Card of the Day: The Prince of Wales (The Briefly Reigning King Edward VIII)

I wanted to be an up-to-date king. But I didn't have much time.
--The Duke of Windsor

The Little Trouble-maker
as the Little Prince of Wales
The Royal Collection

I’ve made my opinion of King Edward VIII (The late Duke of Windsor, formerly the Prince of Wales) well known. If you listen to his abdication speech (see below), the emphasis he places on “I” very neatly summarizes who this man was—self-centered, petulant and unpleasant. I just can’t imagine how disappointed Queen Mary was to learn that he eldest son was to abdicate the throne so he could marry an American divorcee whose past was clouded in rumor (including that she was a man) and innuendo.

Still, to “David’s” credit (and I’m not eager to give him much credit), while his father was alive, he did do his best to carry out the natural duties of the Prince of Wales.

In 1935, about a year before the death of King George V, the nation celebrated the Silver Jubilee of the reign he shared with his consort, Queen Mary. Among the many souvenirs produced for this event, was the series of Cigarette Cards by Wills’s Cigarette Company from which I’ve been sharing images with you for the past 48 days. Here, we see a card in honor of the Prince of Wales—created before the death of his father and the Prince’s subsequent bizarre abdication.

The reverse of the card reads:

H.R.H THE PRINCE OF WALES


Since 1914 the Prince of Wales has strenuously served his country at home and in all parts of the world. The War found him in the trenches, and soon after Peace was declared he undertook the first of those celebrated tours which have earned him the title of "our best Ambassador," and have done so much for Great Britain's prestige. Canada, the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Africa, South America-the Prince, to the immense benefit of the Empire, has visited these in turn. His time at home has been devoted to a host of useful causes.

Here’s the Duke of Windsor’s Abdication Speech.