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THE REIGN OF EDWARD VIII, 1936 to 1972

It is November 1936. King Edward VIII of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, King of the Dominions beyond the Seas and Emperor of India has been informed that his friends in the press can no longer be counted upon to keep their silence on the role of a certain lady in his life. At Marlborough House, his mother Queen Mary is blissfully unaware that her son will risk his throne for an American divorcee. In a Belgravia town house, the Duke and Duchess of York are aware of events that may lead to a new calling in their lives. The Duke and Duchess of Kent are waiting for news from the Government and their plan to make them King and Queen of Poland. The British people remain devoted to their King, a man of the poor. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, remains concerned at the lack of religious faith and interest the new monarch displays. In the drawing rooms of London, Wallis Simpson enjoys the demands of society life as the well-known route to the Sovereign's ear. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin is worried, the King increasingly makes promises to the people contrary to the government's agenda. The King's Private Secretary, Alec Hardinge, is finding his new employer difficult and his loyalties become increasingly strained.

The King says Mrs Simpson is non-negotiable but in the coming days, the existance of "that woman" will be exposed to the nation and in an out and out battle between King, Establishment and People the fate of the House of Windsor will be decided. The Dominions will play their part, the Church will make it's voice heard and the Government will take this opportunity to try and bring down the dangerous King who threatens their popularity. Gone are the stable and solid days of George V's reign when every man knew his place. Times are changing. In a process that will last twelve months, Edward VIII will try and keep his throne with Wallis at his side. Will he succeed?
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