The year 2006 marked the 70th anniversary of the Abdication, otherwise known as "The Year of Three Kings". Here is a brief history of what transpired that fateful year.

       

King George V was ailing. He had been ill for some time, and as the harsh winter of 1935 pressed on, it did not look like the king would long survive. He was fearful for the fate of his dynasty and the throne after he was gone, for all was in the hands of his eldest son Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales. The prince was a playboy, irresponsible, and loathed the duties that the job of monarchy forced upon him. He had many mistresses, most of whom were married. Then the threat that would make the monarchy shudder with horror sailed into view. Wallis Simpson, the least desirable and intensely hated mistress of them all, laid claim to the Prince of Wales. With the emergence of Wallis, King George and Queen Mary despaired at their son's prospects of kingship. Edward was stubborn and had made it plain to all who would listen that Wallis would be his wife. He even told her husband Ernest that he should file for divorce from her so that he himself could make her his bride.

King George's second son Albert, the Duke of York, was viewed by the king as the responsible son, and he had a wonderful little family. 'Bertie' was married to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, a respectable Scottish noblewoman, and they had 2 beautiful daughters. Elizabeth, upon her marriage to Bertie, became the Duchess of York. She was a wonderful addition the British Royal Family, and the King and Queen liked her immensely.

George V also adored his granddaughter Elizabeth, Bertie's eldest, whom he called 'Lilibet'. He longed for what he believed to be the impossible, that Bertie would succeed him and one day little Lilibet would eventually be Queen. The old king ferevently wished that "nothing would come between Bertie and Lilibet and the Throne". But he knew the rules: the eldest must take the role of Sovereign. The eldest was, painfully, Prince Edward.

       

In January of 1936, King George V died. Before George had even drawn his last breath, Edward had decided that everything associated with his father's reign had to be changed or discarded altogether. Long time courtiers loyal to the king watched with shock as the new King Edward VIII ripped traditions and routines right out from under them.

Things did not get better as the year progressed. The threat of war with Germany was becoming more of a possibility. No one wanted a war, but the expansionist aggression of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler needed to be kept in check. Hitler set his sights on Germany becoming - and surpassing - the past empire of Prussia and the current British empire. He was determined to have all of Europe and more. King Edward, whose family was German and had German relations, spoke fluent Deutsch and naively saw no reason why Hitler could not be appeased. The new King was fond of the Fatherland, and liked what he saw in Hitler's plans to rebuild Germany economically.

With the king's sympathies leaning towards the Nazis, the British Government could take no more. They pressured him to abdicate, and Edward was more than happy to renounce the throne. He also wanted Wallis as his Queen, which provided the Prime Minister with further reason to remove him. The British government practically helped him pack.

On December 11 of 1936, King Edward VIII became Prince Edward once again. The role of king was now placed on the shoulders of the Duke of York. Bertie felt betrayed by his brother and ill-prepared for the job of monarch. The new king decided that his brother needed a title, so he bestowed "Duke of Windsor" on Edward. Bertie, unlike Prince Edward, would continue in the tradition of their father; he took the name George, and was officially known as King George VI. He and his wife Elizabeth, now Queen consort, would retain Edward's coronation date as their own.

Little Lilibet was now heiress presumptive to the British throne. Her sister Margaret kidded her, saying "Poor you" when Lilibet informed her of her new status. Margaret, even at the tender age of six, recognized what was in store. She pouted, saying that she wasn't Margaret Rose of York anymore, she was nothing. But even she did not want the daunting task of queen. Lilibet, however, was perfectly suited. She was serious for so young a child, and extremely dutiful. She also adored her father and wanted to be helpful in whatever way she could. Knowing how difficult it was to become king without any training or assistance, George VI set to work teaching his daughter the role of sovereign as he went along. With Queen Elizabeth by his side, the king was able to establish a family oriented, strong monarchy who would not stand for a Nazi invasion of their country. The royals, along with the old political lion Winston Churchill, were feted as wartime icons.

The stress of the war, coupled with cigarettes and drink to steady his nerves, made the king weak and sick. He had a cancerous lung removed to help improve his health, but the effects did not last long. Besides cancer, George was constantly kicking his leg against his desk to keep his circulation going, signalling a blockage of arteries. He would not have long. He was able to walk Lilibet down the aisle at her wedding to Philip Mountbatten, and the loss of his daughter to marriage made the king further depressed. He was content, however, that his Lilibet would have a husband to accompany her on her trips abroad. She was representing the king at more and more events, events which he could not attend due to his ill health.

The Queen was wretched, constantly worrying about the state of the king's stamina. She blamed Wallis Simpson, she blamed Edward, she blamed the war. In 1952, the family's worst fear came true. The stress and illness in George overtook him, and he died of a coronary thrombosis in his sleep in February of that year. As King George V had wished so long ago in 1936, little Princess Elizabeth of York was now Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. His dream had come to pass.