WI: Edward VIII had children?

What it says on the tin. What if Edward and Wallis had children? Would those children even have any right to the throne? How would WWII affect them, considering Ed had Nazi sympathies?
 
What it says on the tin. What if Edward and Wallis had children? Would those children even have any right to the throne? How would WWII affect them, considering Ed had Nazi sympathies?

Due to Edward and Wallis' marriage being in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, would make any child/children born to them legally null and void.
Consequently, Parliament passed His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, by which Edward VIII ceased to be Sovereign. The Act provided that he and his descendants, if any, were not to have any "right, title or interest in or to the succession to the Throne".
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
What it says on the tin. What if Edward and Wallis had children? Would those children even have any right to the throne? How would WWII affect them, considering Ed had Nazi sympathies?

No. If they're born before the marriage, they're illegitimates who have no right to the throne, if they're born after then, as Edward has abdicated, they have no right to the throne. But this is a moot point as Johnathon notes, as no matter what they have no right to the throne.
 
The idea of ignoring an abdication has some precedent, one of the current pretender to the throne of France (sic) is Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou who make his claim as descendant of Philip of Anjou despite the fact the later renounced his claim to the throne of France for him and all his descendant something the Legitimists argue he had no right to do. Obviously the Orleanists disagree but considering the legitimacy of any monarchy depends on those being ruled accepting it passively or actively, rules can, have and will be changed as needed.

So at the very least, Ed jr. might end up being used (if he allowed it ) as a frontman for an equivalent of UKIP, putting forward that his dad would not have "given away british independence" and that were he in power, neither would he......

........not that he's advocating a coup or anything mind you. *He* respects the rules after all.....
 
The idea of ignoring an abdication has some precedent, one of the current pretender to the throne of France (sic) is Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou who make his claim as descendant of Philip of Anjou despite the fact the later renounced his claim to the throne of France for him and all his descendant something the Legitimists argue he had no right to do. Obviously the Orleanists disagree but considering the legitimacy of any monarchy depends on those being ruled accepting it passively or actively, rules can, have and will be changed as needed.

So at the very least, Ed jr. might end up being used (if he allowed it ) as a frontman for an equivalent of UKIP, putting forward that his dad would not have "given away british independence" and that were he in power, neither would he......

........not that he's advocating a coup or anything mind you. *He* respects the rules after all.....

Surely all the people who would have been UK Legitimists support the Jacobites instead?
 
>implying support for Jacobites

In the mid-noughties there was a 'Jacobite Party' in Scotland which called for Scotland to become an independent Republic. Riiiiight...

The fact that so few people support the Duke of Bavaria kind of implies that a movement in favour of restoring the throne to the 2nd Duke of Windsor probably wouldn't get off the ground. They'd probably just mess about in superyachts in the Caribbean until the money ran out.
 
The fact that so few people support the Duke of Bavaria kind of implies that a movement in favour of restoring the throne to the 2nd Duke of Windsor probably wouldn't get off the ground. They'd probably just mess about in superyachts in the Caribbean until the money ran out.

You're talking about the duke of Bavaria, not someone most people would associate with Britishness so I don't think that's a good comparison. Ed jr on the other hand would be one generation removed from a reigning British monarch and the early jacobites have shown what that can be like.

Now obviously we're talking about a completely imaginary person so we have no way of knowing what would be his character. He could as you say be one of the discardable fringe royal family member happy to live off the trust money while becoming patron of something or other or on the other hand he might do as other past nobles have done and try to become relevant by entering politics.
 
Britain has historical precedent for abdication and revocation of inheritance rights based upon the perceived needs of state, france does not.

Adoption gives no dynastic rights in any modern monarchy.

The fictional children could have rights to the throne but they would only achieve this by act of parliament, which would be unlikely.
 
Britain has historical precedent for abdication and revocation of inheritance rights based upon the perceived needs of state, france does not.

Adoption gives no dynastic rights in any modern monarchy.

The fictional children could have rights to the throne but they would only achieve this by act of parliament, which would be unlikely.

Depends who's in parliament. Ed sr. got the boot because his marriage didn't fit with the image of what a monarch should be in the eyes of the various commonwealth governments at the time. If you have a highly reactionary party or coalition that came to power in the present and the monarch will clearly not play ball, a government would more then likely, if all else fail, do the same.
 
Ok, suppose Edward VIII doesn't marry, has no children, reigns until his death in 1972. Would Elizabeth still have been the next in line for the throne (assuming the rest of the royal family reproduces the same way as in OTL)?
 
Ok, suppose Edward VIII doesn't marry, has no children, reigns until his death in 1972. Would Elizabeth still have been the next in line for the throne (assuming the rest of the royal family reproduces the same way as in OTL)?

Short answer is yes. She would have been the heir to the throne. It is just possible that Charles would have crowned instead but very unlikely.
 
Depends who's in parliament. Ed sr. got the boot because his marriage didn't fit with the image of what a monarch should be in the eyes of the various commonwealth governments at the time. If you have a highly reactionary party or coalition that came to power in the present and the monarch will clearly not play ball, a government would more then likely, if all else fail, do the same.

Yeah, but Acts of Parliament must be approved by the reigning monarch, I do not seeing George VI disinheriting his daughter or Elizabeth II disinheriting her son. Maybe a son would of been given dynastic rights if both of George VI's daughter would of predeceased him without heirs themselves.

Short answer is yes. She would have been the heir to the throne. It is just possible that Charles would have crowned instead but very unlikely.

Yes if she would if been deprived of her dynastic rights: by Act of Parliament with her uncle assenting to it, by marrying a catholic, or converting to catholic; Charles would of been Heir at his great uncle's death. But that is the only way Elizabeth could of been disinherited, remember british constitutional theory does not give one the right to renounce your claim to the throne.
 
If Elizabeth ITTL had married a Catholic then the Charles analogue would have been raised one which also disbars him from the Throne. Unless Parliament changes the rules then its Margaret and her children, then the Dukes of Gloucester.
 
If Elizabeth ITTL had married a Catholic then the Charles analogue would have been raised one which also disbars him from the Throne. Unless Parliament changes the rules then its Margaret and her children, then the Dukes of Gloucester.

Not necessarily. Prince Michael's children remained in the line of succession because they're both CoE, despite him being excluded until the Perth agreement due to being married to a Catholic.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Gabriella_Windsor
 
Top