Prince Harry and King Edward VIII
Prince Harry and his great-granduncle King Edward VIII both married American women.Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images/Chris Jackson/Getty Images
  • The prince and his bride decided to take a break from the royal family.

  • King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry a woman.

  • The British press had a lot of questions for both of them.

  • For more stories, visit Insider's home page.

Edward was liked by the public before he was crowned king.

King Edward VIII
Edward poses while a young girl takes his photograph during his royal tour in 1919.Central Press/Getty Images

He was a popular prince who was fond of golf, tennis, parties and dancing.

Edward was remembered by the New York Times as a prince charming with the common touch.

He was a king of popularity. His subjects were distressed by the abdication that caused a worldwide sensation.

Queen Elizabeth was the most popular royal in the year.

Prince Harry
Prince Harry pets a dog as he greets the crowds ahead of the Invictus Games on September 23, 2017 in Toronto, CanadaChris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

Prince Harry topped a royal poll in the year after his wedding to the American actress. The Queen and Prince William were both deemed to be likable by the majority of respondents.

Survey respondents said he wasadmirable, likeable, fun-loving, and genuine.

In the same survey, Prince Harry fell to the second spot, but was still considered likeable by 70% of the respondents. Third place went to Prince William.

Edward's love of dancing and music was more important to him than he was to school.

A drawing, based on a radio description, of Edward (center) dancing on board the liner Berengaria on his way to the US for a Royal Visit in September 1924.Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

According to his obituary, Edward did not excel academically. He showed more interest in his banjo than in his books.

The future king's diary entries were obtained by the Times.

One reads, "My dancing is getting better, I got in at four."

He claimed that he had not slept more than eight hours in the last 72 hours.

Prince Harry was known for his partying ways when he was younger.

British daily newspapers photographed on August 23, 2012 shows the front-page headlines and stories regarding nude pictures of Prince Harry.DANIEL SORABJI/AFP via Getty Images

The prince said during a visit to a Cape Town youth center that he didn't like school. I wanted to be the bad boy.

During his 20s, Prince Harry was involved in a number of scandals, including wearing a Nazi costume to a friend's party and playing strip poker at a private party. The pictures were leaked to the press.

Both princes changed their ways after joining the army.

Edward pictured on the Italian Front during World War I.Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

Edward joined the army after World War I started. The Secretary of State for War refused to allow the young Prince of Wales to be on the front lines.

Is it different if I am killed? Edward once asked Kitchener if the king had any other sons.

I don't know if I should restrain you if I knew you would be killed, Kitchener said. It's not possible for the enemy to secure you as his prisoner.

Edward was given permission to serve in France. Although he wasn't allowed in the front lines for a long time, he performed his duty well and was often under fire.

The future king told his father that he didn't wear his medals because he was kept out of danger.

I feel so ashamed to wear medals that I only have because of my position, where there are so many thousands of officers who lead a terrible existence in the trenches and who have not fought in the war.

Like his great-granduncle, Prince Harry was proud of his military career and wanted to serve on the frontlines.

Prince Harry sits on his camp bed in the Helmand province of Southern Afghanistan in 2008.John Stillwell - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

According to the Royal Family's website, a 20-year-old Prince Harry began training as an officer cadet in 2005.

He joined the Blues and Royals in January of 2006 It was reported that the Blues and Royals would be going to Iraq, and that Prince Harry wanted to go as well.

He said in a 2005 television interview that he didn't want his soldiers to go to Iraq or be held back home.

The British Army did not give Prince Harry his wish until three years after he requested it. The British press did not report on the prince's visit to Afghanistan in 2008.

Prince Harry was in the Army for 10 years and served two tours in Afghanistan before being promoted to captain. The prince was given a break from the pressures of being a royal.

When he is in the army, it's easy to forget who he is. Everyone is doing the same thing. I like my job and I get along well with the guys. It's as easy as that.

Edward and Prince Harry were known for being single and in many relationships.

Prince Harry and British model Cressida Bonas attend a charity event together on March 7, 2014 in London.Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince William and King George VI wed when they were 28 years old.

Prince Harry did not marry a woman until he was 33, and Edward did not marry a woman until he was 42.

Edward was linked to most of the world's eligible princesses during his time as Prince of Wales.

British model and TV host Cressida Bonas was one of Harry's famous lovers. He was linked to another singer.

The American woman who changed Edward and Harry's lives was a mutual friend.

Edward and Simpson in Sussex, England, in 1939.Evening Standard/Getty Images

Lady Furness was said to be Edward's mistress and he met her at a party in January 1931.

Simpson and her husband were invited by chance after a married couple who had been on Lady Furness' guest list fell sick.

Edward stated in his book "A King's Story" that he had not made a good first impression. The prince asked the American if she missed the central heating in her country.

She apologized but said she had disappointed her. Every American woman coming to your country is asked the same question. I wanted something more original from the prince.

After a mutual friend set them up on a blind date, Harry had a lot of luck when he met the woman he would marry.

The prince said he knew the actress from the first time they met.

Edward and Simpson were friends for a long time before they got married.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at their engagement photo call in November 2017.Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Simpson made an impression on the Prince of Wales after they met. Edward said he was struck by the grace of her carriage and the natural dignity of her movements when they met again at Buckingham Palace.

After Edward's abdication, rumors swirled around the couple and never made it to the British press.

The royal family was tense. Simpson got a preliminary decree of divorce on October 27th, 1936.

It wasn't the same for Prince Harry and his bride. The couple only kept their relationship a secret for four months before the prince issued a public statement condemning the media for their treatment of her.

