Royal SCANDAL: The FIRST monarch to be pictured HALF-NAKED revealed
THE British public had never seen its King or Queen in a photograph in anything less than a “dignified manner” until the late 1930s, a documentary reveals.
King Edward first monarch to be pictured ‘half-naked’ says expert
King Edward VIII stepped down from his royal duties less than a year after becoming King following the death of his father George V in January 1936, and married Wallis Simpson. The shock decision of Edward VIII to choose his relationship with Ms Simpson over the throne led to his younger brother George VI becoming King and then his daughter Princess Elizabeth taking over as monarch. Ms Simpson was twice-divorced and marrying her would have been scandalous because as king, Edward was head of the Church of England which opposed remarriage after divorce.
According to 2017 documentary "The Story of the Royals", the abdication crisis was sparked right after "dishonourable" pictures of Edward VIII and his mistress emerged.
Royal author Laura Mayhall said: “A cruise he took in 1936 along the Mediterranean coast with Ms Simpson.
“They took photographs in his bathing suit.
“I mean, he was half-naked in these photographs.
“The public had never seen its monarch in a photograph in anything less than an utterly dignified manner.”
Ms Mayhall added: “Edward VIII was one of the first victims of the paparazzi.
“It was becoming increasingly impossible to keep this secret from the British public.”
It was only a few months after their return to Britain, the King announced he wanted to marry his divorcee lover.
They married in 1937, on the anniversary of King George V’s death, which Edward’s mother Queen Mary always believed to be a deliberate snub to the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor remained together for 35 years, until Edward’s death in 1972 at the age of 77 from laryngeal cancer.