Imagine you were a king, would you renounce all the powers and wealth you are entitled to for a woman you love? Authority and marriage, two concepts that people nowadays could not imagine to be setting off against each other as a binary opposition, constitutes the struggle through Edward VIII’s life. The LOVE of a KING is a short memoir about Edward VIII’s abdication as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire for the woman he loved.

As a member of the Royal Family, Edward had never felt truly happy until he met Wallis Simpson, an American woman who had divorced before. He later became King of forty-two countries and caused a constitutional crisis when he wanted to propose to Wallis during his reign. Perhaps you’ll hold the same opinion as the Archbishop and think that Edward should find another woman and not ‘betray his people’. He didn’t. He abdicated painfully, gave the crown his brother George and moved to France with Wallis, who later became the Duchess of Windsor.

I always find the anecdotes and the stories of the private life of the historical figures captivating to read, as these are more interesting than those history books but also help portray these figures as human beings with real emotions guided with some historical episodes. Despite the presence of some conspiracy theories depicting Wallis as a woman using marriage as a means to gain power (which is not mentioned in this book), personally I think this book factually presents a legendary love story supported with excerpts extracted from Edward, the Duke of Windsor’s autobiography. It puts the readers in Edward VIII’s shoes and leads us to reflect upon our lives – Is power really more important than true love? How much can we sacrifice for our loved ones? Do give it a read if you want to know more about what love means to you.