Call it the Instagram heard round the world: a picture of a smiling Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) and a bombshell announcement that they will “step back” from their royal roles. The royal ripples are leading some to draw parallels with another monarchical mess: Edward VIII’s 1936 decision to step back from his role as king of England so he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson.
But though both situations involve frustrated royals, American divorcees, and public furor, the similarities are not as straightforward as they might seem.
The king who stepped down
When the future king of England fell in love with a charming American woman in the early 1930s, it seemed like one of the playboy prince’s many affairs. But when Edward VIII became king in January 1936, it became clear he wanted to marry Wallis Simpson.
