Marriage and security shaped the Wallis Simpson crisis

Would Britain in 1940 have accepted an American as monarch or royal consort?

Nationality was secondary; the marriage rules and the security concerns attached to Wallis Simpson were the central obstacles discussed.

Simpson's divorce while a former husband remained alive created the public marriage difficulty at the center of the crisis. American nationality was a secondary issue. Dr. Clarke also raises allegations about fascist sympathies and an affair with the German ambassador, treating them as security concerns behind the public controversy. These remain allegations in this account. Edward's access to sensitive papers is central to that interpretation of why security advice should have carried particular weight.