Emperor Edward VIII ruled India.
Edward VIII ( Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David ; 23 June 1894 -- 28 May 1972 ) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire , and Emperor of India , from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December the same year . An emperor ( through Old French empereor from Latin imperator ) is a monarch , usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm . The title Emperor/Empress of India was used by the British monarchs during the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent from 1876 ( see Royal Titles Act 1876 ) until 1948 , after India had attained independence from the United Kingdom , when for a transitional period the British monarch was also king of the independent dominions of India and Pakistan .