The Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally is a rally held annually in Oturehua , Central Otago in New Zealand.
116-638: The event is held every year over the weekend on which the Queen's birthday is celebrated , usually the first weekend of June. Organised by the Otago Motorcycle Club, the event attracts around 2,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from New Zealand and abroad. The rally gets its name from colloquial expression " cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey " because the venue is extremely cold, being within 50 km (31 mi) of Ophir where New Zealand's coldest-ever temperature of -21.6 degrees Celsius
232-661: A Nazi sympathiser . During the Second World War , Edward was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France . After the fall of France , he was appointed Governor of the Bahamas . After the war, Edward spent the rest of his life in France. He and Wallis remained married until his death in 1972; they had no children. Edward was born on 23 June 1894 at White Lodge, Richmond Park , on
348-520: A constitutional crisis was caused by his proposal to marry Wallis Simpson , an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands was politically and socially unacceptable as a prospective queen consort . Additionally, such
464-563: A morganatic marriage , in which he would remain king but Simpson would not become queen consort . She would enjoy some lesser title instead, and any children they might have would not inherit the throne. This was supported by senior politician Winston Churchill in principle, and some historians suggest that he conceived the plan. In any event, it was ultimately rejected by the British Cabinet as well as other Dominion governments. The other governments' views were sought pursuant to
580-506: A royal proclamation issued on 5 February established the Queen's official birthday as the last Monday before 25 May, making the link between Victoria Day and the sovereign's official birthday permanent, though not expressed explicitly. Though the holiday was called Sovereign's Birthday , the 1957 proclamation itself designated the day as "the Queen's birthday". As such, in May 2023, following
696-557: A " privilege day " at this time of year, which is sometimes merged with the Spring bank holiday (last Monday in May) to create a four-day weekend. The King's birthday is the last remaining privilege day, the other 1.5 days having been abolished in 2014 and replaced by a 1.5 day increase in civil servants' annual leave. Parts of Scotland also mark Queen Victoria's birthday on the last Monday before or on 24 May. The King's official birthday
812-566: A close friend of Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring . Edward was praised for his efforts to combat poverty on the islands. He was "considerably more enlightened in his attitudes than the majority of Bahamian whites, or either of his predecessors", and had an "excellent relationship" with Black individuals such as jazz musician Bert Cambridge (who was eventually elected to the Bahamian House of Assembly , to Edward's delight) and valet Sydney Johnson , who Edward retained for thirty years and
928-521: A cold hearted and unsympathetic swine for writing all that I did ... No one can realize more than you how little poor Johnnie meant to me who hardly knew him ... I feel so much for you, darling Mama, who was his mother." In 1919, Edward agreed to be president of the organising committee for the proposed British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park , Middlesex . He wished the Exhibition to include "a great national sports ground", and so played
1044-599: A hallmark of the era. After the war, his conduct began to give cause for concern; he engaged in a series of sexual affairs that worried both his father and the British prime minister, Stanley Baldwin . Upon his father's death in 1936, Edward became the second monarch of the House of Windsor . The new king showed impatience with court protocol, and caused consternation among politicians by his apparent disregard for established constitutional conventions. Only months into his reign,
1160-743: A leading Conservative in the north of England , persuaded him to make a three-day visit to the County Durham and Northumberland coalfields , where there was much unemployment . From January to April 1931, the Prince of Wales and his brother Prince George travelled 18,000 miles (29,000 km) on a tour of South America, steaming out on the ocean liner Oropesa , and returning via Paris and an Imperial Airways flight from Paris–Le Bourget Airport that landed specially in Windsor Great Park . Though widely travelled, Edward shared
1276-570: A marriage would have conflicted with Edward's status as titular head of the Church of England , which, at the time, disapproved of remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was still alive. Edward knew the Baldwin government would resign if the marriage went ahead, which could have forced a general election and would have ruined his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch . When it became apparent he could not marry Simpson and remain on
