Queen Elizabeth Denied King Edward VIII’s Dying Wish

The twentieth century saw many crises in the British Royal family. Having read that, you might have immediately thought of Princess Diana.

However, one crisis completely changed the Windsors and made them what they are today.

Edward VIII became the King in January 1936 after his father, George V's death. But in December, he proposed to Wallis Simpson, an American woman who had divorced her first husband. The Church of England prohibited monarchs from getting divorced or marrying divorcees. King Edward didn't hesitate to give up the throne to marry Simpson, causing a serious constitutional crisis. His abdication changed the entire line of succession, placing the crown on his younger brother's head, forcing him to become King George VI, and souring Edward's relationship with the family forever.

King George VI's heiress, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne after her father died in 1952 and, as of 2022, was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

After the turmoil her uncle caused the country and the family, Elizabeth II did her best to fulfil her duties as the head of both and maintain a high moral image of the monarchy. Perhaps this is why in 1972, she didn't grant her dying uncle's request to confer the Her Royal Highness title upon his wife.

In the upcoming documentary, The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, which streams on ITVX on 20 April, the late King Edward VII's caretaker reveals that the Queen denied her uncle's final request when Elizabeth, Philip, and Charles were visiting him at his villa in Paris. Julie Alexander recollects the emotional scene she witnessed.

'It was, you know, breaking his heart...Not having that title for his wife was a slap in his face,' the nurse alleges in the documentary.

Edward VII died shortly after the visit, and his body was transported to England and buried in a small, private funeral. His wife Wallis was never made Her Royal Highness, even though they both held the titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor after his abdication and their wedding.

It may seem cruel for the Queen not to grant her dying uncle's last wish, but we must understand that his abdication caused a lot of trouble for both the country and the family and subsequently placed a ton of duties and responsibilities on young Elizabeth, who might have preferred a simpler life otherwise.