Parliament of the United Kingdom |
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| Long title | An Act to give effect to His Majesty’s declaration of abdication; and for purposes connected therewith. |
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| Statute book chapter | 1 Edw. 8 & 1 Geo. 6 c. 3 |
| Introduced by | Stanley Baldwin |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom; British Empire |
| Dates | |
| Royal Assent | 11 December 1936 |
| Commencement | 11 December 1936 |
| Other legislation | |
| Related legislation | Statute of Westminster 1931 |
| Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Official text of the statute as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database | |
His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 (1 Edw. 8 & 1 Geo. 6 c. 3) was the Act of the British Parliament that allowed King Edward VIII to abdicate the throne, and passed succession to his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York (who became King George VI). The Act also excluded any possible future descendants of Edward from the line of succession. Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry his lover, Wallis Simpson, after facing opposition from the government of the United Kingdom and the British dominions (See Abdication Crisis of Edward VIII). Although Edward VIII had signed a declaration of abdication the previous day (10 December 1936), he was still King until he gave royal assent to this Act, which occurred on 11 December.[1]
The Act was passed through the Houses of Parliament in one day, with no amendments. As the Statute of Westminster 1931 stipulated that the line of succession must remain the same throughout the Crown's realms, the governments of some of the British dominions (Canada, Australia, the Union of South Africa, and New Zealand) gave their permission for the Act to apply in their respective realms. Canada also passed the Succession to the Throne Act (1 Geo. VI, c.16) to effect changes to the rules of succession in Canada to assure consistency with the changes in the rules then in place in the United Kingdom. South Africa passed King Edward VIII's Abdication Act 1937, which declared the abdication to have taken effect on 10 December 1936, i.e. the day before it was effective in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Irish Free State passed the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936, recognising the Duke of York as King from 12 December 1936, which meant that Edward was King in Ireland one day longer than elsewhere.
The Act was necessary for two main reasons.
As soon as King Edward VIII gave his royal assent to this Act (actually delivered orally on his behalf, as is usual, by Lords Commissioners), he was no longer king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The throne immediately passed to Prince Albert, who was proclaimed George VI the next day at St. James's Palace, London.
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