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King Edward VIII was born on June 23, 1894 at Richmond, Surrey, the eldest son of King George V of the United Kingdom, who at that time held the title of Duke of York. Within the immediate family, Edward was always known by the last of his seven christian names: "David". He was created Prince of Wales in 1910, on his father's accession to the throne, and was officially invested with the title in a special ceremony at Caernarfon Castle in 1911. It was the first time since the middle ages that such an event had taken place in Wales, and it occurred at the instigation of the Welsh politician, David Lloyd George, who at that time held the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Liberal government.

When World War I broke out, David was old enough for active service, and was keen to participate. Although he was allowed to join the army, he was kept well away from any action which might have threatened his safety. After the war, his conduct began to give cause for concern to his ultra-conservative parents, particularly when he started up a relationship with a married woman, Mrs Dudley Ward. He was then introduced to a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson, who became his mistress. Following his father's death on January 20, 1936, he scandalised society by watching the proclamation of his own accession to the throne from a window, in the company of Mrs Simpson.

Marriage to Mrs Simpson was impossible for the king, because he was head of the Church of England, which prohibited remarriage after divorce. Several alternative solutions were proposed, including a morganatic marriage, but Edward was adamant that he wished to marry Mrs Simpson, and eventually abdicated his throne on December 11, 1936. The abdication crisis caused a constitutional upheaval, and the throne passed to the king's younger brother, who became King George VI of the United Kingdom.

In 1937, the former king was created Duke of Windsor. Three months later, he married Mrs Simpson, and the couple retired to France, where they spent most of the remainder of their lives. In recent years, it has been suggested that Edward VIII was a fascist sympathiser during World War II. In later years, he was reunited with other members of the royal family on several occasions, but his wife was never accepted. He died on May 28, 1972, in Paris, and his body was returned to Britain for burial at Windsor.