Free Republic

But maybe don't drink it.In the mid-1930s, British beermaker Greene King brewed and bottled a special ale to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VIII. The only problem? That king was never crowned. In 1936, Edward surrendered his chance to wear the crown, abdicating the throne only 325 days into his unofficial reign so that he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson. His coronation — which had been scheduled for May 1937 — was called off, his younger brother George VI became king, and all 2,000 bottles of that Coronation Ale were put into storage. Remarkably, that beer stash wasn’t...

The Edward VIII Sovereign, as the coin is known, is one of the most coveted coins in the world and was produced as part of a “trial set” for the King when he ascended the throne in January 1936. However, they were never circulated to the public because the King abdicated that same year to marry Wallis Simpson. The King further broke with tradition with the design of the coin. Historically, it is the custom that each monarch should face the opposite way to his or her predecessor when new currency is produced. However, Edward insisted on being depicted facing...

The British public has reacted with fury after footage of the Queen performing a Nazi salute as a young girl was published by The Sun. The shocking film from 1933 shows Edward VIII teaching his nieces the seven-year-old future Queen and her three-year-old sister Princess Margaret how to do the salute in the gardens at Balmoral. The publication of the 17-second film has outraged thousands across the nation who believe that the Queen cannot be held responsible for her actions as a girl playing with her family. Scores of Twitter users vented their anger this morning, saying The Sun had...

Wallis Simpson was branded a 'miserable second-rate American woman' by BBC founder Sir John Reith after he learned Edward VIII was to abdicate to marry her, it has emerged in his diaries. The eyewitness account of the abdication crisis by the corporation's then director general shows a distinct lack of appreciation for the divorcee.... He wrote a diary account of the events surrounding the address and extracts are featured in a collection of radio broadcasts, and television footage telling the Abdication story. The material has been put online to commemorate the anniversary of the broadcast... "He said that the King...

In times of conflict, the quest for cheering news becomes more urgent by the day. What is required is a prime slice of international gossip, and none is more succulent and sustaining than that dished up, over the centuries, by the British Royal Family. This time, as if by popular demand, the Firm as the Windsor clan is sometimes known, lending it a heavy-browed influence on which Tony Soprano would hesitate to trespass has surpassed itself. Documents released by the Public Record Office on January 30th shed a fresh and delectable light on the abdication crisis of 1936, when King...