King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson: Abdication and Jewelry

Quick Look

• Edward VIII reigned for 325 days in 1936 and abdicated after the British government and Dominions opposed his proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson.
• His abdication brought his brother George VI to the throne and made Princess Elizabeth the heir presumptive.
• Edward and Wallis married in France on June 3, 1937, after he was created Duke of Windsor.
• Their jewelry recorded private messages and milestones through inscriptions, colored gemstones and custom designs.

Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was born to rule the United Kingdom. Edward VIII, as he came to be known, is perhaps best remembered for his abdication in 1936. The decision placed his brother Albert on the throne as George VI and made Albert’s elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth, the heir presumptive. She would succeed her father as Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. The root cause of this constitutional crisis was his determination to marry Wallis Simpson. This couple enjoyed a spectacular romance, which was made material through extravagant gifts of jewelry. Read on to find out about this royal courtship.

Their jewels offer a particularly personal record of a relationship that altered the line of succession and captivated the public.

Who Was King Edward VIII

King Edward VIII was born in 1894 as the eldest son of Queen Mary and King George V, making him the heir apparent. Upon his sixteenth birthday, he assumed the title of Prince of Wales, and his future position as king was formalized. Prince Edward served in World War I, which bolstered his popularity among veterans. During the 1920s, the Prince was an icon both at home and abroad. In particular, his sense of fashion captured the attention of young Americans, and he was viewed as a style icon. Known as the tastemaker of his age, the future Duke of Windsor had an incredible collection of cufflink styles, ties, socks and other fashionable accessories.

Prince Edward’s love life was also subject to public scrutiny, as Edward was known for his numerous romances—particularly those involving married women. Edward’s taste for parties and women positioned him closer to a celebrity than a monarch, and his family and the English aristocracy criticized his behavior.

In 1930, Edward met Wallis Simpson, the wife of a mutual friend. Their friendship developed into a relationship over the following years. Simpson’s status as a married woman and a divorcée scandalized the affair, and the Royal Family refused to receive her. Government and police records show that officials monitored the relationship as concern about its constitutional implications grew.

King George V’s death in January 1936 made Edward king; however, King Edward VIII’s reign would be short-lived, and he would abdicate in less than a year.

Why Did King Edward VIII Abdicate?

The crisis sharpened after Wallis obtained a preliminary divorce decree in October 1936. On November 16, Edward told Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that he intended to marry her. The question was constitutional as well as personal: the sovereign acts on ministerial advice, and the British government and the governments of the Dominions opposed Wallis becoming queen.

Edward proposed a morganatic marriage in which he would remain king while Wallis would not become queen and any children would be excluded from the succession. Morganatic marriage had no established place in British constitutional practice, and Baldwin advised that the proposal was unacceptable to the governments concerned. Edward ultimately chose abdication.

On October 27, 1936, Edward proposed to Wallis, giving her a 19.77-carat emerald ring with an interior engraved with the date. The color of emeralds is beautiful, and the emerald in this piece,cut from one owned by a Grand Mogul, was remounted in a stunning Cartier setting. To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, the couple had Cartier remount the stone once again, resulting in the beautiful composition we see today. Learn more about the history of Cartier and its influences in royal romances.

Edward executed the Instrument of Abdication on December 10, 1936. It took legal effect the following day through His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act, when George VI became king. Edward then explained his decision in a radio broadcast. A commemorative cup dated 1936 records the public fascination surrounding the abdication.

King Edward VIII Abdication Cup, dated 1936

The Marriage of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson

Edward was unable to see Wallis for the months following his abdication. Simpson was in southern France, finalizing her divorce and trying to avoid scandal as the couple had to correspond in secret. During this time, Edward continued expressing his love for Wallis — particularly by gifting her with exquisite jewelry. For instance, in the months during their separation, Edward gave his beloved a Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond bracelet inscribed “Hold Tight.” These gifts were a physical reminder of the love between the couple, and Wallis accumulated an extensive collection of jewelry throughout their relationship.

The couple married at the Château de Candé in France on June 3, 1937. Sadly, the abdication strained family relations and King George VI forbade any members of the royal family to attend the wedding. Unable to give her the crown, Edward instead continued to lavish gifts upon Wallis. She had a distinctive taste for jewelry, and she particularly favored Cartier. Her best-known Cartier panther jewels included sculptural brooches made in 1948 and 1949 and an articulated onyx-and-diamond bracelet acquired in 1952. These commissions helped make the three-dimensional Panthère an enduring emblem of the house.

Another stunning example of Wallis’ eye for jewelry is her emerald and tourmaline brooch. An Uzbek artisan originally created the piece, and it showcases the region’s natural treasures. To make the piece truly her own, the Duchess commissioned Cartier to alter the brooch, making it even more elaborate. It features intricate goldwork and is adorned with an array of natural pearls. The brooch truly encapsulates Wallis’ impeccable and distinctive taste in jewelry.

The Legacy of Edward and Wallis

Following the abdication, Wallis and Edward distanced themselves from the royal family, traveling or living abroad. While remaining somewhat separate from the royal family, they still retained their influence on pop culture both in England and elsewhere.

Today, the couple is remembered for their relationship, the constitutional crisis it precipitated and its lasting effect on the succession.  More recently, however, Wallis Simpson’s collection of fine jewelry has been rediscovered, and many of these pieces and their wide array of gemstone colors have come up for sale. To see M.S. Rau’s entire collection of antique fine jewelry and rare gemstone jewelry, visit our website.

Works Cited

The Royal Family. “Edward VIII January to December 1936.”

The National Archives. “Abdication of Edward VIII 1936.”

The National Archives. “Abdication Discussions.”

Cartier. “The Panther a Timeless Heroine.”

Cartier. “The Iconic Panther.”