At Fort Belvedere, in Windsor Great Park, on the 10th December, 1936, Edward VIII's written abdication notice was witnessed by his three younger brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York (who succeeded Edward as George VI); Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and Prince George, Duke of Kent.. The following day, it was given legislative form by special Act of Parliament (His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.)
Eighty-one words that gave rise to an Act of Parliament and an act of ‘performance romance’ that went on for another 36 years, peppered with petulance and egocentric behavior of royal proportions. It was a performance that gave mettle to Shakespeare’s “All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,” Edward, unfortunately, seems to have played only one role. The world would not allow him another.
On the day his reign officially ended, 11 December 1936, Edward made a BBC radio broadcast from Windsor Castle; no longer king, he was introduced by Sir John Reith as "His Royal Highness Prince Edward". The official address had been polished by Churchill and was moderate in tone, speaking about Edward's inability to do his job "as I would have wished" without the support of "the woman I love". Edward's reign had lasted 327 days, the shortest of any British monarch since the disputed reign of Lady Jane Grey over 380 years earlier. The day following the broadcast he left Britain for Austria.
His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936
1936 CHAPTER 3 1 Edw 8 and 1 Geo 6
An Act to give effect to His Majesty’s declaration of abdication; and for purposes connected therewith.
[11th December 1936]
Whereas His Majesty by His Royal Message of the tenth day of December in this present year has been pleased to declare that He is irrevocably determined to renounce the Throne for Himself and His descendants, and has for that purpose executed the Instrument of Abdication set out in the Schedule to this Act, and has signified His desire that effect thereto should be given immediately:
And whereas, following upon the communication to His Dominions of His Majesty’s said declaration and desire, the Dominion of Canada pursuant to the provisions of section four of the Statute of Westminster 1931 has requested and consented to the enactment of this Act, and the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa have assented thereto:
1-Effect of His Majesty’s declaration of abdication.
(1) Immediately upon the Royal Assent being signified to this Act the Instrument of Abdication executed by His present Majesty on the tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, set out in the Schedule to this Act, shall have effect, and thereupon His Majesty shall cease to be King and there shall be a demise of the Crown, and accordingly the member of the Royal Family then next in succession to the Throne shall succeed thereto and to all the rights, privileges, and dignities thereunto belonging.
(2) His Majesty, His issue, if any, and the descendants of that issue, shall not after His Majesty’s abdication have any right, title or interest in or to the succession to the Throne, and section one of the Act of Settlement shall be construed accordingly.
(3) The Royal Marriages Act 1772 shall not apply to His Majesty after His abdication nor to the issue, if any, of His Majesty or the descendants of that issue.
2- Short title.
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