Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprised everyone with their announcement on Instagram. After the swirling rumors that they would abdicate their seats, the Sussexes confirmed their decision to "step back" as senior members of the royal family. This news reminded everyone of the time that Edward VIII left Britain for his wife, Wallis Simpson, called the 1936 abdication crisis. Will they also be exiled?
Edward VIII made history when he abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson after her second divorce got finalized. According to Express, they were exiled from Britain, but things were far more complicated than that.
Carrying the title of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, they got married in 1937, a year after Edward VIII's abdication. They mainly lived in France, where he spent the rest of his life in retirement.
Just like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who planned to divide their time between the United Kingdom and North America, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson often traveled to the United States. There, they made a great deal of high-profile media appearances.
When Edward VIII abdicated his throne, he was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI. His Majesty denied the two to live in England, but they remained financed after their royal exit. They were removed from the Civil List and received an allowance from the King annually.
Edward VIII received £21,000 every year, about £1.4million in today's money, in exchange for not returning to the U.K. In 1937, he received a letter from the Government, saying he could only return to England with George VI's permission.
The Guardian noted that Edward VIII wouldn't get permission if his return would be deemed "contrary to the public interest." If he decided to disregard his brother's rule, the ministers would advise George VI to cut his allowance. Fortunately, this didn't happen. Would the same thing happen to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?
The Sussexes have yet to reveal if they will retain their titles as Duke and Duchess or their HRH honorifics. However, they already made it clear that they wanted to be financially independent. Hence, the opposite of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, they would never receive an allowance from Queen Elizabeth II. They, too, announced they would continue their new charitable entity, the Sussex Royal.
"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's announcement read. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages."
