Scandals of various sorts have punctuated the history of royal dynasties, caused by family feuds, dubious financial arrangements, and frequently by sexual affairs and marriages considered incompatible with royal tradition and dignity. 

Such scandals attract much public attention, but also raise questions about individual figures and the monarchies of which they are a part.  Royals are also forced to devise strategies for surviving scandals. 

In this episode, we offer some fresh perspectives on one of the most famous modern scandals – the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and the king’s eventual abdication in 1936 – and see how it involved not only the British but made international news.

Image - King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson on holiday in Yugoslavia, 1936 (Creative Commons)

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