Edward VIII abdicated his throne not even a year after gaining it.
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 . Only months into his reign , he caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to Wallis Simpson , an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second . With a reign of 326 days , Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British history .