Edward VIII

**Edward VIII** was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year, for his decision of marrying Wallis Simpson causing political unrest.

## History

Edward was potrayed in 1925, while the Prince of Wales, in the silent film, The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama.

He was not potrayed afterwards until the same year as his death, in 1972's The Woman I Love and Royce Ryton's play, Crown Matrimonial, the latter getting a film adaptation in 1974, the same year there was another potrayal of him in the film The Gathering Storm, with further appearances moving forward.

Edward's abdication was featured in the multi-award winning historical drama, The King's Speech.

## Potrayals

### Television

#### 1970s

* **Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1978)**

**Main:** Edward Fox
Based on the 1974 biography Edward VIII by Frances Donaldson, the limited series follows a dramatized Edward's days as the Prince of Wales to him abdicating his throne as the King of England.

#### 1980s

* **Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982-1983)**

**Main:** Madison Mason
Edward is potrayed in the episode "God Save The Queen"

* **Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun (1988)**

**Main:** Peter Sands
#### 1990s

* **A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)**

**Main:** William Boyde
#### 2000s

* **Cambridge Spies (2003)**

**Main:** Julian Firth
#### 2010s

* **Any Human Heart (2010)**

**Main:** Tom Hollander
* **Downton Abbey (2010-2015)**

**Main:** Oliver Dimsdale
At a party, Rose's indiscretion leads to card-sharp, Mr. Sampson, stealing a letter from the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, to his mistress, Freda Dudley Ward, from her handbag. This was during "The London Season" special in Series 3.

* **The Crown (2016-present)**

**Main:** Alex Jennings (Season 1 & 2), Derek Jacobi (Season 3)
Edward's abdication is mentioned frequently in season 1, as he, now as the Duke of Windso, returns to London for the funeral of King George VI and accession of Elizabeth II. Queen Mary is depicted as continuing her condemnation of his marriage to Mrs. Simpson and his decision to abdicate, and faces animosity towards his attendance of Elizabeth's coronation, subsequently declining his invite. His abdication is also cited as a factor in the opposition to the marriage of Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend.

### Film

#### 1920s

* **The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama (1925)**

**Main:** John Greenidge
Edward is potrayed in this silent film.

#### 1970s

* **The Woman I Love (1972)**

**Main:** Richard Chamberlain
Edward is potrayed in this American television drama, which focuses on his relationship with Wallis Simpson.

* **Crown Matrimonial (1974)**

**Main:** Peter Barkworth
Edward is potrayed by Barkworth, who retains his role from the stage play version of the television film.

* **The Gathering Storm (1974)**

**Main:** Ian Ogilvy
Edward is potrayed on the Winston Churchill biographical film, based on the autobiography of the same name.

#### 1980s

* **Chariots of Fire (1981)**

**Main:** David Yelland
In this biographical film, Eric Liddell refuses to run the race, despite strong pressure from Edward, as the Prince of Wales, and the British Olympic Committee, because his Christian convictions prevent him from running on the Sabbath.

* **To Catch a King (1984)**

**Main:** John Standing
The film is a fictionalized account of the Operation Willi, a failed SS operation to kidnap Edward, being the Duke of Windsor, for the purposes of a peace settlement between Nazi Germany and United Kingdoms.

* **The Woman He Loved (1988)**

**Main:** Anthony Andrews
* **Passion in Paradise (1989)**

**Main:** Andrew Ray
Edward is potrayed in this biographical film about the murder of Harry Oakes

#### 1990s

* **Passagem por Lisboa (1994)**

**Main:** Jonathan Weightman
#### 2000s

* **Bertie and Elizabeth (2002)**

**Main:** Charles Edwards
* **Wallis & Edward (2005)**

**Main:** Steven Campbell Moore
Edward is potrayed in this biographical film, which billed itself as the first scripted account of the romance between Wallis Simpson and him to view events from Wallis Simpson's point of view.

#### 2010s

* **The King's Speech (2010)**

**Main:** Guy Pearce
Edward is potrayed in this Oscar-winning 2010 biographical drama, about his brother George's battle to overcome a stammer, a task made still more imperative when he ascended to the throne because of Edward's abdication.

* **W./E. (2011)**

**Main:** James D'Arcy
Edward is potrayed in this semi-biographical film, in a more critical look at the relationship between him and Wallis Simpson, the latter feeling trapped in her relationship with him.

### Theatre

* **Crown Matrimonial (1972)**

**Main:** Peter Barkworth
Edward is potrayed in this play, showing his abdication from the point of view of Queen Mary.

* **HRH (1994)**

**Main:** Unknown
In this 1994 play HRH dealt with Edward's life in Bahamas as the Duke of Windsor, and examined his possible role in a suggested cover-up following the murder of multi-millionaire Harry Oakes in 1943.

* **Chariots of Fire (2012)**

**Main:** David Newman