Coronation is Coming

In the chill of January 1936, a pivotal moment unfolded as King George V breathed his last breath, ushering in a new era with Edward’s coronation. From the lofty vantage point of St. James’s Palace, now King Edward VIII gazed out upon his realm with Wallis Simpson by his side—a poignant tableau marking the convergence of love and duty.

Under the strictures of Church of England law, divorce was a complex labyrinth, with infidelity serving as the sole escape route. Ingeniously crafted machinations portrayed an affair between Ernest Simpson and one of Wallis’ closest confidantes, paving the way for the dissolution of her second marriage. As the legal hurdles cleared, the path to their happily-ever-after seemed tantalizingly close—except, as history would reveal, that didn’t happen.