernest Simpson, an English-Am...
The new king proved popular with his subjects, and his coronation was scheduled for May 1937. His affair with Mrs. Simpson was reported in American and continental European newspapers, but due to a gentlemens agreement between the British press and the government, the affair was kept out of British newspapers. On October 27, 1936, Mrs. Simpson obta...
Despite the seemingly united front against him, Edward could not be dissuaded. He proposed a morganatic marriage, in which Wallis would be granted no rights of rank or property, but on December 2, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin rejected the suggestion as impractical. The next day, the scandal broke on the front pages of British newspapers and was d...
In 1945, the duke resigned his post, and the couple moved back to France. They lived mainly in Paris, and Edward made a few visits to England, such as to attend the funerals of King George VI in 1952 and his mother, Queen Mary, in 1953. It was not until 1967 that the duke and duchess were invited by the royal family to attend an official public cer...
- Missy Sullivan
- 1 min
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On 12 December 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, George VI announced his intention to make his brother the "Duke of Windsor" with the style of Royal Highness. He wanted this to be the first act of his reign, although the formal documents were not signed until 8 March the following year.
Apr 19, 2024 · The duke of York assumed the throne on December 11, 1936, following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII; he was officially proclaimed king the following day. He took the name of George VI and was crowned on May 12, 1937.
In settling the issue, George's first act as king was to confer upon his brother the title "Duke of Windsor" with the style "Royal Highness", but the letters patent creating the dukedom prevented any wife or children from bearing royal styles.