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This page : Royal events - Philatelic events Headlines - UK - The Jarrow March.... violence at fascist marches in London - Germany remilitarises the Rhineland.... and hosts the Olympic Games.... Italy, under Mussolini, annexes Ethiopia.... Spanish Civil War begins.... Stalin's regime continues in the USSR.... Political unrest in Japan.... Africa largely a colonial continent.... Roosevelt re-elected US President....
Abdication of King Edward VIII Edward's relationship with twice married and once divorced Wallis Simpson was well known and frequently reported in the foreign press - it was rarely referred to in the British press on government instructions. The Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, urged the king to consider the constitutional problems of marrying a divorced woman. The Archbishop of Canterbury also made it clear that he was opposed to the King's relationship. Though a scandal and a constitutional concern, this was not an insurmountable problem. However, there were political aspects to this relationship, which taken with King Edward's own political views, turned the problem into a crisis. In 1934, as Prince Edward, he had suggested that he supported the views of the British Union of Fascists. The government was also aware that Wallis Simpson had been involved in other affairs, including a car salesman called Guy Trundle, and with Edward Fitzgerald, the Duke of Leinster. She was known to hold pro-Nazi political views and it was suspected that she was passing information to the Nazi government. The government could not accept this situation. It is still not publicly known if Edward was aware of Wallis Simpson's other affairs and the suspicions of her role as a Nazi informer. Whatever he was told, Edward stated to the Prime Minister that either he would marry Wallace Simpson as King, or that he would abdicate. The question remains whether he expected, or even wanted, a public outcry in his favour when he announced his intention. On 10 December, 1936, after a reign of 325 days, the king signed the abdication document.
The following day, Edward made a radio broadcast telling the nation that he had abdicated because he could not, "discharge the duties of king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love."
Postscript on Edward.
Postage Stamps - 17 February - 5d yellow-brown of George V photogravure set issued. 24 February - 10d turquoise-blue and 1/- bistre-brown of George V photogravure set issued 1 September - ½d green, 1½d red-brown, 2½d bright blue of Edward VIII issued. 14 September - 1d scarlet of Edward VIII issued. 12, 17 and 25 November - the Postmaster General, Major G C Tryon (12/11 and 17/11), and Assistant Postmaster General (25/11), are asked whether there will be any special Coronation stamps. Each time the reply is that the matter is under consideration. [Hansard] 11 December - the Postmaster General, started preparations for a design for the stamps of the new reign recognising that time was short before the Coronation. A few days later, King George stated that he did not wish to continue with the modern style of his brother's stamps, but to return to a more traditional design with a frame around a portrait head. 17 December - House of Commons debate: 'Lieut.-Commander FLETCHER asked the
Postmaster-General whether George VI stamps will be available by the date of the
Coronation; and whether he proposes to consult the Royal Fine Art Commission
concerning the design of these stamps so that they may be worthy of the
occasion? 24 December - Sir Thomas Gardiner of the Post Office asked the Council for Art and Industry to assist in producing designs for the new definitives. Booklets - October - 2/- Edward VIII booklet issued (series 4) November - 3/- Edward VIII booklet issued (series 3) 7 December - the Postmaster-General stated that £16,493 p.a. was raised through advertisements in books of stamps; £838 of which came from the advertisements of medicines, and £3,074 from adverts' for medical appliances. This answer arose from a question which raised that the report of the Select Committee on Patent Medicines in 1914 recommended the prohibition of advertisements of cures for deafness, among other diseases. There were no objections to advertisements for cigarettes that had appeared in earlier stamp books. [Hansard - HC Deb 07 December 1936 vol 318 c1624]. [A similar question was raised on 2 February 1937] 1936 - 6d Edward VIII booklets issued (series 6A) 23 December - due to Spanish Civil War, mail to Canary Islands carried by German weekly service to South America which called at Las Palmas. German service started on 26 December with red cachet 'Europa - Sudamerika'. Air fee 4d for letters, 2½d for postcards. 23 December - Highland Airways were requested by the Post Office to fly mail stranded by stormy weather from Sanday Island to Kirkwall in the Orkneys. 29 December - First airmail service by Imperial Airways to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Frenchi Somali Coast and Italian Somaliland via Egypt and Ala Littoria. Air fee 1/3 for letters per half ounce, 7d for postcards. Other - November - 5d postage due stamp of Edward VIII issued December - 4d and 1/- postage due stamps of Edward VIII issued Postmarks - December 1936 to January 1937 - 'Post Office Young People's Exhibition' slogan postmark, see 1937 December 1936 to February 1937 - 'British Industries Fair 1937 Feb 15 - 26 London & Birmingham'. Block.
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Contact : Malcolm Sanders : kg6gb@hotmail.com
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