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#17327800509731392-488: A memorandum summarising the views of Lord Advocate T. M. Cooper , Parliamentary Counsel Sir Granville Ram , and himself: The Duke married Simpson, who had changed her name by deed poll to Wallis Warfield (her birth surname ), in a private ceremony on 3 June 1937, at Château de Candé , near Tours , France. When the Church of England refused to sanction the union, a County Durham clergyman, Robert Anderson Jardine (Vicar of St Paul's, Darlington ), offered to perform
1508-782: A monk in an American monastery) had told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Wallis had slept with the German ambassador in London, Joachim von Ribbentrop , in 1936; had remained in constant contact with him; and had continued to leak secrets. Author Charles Higham claimed that Anthony Blunt , an MI5 agent and Soviet spy, acting on orders from the British royal family , made a successful secret trip to Schloss Friedrichshof in Allied-occupied Germany towards
1624-585: A part in the creation of Wembley Stadium . Throughout the 1920s, Edward, as Prince of Wales, represented his father at home and abroad on many occasions. His rank, travels, good looks, and unmarried status gained him much public attention. At the height of his popularity, he was the most photographed celebrity of his time and he set men's fashion. During his 1924 visit to the United States, Men's Wear magazine observed, "The average young man in America
1740-820: A positive note. George VI's official birthday in Canada was thereafter marked on various days between 20 May and 14 June. The first official birthday of Elizabeth II , daughter of George VI, was the last to be celebrated in June; the haphazard format was abandoned in 1952, when the Governor General-in-Council moved Empire Day and an amendment to the law moved Victoria Day both to the Monday before 25 May. The Canadian monarch 's official birthday in Canada was, by regular viceregal proclamations, made to fall on this same date every year between 1953 and 1957, when
1856-537: A prank, and encouraged them to confide in her. Initially, Edward was tutored at home by Hélène Bricka. When his parents travelled the British Empire for almost nine months following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, young Edward and his siblings stayed in Britain with their grandparents, Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII, who showered their grandchildren with affection. Upon his parents' return, Edward
1972-496: A public parade on Front Street in the City of Hamilton (with the first King's Birthday Parade since the death of King George VI held on 15 June, 2024), and by a Queen's Birthday Party at Government House . The Falkland Islands celebrate the actual day of King Charles III's birth, 14 November, as a public holiday. (November is a spring month in the southern hemisphere where the islands are located). In Saint Kitts and Nevis ,
2088-447: A royal match with Edward's second cousin, Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia , was suggested. Nothing came of it, and Victoria Louise married Edward's first cousin once removed, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick , instead. In 1934, Adolf Hitler , in his ambition to link the British and German royal houses, asked Victoria Louise to arrange a marriage between the 40-year-old Edward and her 17-year-old daughter, Frederica of Hanover , who
2204-502: A statute to authorise the recognition of Queen Victoria 's birthday, 24 May, as a public holiday. After Victoria died in 1901, 24 May became Victoria Day and the official date in Canada of the reigning monarch's birthday changed through various royal proclamations: for Edward VII , it continued by yearly proclamation to be observed on 24 May, but, was 3 June for George V and 23 June for Edward VIII (their actual birthdays). Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936, three days before
2320-638: A tour of depressed villages in South Wales that "something must be done" for the unemployed coal miners was seen as an attempt to guide government policy, though he had not proposed any remedy or change in policy. Government ministers were reluctant to send confidential documents and state papers to Fort Belvedere because it was clear that Edward was paying little attention to them, and it was feared that Simpson and other house guests might read them, improperly or inadvertently revealing government secrets. Edward's unorthodox approach to his role also extended to
2436-517: A widely held racial prejudice against foreigners and many of the Empire's subjects, believing that whites were inherently superior . In 1920, on his visit to Australia, he wrote of Indigenous Australians : "they are the most revolting form of living creatures I've ever seen!! They are the lowest known form of human beings & are the nearest thing to monkeys." Before the First World War,
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#17327800509732552-460: A year or two of exile in France. King George VI (with the support of Queen Mary and his wife Queen Elizabeth) threatened to cut off Edward's allowance if he returned to Britain without an invitation. Edward became embittered against his mother, Queen Mary, writing to her in 1939: "[your last letter] destroy[ed] the last vestige of feeling I had left for you ... [and has] made further normal correspondence between us impossible." In October 1937,
