WI : An Edward VIII's second reign ?

[galileo-034]

Let's say that George VI dies heirless, or that both Elizabeth and Margaret don't survive him, would there be a possibility Edward VIII may be called to return or would the crown unavoidably go to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester?
What I was actually thinking of when I first considered the thing was the reign of King Constantine of Greece who did abdicate in 1917 but returned in 1920; that's a very different context, but still a precedent to argue of.

 

[jsb]

The problem (apart from him not being in anyway in the official line any more) is that the establishment hated Edward VIII and they will get to set the rules.

 

[desmirelle]

Ain't gonna happen, once he was seen saluting Hitler and WWII happened, the general populace would lynch him during the coronation.....

 

[troosvelt_68]

If somehow George and his children die

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Henry,_Duke_of_Gloucester

Long Live The King

 

[desmirelle]

There is Henry, then George (duke of Kent), and their offspring, then cousins of the king and whatnot; Edward VIII is not coming back as King, he barely gets to come back as Duke of Windsor.....

 

[merlin]

He nearly came back to stand trial for treason!

 

[Mikestone8]

What I was actually thinking of when I first considered the thing was the reign of King Constantine of Greece who did abdicate in 1917 but returned in 1920; that's a very different context, but still a precedent to argue of.

Did Constantine ever abdicate?

My understanding was that he and the Crown Prince left the country under Entente pressure, but never renounced their rights.

 

[Cook]

He nearly came back to stand trial for treason!

There were good grounds for charging him with desertion in the face of the enemy, and had he not been a member of the royal family doubtless he would have faced trial instead of becoming the governor of the Bahamas. But there were no grounds for a charge of treason.

 

[Welshroyalhistory]

Let's say that George VI dies heirless, or that both Elizabeth and Margaret don't survive him, would there be a possibility Edward VIII may be called to return or would the crown unavoidably go to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester?
What I was actually thinking of when I first considered the thing was the reign of King Constantine of Greece who did abdicate in 1917 but returned in 1920; that's a very different context, but still a precedent to argue of.

The line of succession is determined by Parliamentary statute and is quite simple and easy to understand.

If George VI dies childless, his heir is his brother Henry, Duke of Gloucester, followed by his two sons (one of whom would predecease him). Assuming everything still went the same way, the current British monarch would be Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

The Duke of Windsor did not feature. At all.

 

[Tom Colton]

Assuming everything still went the same way, the current British monarch would be Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

 

[desmirelle]

what? you mean all those people (at least two women claiming to be E8's little bastards and one guy opting for Princess Margaret for mum) won't magically get into the line? How realistic of ya'll!

 

[Major Major]

There were good grounds for charging him with desertion in the face of the enemy, and had he not been a member of the royal family doubtless he would have faced trial instead of becoming the governor of the Bahamas. But there were no grounds for a charge of treason.

I had a nice comment about this in my novel:

WANTED: A Deserter, by name Edward Windsor. Middle height, brown hair, slight figure, speaks with an aristocratic air. A reward of four shillings eleven pence is offered for his return.
N.B. This reward will not be increased, no one deeming him worth a crown.

 

[mattep74]

He nearly came back to stand trial for treason!

The series about Liz II on Netflix had him return to London for his mothers death and on several other occasions but never stood trial. He acted as sort of a mentor for the queen during her first years appeantly

 

[desmirelle]

The Duke of Windsor NEVER mentored anyone. The only thing he was good for was a bad example of kingship.

 

[It's]

The problem (apart from him not being in anyway in the official line any more) is that the establishment hated Edward VIII and they will get to set the rules.

...and hated with good reason. An immature, selfish man. Very unkingly.

 

[Welshroyalhistory]

The series about Liz II on Netflix had him return to London for his mothers death and on several other occasions but never stood trial. He acted as sort of a mentor for the queen during her first years appeantly

Artistic license and completely untrue. The first few episodes of "The Crown" were half decent but the quality dropped quickly after episode 3 and was highly fictionalised.

Direct contact between the Duke of Windsor and his family was extremely limited. There is no way in hell he mentored the young Elizabeth II and she certainly would not have entertained any such attempt by him to act as his mentor.

 

[Deleted member 94680]

Why do people have such problems with the British Line of Succession? It's simple - and these days even simpler since women were granted equal rights.

If the King dies childless, or his children predecese him, the crown goes to his next available male sibling, if a male sibling is unavailable then a female sibling would be crowned. If there are no siblings, then children of siblings would come into line as if they succeeded from the original Monarch's sibling.

Like all this nonsense about the Crown skipping Charles to go to William when the Queen dies. Won't happpen.

Admittedly, back in history when the Crown was more political, there was more wrangling to find a Monarch. These days, as a head of state, the Line of Succession is a family affair - pure and simple.

 

[Bee]

There were good grounds for charging him with desertion in the face of the enemy ....

Can you tell us the details of this? I've always understood that he was willing to serve at the front in WWI, but the government made sure he was kept well behind the lines for fear that he would be captured. [The govt. wasn't worried about him being killed.] g

 

[threadnecromancer]

The only way that Edward could retake the throne was in the event of a general constitutional crisis and collapse of the government.

Such things could occur, and around 1940 Edward started to think he may even have a chance, but they aren't terribly likely.