Once upon a time — in 1936, to
be exact — a king who had once been a popular prince gave up the British throne
to marry an American divorcée he had fallen madly in love with.
Fast-forward 84 years and a
similar story played out in the British tabloids, albeit with a few different
key details. Prince Harry is not a king, he was allowed to marry the American
divorcée he loved, and his initial decision to take a “step
back” from the royal family likely won’t change the succession to the
throne.
And yet, there are still many
similarities in the stories of King Edward VIII and Prince Harry, both of whom
watched as their popularity in the press turned to intense scrutiny as they
fell in love with American women.
“Charming and informal,
he was a popular prince touring Britain and the empire, fond of golf, tennis,
parties, and dancing,” according to The History Press.
When Edward died in
1972, The New York Times remembered him as a “romantic and
carefree Prince Charming blessed with the common touch” during his
youth.
“Edward VIII had been a
king of great popularity. The abdication that caused a worldwide sensation
visibly distressed his subjects,” the Times’ Robert Alden added.
Fresh off his fairytale
wedding to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry actually topped a royal poll in
2018. He was deemed likable by 77% of respondents in the YouGov poll, followed
by the Queen (74%), and Prince William (73%).
Survey respondents described
him as “admirable, likable, humorous, fun-loving, and
genuine.”
Prince Harry fell to the
second spot in the same survey in 2019, but was still deemed likeable by
71% of the respondents. Prince William came in third with 69%.
