King Charles Surpasses Reign Length of Great-Uncle King Edward, Who Abdicated to Marry Wallis Simpson

Queen Elizabeth's fate changed as a child when her uncle Edward followed his heart and left royal life

Despite being monarch for less than a year, King Charles already surpassed the reign of his great-uncle King Edward VIII.

This week, Charles officially eclipsed the reign length of his great-uncle Edward. Queen Elizabeth’s uncle was on the throne for just 325 days, famously abdicating to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.

King Charles immediately acceded his mother as monarch following her death on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96. While he has had his whole life to prepare to serve as sovereign, Queen Elizabeth’s fate changed as a child when her uncle shockingly relinquished his royal role.

Elizabeth was born a princess in 1926 to Edward’s younger brother Prince Albert and his wife Elizabeth, who were styled as the Duke and Duchess of York. In 1930, her uncle Edward, heir to the throne and known as the Prince of Wales, fell in love with Wallis, the royal family website states. Wallis' marital status created a conflict as a courtship began and "concern about Edward's private life grew in the Cabinet, opposition parties and the Dominions."

Related: Queen Elizabeth Denied King Edward VIII's Dying Wish to Grant Wallis Simpson HRH Title, New Doc Claims

Edward became King when his father, King George V, died on January 20, 1936. He reigned for a matter of months before stepping down to follow his heart and wed Wallis, who had secured a divorce from her second husband, shipbroker Ernest Simpson.

King Edward signed the abdication papers on December 10, 1936, and made the announcement via radio broadcast to his subjects the next day. "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,” he explained.

Related: Why the Last King to Be Crowned, George VI, Was the Perfect Spare to His Brother Edward VIII

In the same motion, the crown passed to his younger brother Albert, who took the name of King George VI to honor his father. King George struggled with a stutter and worked hard to overcome it in his new royal role, which inspired Colin Firth’s Oscar-winning turn in the 2010 film The King’s Speech. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937 — the date originally designated for his elder brother.

After the abdication, Edward was made the Duke of Windsor and married Wallis in June 1937. The couple lived out most of the rest of their lives in exile in France.

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The story of how Edward and Wallis' romance changed the monarchy forever reached new audiences with Netflix’s hit series The Crown, which is set to conclude with the upcoming sixth and final season. A release date has not yet been announced.

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