[iowamark]

I have long believed that PM Baldwin’s real problem with Edward VIII was not Mrs. Simpson’s divorces, but rather his sympathies for the Hitler regime. Baldwin foresaw that there was a terrible crisis looming with this spoiled young man who refused to accept his role as constitutional monarch.

[iowamark]

Note that “Edward’s legal adviser Sir Walter Monckton” was later named the first Lord Monckton by Churchill. He is the grandfather of our current climate change hero Lord Monckton.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I highly doubt Baldwin saw the gathering storm. He was, in fact, the man who was primarily responsible for the policy of appeasement, not Chamberlain as is popularly believed. Chamberlain, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer (equivilent to the Secratary of the Treasury) begged Baldwin to increase defence spending, but he refused, and when he became PM, his policy was basically to put the inevitable war off for as long as possible while he built up the military that Baldwin had neglected. Chamberlain has a very bad rep which isn't fully deserved IMHO

But I digress. No, the reasons behind the abdication were the real ones. In any case, it wasn't just Baldwin's decision. The PMs of all the other Commonwealth dominions (Canada, Australia etc) were all opposed to the King marrying a divorcee as well, because it just wasn't the done thing in those more devoutly christian times....

[Jimmy Valentine]

You are correct. It was a scandal at the time but England got the King it needed in George VI.

Edward VIII was always a physical, intellectual, and moral weakling and would have been awful as king.

During WW-II, the Brits had to get him out of England and sent him off to be Governor of Bermuda. He had to be kept under supervision as he was a complete self absorbed trouble maker.