King Edward VIII Chooses Between Wallis Simpson and Kingship in This Clip from CNN's 'The Windsors'
As viewers of The Crown can surely attest, the British royal family has generated more than its share of drama in the past 100-odd years. And with CNN's new six-part documentary series, The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty, royal watchers will be able to explore the real events that inspired the Netflix show and many more works of fiction.
The Windsors promises to trace the royals' lives, starting with King Edward VIII's abdication and concluding with today's set of senior royals—including, yes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Ahead of the show's debut tonight, fans can get a taste of the show with the above preview, shared exclusively with Town & Country.
In the clip, historians explain how after just nine months on the throne, King Edward VIII was at an impasse. He'd managed to keep his two-year relationship with Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée, a secret from the British public—but outside of the UK, rumors were swirling.
"The world knows all about this relationship," explains Anne Sebba, author of That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. "But in Britain, they're still in the dark."
Finally, the King meets with his Prime Minister, and declares his intention to marry Simpson—a forbidden move, as the Church of England wouldn't marry a divorcée whose ex-husband was still alive. In response, the Prime Minister gives him three paths forward: breaking things off with Simpson; marrying Simpson and, inevitably, watching his ministers resign; or abdicating the throne.
Of course, royal fans will already know how it ends—but it's thrilling to watch the King's life unfold nonetheless.
The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty premieres on CNN tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
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