1936 - Edward VIII gives up the throne 

One of the greatest constitutional crises in British history occurred in 1936 when King Edward VIII chose love over the crown.

Edward had fallen in love with Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had already been divorced twice.

At the time, the British government, the Church of England, and many political leaders believed that a king could not marry a woman with two living former husbands.

Edward was unwilling to end the relationship and insisted that he wanted to marry Wallis. Faced with strong opposition, he decided to abdicate after less than a year on the throne.

His younger brother, George VI, unexpectedly became king. The abdication changed the course of royal history and eventually led to the reign of George VI and later his daughter, Elizabeth II. The event remains one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the British monarchy.

"I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love". -Edward VIII about his wife