The Only British King to Abdicate his Throne Did so For physical pleasure
Edward VIII is the only man in British history to abdicate his throne. Edward VIII was just a prince when he was introduced to Wallis Simpson in 1931. At the time Wallis Simpson was married to Ernest Aldrich Simpson who was an American citizen and a British shipping executive. It was the second marriage for Wallis, which did not place her in a favorable position for a relationship with the heir to the British throne. However, Edward VIII did not care and still pursued a relationship with Wallis Simpson when his other lover Lady Furness was visiting relatives in America.
Lady Furness had introduced Wallis and Edward but was not prepared for the two to become romantically involved in 1934 while Wallis was still married. Edward insisted that their relationship was not physical and that there was no need to call her his mistress, but the King and Queen refused to believe him. They also refused to accept Wallis Simpson as a suitable partner for Edward. They had the prince and Wallis followed by the metropolitan police in order to provide updates on the growing relationship and to find information on the married woman.
On January 20, 1936, Edward VIII took the throne and Wallis Simpson was finally allowed to attend more functions at the palace. Despite her regular appearances at events, it was always noted that her husband was never on the guest list. In October of 1936, it was becoming apparent that Edward VIII wished to marry Wallis Simpson as soon as she was legally able to. The King was advised against it as the British people would never accept her as Queen both for her background and reputation.
There were some close to the King who believed that Wallis Simpson held some sort of control over him. Some believed she released him from a dysfunction that he had, while others believed that the pair were in a sort of sadomasochistic relationship. Many found the behavior and manners of Wallis Simpson appalling and found that she bullied and expressed contempt for Edward VIII. When it became clear that Edward VIII would not be allowed to marry Wallis Simpson as King, he abdicated his throne in December of 1936. The throne passed to his brother and Edward VIII was then free to marry Wallis Simpson. He did so and the couple remained together for 35 years.