King Edward VIII's Dying Wish Queen Elizabeth Denied

It's been just over a year since Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022, but the longest-reigning monarch is still very much beloved by many Brits. Unquestionably, the royal family remembers their late matriarch with great fondness. However, there were instances when Queen Elizabeth had serious conflicts with her relatives.

According to British hereditary law, male heirs are first in line to the throne, implying that Elizabeth's ascension to Queen was a big coincidence. The eldest daughter of King George V's second son, Elizabeth, was expected to grow up in the royal family's background while her uncle, Edward VIII, was to become the next UK ruler.

Indeed, he did in January 1936 but abdicated in favor of his younger brother and Elizabeth's father, George VI, to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, the kind of thing British royals were not supposed to do.

Family Crisis

As the head of the Anglican Church, the British monarch faced a conflict of interests and saw no other option but to pass the throne to the next heir in line, triggering a succession crisis. As King George VI had no sons, Elizabeth became his primary heiress and ascended the throne following her father's death in 1952.

The new Queen endeavored to serve her country and restore her family's high moral image, tarnished by her uncle's actions. Understandably, their relationship was incredibly strained to such an extent that Elizabeth II wouldn't grant the dying Edward VIII his last wish.

Quitters Aren't Welcome

On his deathbed at his Paris villa, the Duke of Windsor, Edward VIII, pleaded with Queen Elizabeth II to grant his wife Wallis the title of 'Her Royal Highness.' However, Her Majesty declined, a decision that reportedly deeply upset her uncle.

'It was, you know, breaking his heart… Not having that title for his wife was a slap in his face,' Edward VIII's caretaker recalls in The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor documentary series.

It remains unknown whether Queen Elizabeth denied her uncle's last wish out of resentment for his betrayal of the family and the abdication that placed a tremendous responsibility on George VI's and later Elizabeth's shoulders or her displeasure at him and his wife's support of Hitler. However, Wallis Simpson was never awarded the title her royal husband wanted for her.

The Duchess of Windsor outlived Edward VIII by fourteen years and was buried next to him in Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II reportedly shed many tears at the funeral.

Source: People.