# Edward VIII abdicates (1936)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1936-edward-viii-abdicates
Categories: ruler-change, main-event

Edward gave up the throne after the government opposed his marriage to a divorced American. Within the broader Early 20th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at 11 December 1936 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The abdication reaffirmed the constitutional monarchy's dependence on ministerial advice and public legitimacy.

## Why it matters
The abdication reaffirmed the constitutional monarchy's dependence on ministerial advice and public legitimacy.

Ruler at the time: [George VI](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Edward VIII abdicates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Edward+VIII+abdicates&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Edward VIII abdicates](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Edward+VIII+abdicates)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)