2668-667: Is a public holiday in most British Overseas Territories (those parts of Britain's sovereign territory that lie outside the archipelago of the British Isles), including Anguilla , the Cayman Islands , Gibraltar , Montserrat , Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and the Turks and Caicos Islands , and the Crown Dependencies (which are not parts of Britain's sovereign territory, but are dependencies of
2784-519: Is an official public holiday, sometimes aligning with the celebration of other events. Most Commonwealth realms release a Birthday Honours list at this time. Most Australian states and territories observe the King's Birthday on the second Monday in June, except in Western Australia and Queensland . As Western Australia celebrates Western Australia Day (formerly known as Foundation Day) on
2900-453: Is followed by sporting events and custom dancing, and the celebrations and parties go long into the night. The governor-general of Solomon Islands delivers a speech on the King's Birthday, and honours and medals are given to those who have done valiant things and great service for Solomon Islands and its people. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Tuvalu. In Tuvalu, it
3016-412: Is held on the Monday after the second Saturday in June. Christmas Island has other holidays and does not hold a King's Birthday holiday at all. The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of the king of Great Britain. Until 1936, it was held on the actual birthday of the monarch, but, after King George V died, it was decided to keep
3132-733: Is in November, shortly after Remembrance Day . The King's Birthday weekend and Empire Day (24 May) were the traditional times for public fireworks displays in Australia. The sale of fireworks to the public was banned in various states through the 1980s and by the Australian Capital Territory on 24 August 2009. Only Tasmania and the Northern Territory allow the sale of fireworks to the public. The King's Birthday Honours List, in which new members of
3248-577: Is marked in London by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour , which is also known as the King's Birthday Parade. The list of Birthday Honours is also announced at the time of the Official Birthday celebrations. In British diplomatic missions, the day is treated as the national day of the United Kingdom. Although it is not celebrated as a specific public holiday in the UK, some civil servants are given
3364-491: Is more interested in the clothes of the Prince of Wales than in any other individual on earth." Edward visited poverty-stricken areas of Britain , and undertook 16 tours to various parts of the Empire between 1919 and 1935. On a tour of Canada in 1919, he acquired the Bedingfield ranch, near Pekisko, Alberta , which he owned until 1962. Named the E. P. (Edward, Prince) Ranch, Edward attempted unsuccessfully to develop
3480-471: Is the selected day in most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those countries. It does not necessarily correspond to the date of the monarch's actual birth. The sovereign's birthday was first officially marked in the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1748, for King George II . Since then, the date of the king or queen's birthday has been determined throughout
3596-427: Is usually celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. Tuvaluans celebrate it with church services and prayers, singing " God Save the King " and " Tuvalu mo te Atua ", flag hoisting, public speeches, a Royal Salute, and a parade. As the King's Birthday is a public holiday, all government offices, educational institutions, and most businesses are closed for the day. As of 2021 , Tuvaluans also celebrated
Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-526: Is well-known to be pro-Nazi and he may become a centre of intrigue." Churchill threatened Edward with a court-martial if he did not return to British soil. In July 1940, Edward was appointed governor of the Bahamas . The Duke and Duchess left Lisbon on 1 August aboard the American Export Lines steamship Excalibur , which was specially diverted from its usual direct course to New York City so that they could be dropped off at Bermuda on
3828-576: Is widely believed that the Duke and Duchess sympathised with fascism before and during the Second World War, and were moved to the Bahamas to minimise their opportunities to act on those feelings. In 1940 he said: "In the past 10 years Germany has totally reorganised the order of its society ... Countries which were unwilling to accept such a reorganisation of society and its concomitant sacrifices should direct their policies accordingly." During
3944-525: The BBC refused to broadcast it. It was broadcast outside the United States on shortwave radio and was reported in full by British broadsheet newspapers. On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the Duke and Duchess were brought back to Britain by Louis Mountbatten on board HMS Kelly , and Edward, although he held the rank of field marshal , was made a major-general attached to
