Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Duke of Windsor; 23rd June 1894 - 28th May 1972) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936.

Only months into his reign, Edward caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to the American divorcée Wallis Simpson. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing that the people would never accept her as queen. Edward knew that the government led by British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin would resign if the marriage went ahead, which could have dragged the King into a general election and ruined irreparably his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch. Rather than give up Mrs. Simpson, Edward chose to abdicate. He was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI. With a reign of 325 days, Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British and Commonwealth history, and was never crowned. He was the third and final British monarch to serve his entire reign as the Emperor of India. After his abdication, he was created Duke of Windsor, and in 1937 toured Nazi Germany. During the Second World War, he was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France, but after private accusations that he held pro-Nazi sympathies, he was moved to the Bahamas as Governor. After the war, he was never given another official appointment, and spent the remainder of his life in retirement.