--- description: It was June 3, 1937, when Wallis Simpson married the man who'd given up the throne for her. As these photos show, it was a restrained affair title: Wedding Photos of a Marriage That Shook the UK Royal Family image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt770e8429acf19572/6988cd838fd2ee2ebf357120/wallis-simpson-wedding-04.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [History](/section/history/) ## History Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [society](/tag/society/) ## society Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Inside the Wedding That Shook the British Monarchy by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](/author/liz-ronk/) Jun 2, 2017 2:00 PM CUT  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor pose on the castle steps after their wedding at Chateau de Cande near Tours, France, on June 3, 1937\. At left is Hermann Rogers Winters and at right is Major Metcalf, first former King of England's witness. The floor-length silk gown worn by the Duchess is designed by Mainbocher. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor pose on the castle steps after their wedding at Chateau de Cande near Tours, France, on June 3, 1937\. At left is Hermann Rogers Winters and at right is Major Metcalf, first former King of England's witness. The floor-length silk gown worn by the Duchess is designed by Mainbocher.AP Photo by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](/author/liz-ronk/) Jun 2, 2017 2:00 PM CUT The world knew the wedding was coming long before the date was announced: when Britain’s King Edward VIII [abdicated](http://time.com/vault/issue/1936-12-21/page/19/ "undefined") in late 1936 — becoming Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor — the story of his relationship with a divorced American woman, known as Wallis Simpson, had been brewing for months. As TIME [explained](http://time.com/vault/issue/1936-12-21/page/19/ "undefined") back then, the press had mostly given the King the traditional respectfully wide berth on the subject when he came to the throne in early 1936, assuming that he would continue his “private life” as many other royals had done throughout history, but [he did not play along ](http://time.com/vault/issue/1936-06-08/page/18/ "undefined")by keeping their relationship the necessary semi-secret. Because the King could not marry someone who had been divorced, their relationship would have to end or his reign would. He [chose the latter](http://time.com/3623760/abdication-edward-viii/ "undefined"), a shocking enough decision to earn the person behind the choice the title of TIME’s first-ever [Woman of the Year.](http://time.com/vault/issue/1937-01-04/page/15/ "undefined") Even so, there were [disputes to be resolved](http://time.com/vault/issue/1937-05-24/page/22/ "undefined") before the couple could move on with their lives. Would the Royal Family recognize the marriage? Would the Duke’s new wife be recognized as a Duchess? Would the couple be permitted to return to the U.K., and if yes would the Duke be able to serve the monarchy in some way? A compromise of sorts was reached in the middle of 1937, though the Duke of Windsor got little that he wanted, and a date was set: on June 3, 1937 — 80 years ago this Saturday — they’d be married in France. Though these photographs don’t show the actual ceremony, TIME [reported](http://time.com/vault/issue/1937-06-14/page/20/ "undefined") the following week on how it all went: --- > “” ---  Edward, The Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson on the grounds of the Chateau de Cande in Touraine, France on May 7, 1937. Len Putnam—AP Photo  A crowd of well wishers gathered around a sign wishing the Duke and Duchess of Windsor good luck for their wedding, in France. London Express—Getty Images  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor posing after their wedding at the Chateau de Cande near Tours, France. AP Photo  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor pose on the castle steps after their wedding at Chateau de Cande near Tours, France, on June 3, 1937\. At left is Hermann Rogers Winters and at right is Major Metcalf, first former King of England's witness. The floor-length silk gown worn by the Duchess is designed by Mainbocher. AP Photo  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor leave a hotel in Venice, Italy, June 4, 1937, where they took tea before leaving for their honeymoon in Austria. AP Photo  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in a motor boat on one of the canals in Venice, Italy, June 4, 1937, wave to onlookers as they are taken to their hotel. AP Photo  The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, on their honeymoon, in the grounds of Wasserleonburg Castle, Austria, June 9, 1937. AP Photo ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4781342/wallis-edward-wedding-photos/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4781342/wallis-edward-wedding-photos/"},"headline":"Inside the Wedding That Shook the British Monarchy","datePublished":"2017-06-02T14:00:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:42:13.611Z","description":"It was June 3, 1937, when Wallis Simpson married the man who'd given up the throne for her. 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