According to the November 2016 statement, Prince Harry is worried about the safety of his bride-to-be. It's not right that a few months into a relationship with him, she should be in the spotlight.

They were married a year after that.

Edward had no support after he made it clear that he wanted to marry Wallis.

King Edward VIII is pictured here just before giving his abdication speech to the people of Great Britain on December 11, 1936.Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

Prime Minister Baldwin told Edward that it was his duty as king to end his relationship with Wallis. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, there was only one notable ally of the leader of the free world.

Edward tried to get married so that he wouldn't be able to get his titles and privileges as king. Baldwin pressured the king to make a decision after henixed the idea.

Just a week after the word "abdication" was mentioned in the press, Edward surrendered the crown.

On December 11, 1936, Edward announced his decision during a radio broadcast to the British public, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King without the assistance and support of the woman."

While Simpson was a divorcée, she was quickly accepted by Prince Harry's family, signaling a new modern era for the royals.

Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth sit together during an official royal outing in July 2018.Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The Queen gave her blessing for the wedding.

Prince Harry said that the corgis immediately took to the American actress.

He said he had spent the last 33 years being barked at. The one that walked in was absolutely nothing.

The marriage of Edward and Simpson took place in a French chateau in 1937. The royal family didn't attend.

Edward and Wallis Simpson posing at the Castle of Conde on their wedding day on June 3, 1937.Mondadori via Getty Images

The civil ceremony was over in five minutes, according to a Time reporter.

Edward and Simpson were married at an altar that was hastily improvised. A bride is wearing a dress.

After they said "I do," Edward and Simpson left for their honeymoon.

Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, and Serena Williams were among the celebrities who attended the wedding.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day on May 19, 2018.Danny Lawson/AP

The father of the bride pulled out of the wedding after it was reported that he had staged photos to sell to the media.

By comparison, 22.8 million people watched Prince William tie the knot with Kate Middleton on TV. The design of the bride's wedding dress, which had been speculated for months on end by the press, has its own page on the internet.

After the church ceremony there was an afternoon reception and a star- studded evening party hosted by the prince.

They became celebrities because of their relationship with British royalty. It brought a lot of scrutiny from the media.

Simpson's name dominated headlines during Edward's abdication.Keystone/Getty Images

Simpson was named Woman of the Year by Time in 1936, the year Edward gave up the throne for her. She was described by the magazine as the most-talked-about, written-about, headline and interest-compelling person in the world.

Fame comes with a price. According to Andrew Morton's book, Simpson felt the world was against her.

Simpson told her friend Herman Rogers that she wanted to run away and hide after becoming famous.

Rogers told her that the world is discovering her regardless of whether she likes it or not.

Is this the first time you've ever discovered me? She said that you meant to destroy her.

Time's Person of the Year was runner-up to Diana, Princess of Wales. She was at the center of scrutiny by the British press as the magic of her wedding wore off.

A stack of Evening Standard newspapers features the eyes of Meghan Markle in London.Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images Images

It was called out for breaking royal protocol by articles, then praised for doing the same thing by others. During her pregnancies, she was criticized for holding her babybump. She won a legal battle after excerpts of a private letter she sent to her father were published.

In the "Harry &Meghan: An African Journey" documentary, she talked about her struggles.

When she first met her husband, her friends were really happy, she said. British friends told me that he was great. The British tabloids will ruin your life.

I think I tried to mimic the British style of stiff upper lip. I think that what that does internally is really damaging.

As their romantic relationships got more serious, Edward and Harry fell out with each other.

Prince Harry and Prince William in December 2019.Jack Taylor/Getty Images

According to The History Press, King George VI and his wife stopped visiting Edward because they disliked what he did to Mrs. Simpson.

There were rumors of trouble between Prince Harry and Prince William and their wives after the wedding.

Harry told Oprah that his and William's relationship is "space at the moment."

He said that time heals all things.

The prince said that his father and brother were trapped in the system of the royal family.

He said that they don't get to leave. I have a lot of compassion for that

Edward and Simpson didn't attend an official public ceremony with members of the royal family after Edward's abdication.

Edward and Wallis Simpson (together left) with Queen Elizabeth II (right) attend a ceremony celebrating the centenary of the birth of Queen Mary on June 7, 1967.Keystone-FranceGamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Edward and Simpson didn't spend much time in England after George VI gave up the throne. After the appointment of him governor of the country, the couple lived in France for a short time.

The tension was obvious when Prince Harry and Markle attended their last official engagement.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Kate Middleton at the Commonwealth Service in March 2020.Getty/Phil Harris

At the Commonwealth Day service in March 2020, they didn't acknowledge each other, despite being known as the "Fab Four".

It was the first joint appearance from the couples since Harry and Markle announced they were stepping back from the royal family and they made no attempt to put on a show of friendship for the camera.

The group only exchanged brief eye contact when taking their seats just a row apart from each other, as Insider reported at the time.

Two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the "Fab Four" got together for the first time in more than two years.

In February 2021, the Queen told the public that she was stripping Prince Harry of his royal patronage.

Queen Elizabeth II, left, and the Duchess of Sussex, right, are seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

On February 19th, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying that the Queen had been told by the couple not to come back as working members of the royal family.

It is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service when you step away from the work of The Royal Family.

"After being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family, the military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will be returned to Her Queen," it said.

The statement said that they are sad about the decision but that they are still loved by the family.

It wasn't long after the statement was released that the couple pledged to support the organizations they have represented.