4060-566: The British Empire and, later, the Commonwealth of Nations , either by royal proclamations issued by the sovereign or viceroy, or by statute laws passed by the local parliament. The date of the celebration today varies as adopted by each country and is generally set around the end of May or start of June, to coincide with a higher probability of fine weather in the Northern Hemisphere for outdoor ceremonies. In most cases, it
4176-468: The British House of Commons nor speak on political subjects in the House of Lords . Letters Patent dated 27 May 1937 re-conferred the "title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness" upon the Duke, but specifically stated that "his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute". Some British ministers advised that the reconfirmation was unnecessary since Edward had retained
4292-639: The Order of Australia and other Australian honours are named, is released around the date of the King's Birthday weekend each June. Belize celebrates the birthday of the King annually in May. The day is known as Sovereign's Day , and is marked by parades in Belize City. Horse races, conducted by the National Sports Council, are held in Belize City's National Stadium and Orange Walk Town's People's Stadium. A cycling race, also arranged by
4408-597: The Queen Mother ), by calling her "Queen Elizabeth". The magazine asked if "she did not sometimes wonder how much truth there is in the story that he once said he would renounce his rights upon the death of George V – which would make her nickname come true". In 1930, the King gave Edward the lease of Fort Belvedere in Windsor Great Park. There, he continued his relationships with a series of married women, including Freda Dudley Ward and Lady Furness ,
4524-784: The Statute of Westminster 1931 , which provided in part that "any alteration in the law touching the Succession to the Throne or the Royal Style and Titles shall hereafter require the assent as well of the Parliaments of all the Dominions as of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ." The Prime Ministers of Australia ( Joseph Lyons ), Canada ( Mackenzie King ) and South Africa ( J. B. M. Hertzog ) made clear their opposition to
4640-435: The coinage that bore his image . He broke with the tradition that the profile portrait of each successive monarch faced in the direction opposite to that of his or her predecessor. Edward insisted that he face left (as his father had done), to show the parting in his hair. Only a handful of test coins were struck before the abdication, and all are very rare. When George VI succeeded to the throne he also faced left to maintain
4756-471: The militia was held on the King's birthday, in the most central or most convenient place in each district, and every able-bodied man between the ages of 18 and 60, aside from Quakers , Mennonites , and other pacifist sects, was to take part. The drill ended with three cheers for the King before the participants were free to mingle about; they were known to engage in horseshoe pitching contests , wrestling matches, and settling old scores by fights before, in
Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-624: The occupation of France , the Duke asked the German Wehrmacht forces to place guards at his Paris and Riviera homes; they did so. In December 1940, Edward gave Fulton Oursler of Liberty magazine an interview at Government House in Nassau. Oursler conveyed its content to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a private meeting at the White House on 23 December 1940. The interview was published on 22 March 1941 and in it Edward
4988-566: The 9th. They left Bermuda for Nassau on the Canadian National Steamship Company vessel Lady Somers on 15 August, arriving two days later. Edward did not enjoy being governor and privately referred to the islands as "a third-class British colony ". The British Foreign Office strenuously objected when Edward and Wallis planned to cruise aboard a yacht belonging to Swedish magnate Axel Wenner-Gren , whom British and American intelligence wrongly believed to be
5104-554: The American wife of a British peer, who introduced Edward to her friend and fellow American Wallis Simpson . Simpson had divorced her first husband, U.S. Navy officer Win Spencer , in 1927. Her second husband, Ernest Simpson , was a British-American businessman. Wallis Simpson and the Prince of Wales, it is generally accepted, became lovers, while Lady Furness travelled abroad, although Edward adamantly insisted to his father that he
5220-782: The British Crown), including Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands , and the Isle of Man . Bermuda formerly marked the occasion with a public holiday but in 2008 the Progressive Labour Party government of the territory decided the day would be, beginning the following year, replaced by National Heroes' Day , despite protests from some residents of the island, who signed a petition calling for retention of The Queen's Official Birthday. The Queen's Official Birthday continues, nonetheless, to be marked by
5336-688: The British Military Mission in France. In February 1940, the German ambassador in The Hague , Count Julius von Zech-Burkersroda , claimed that Edward had leaked the Allied war plans for the defence of Belgium, which the Duke later denied. When Germany invaded the north of France in May 1940, the Windsors fled south, first to Biarritz , then in June to Francoist Spain . In July they moved to Portugal , where they lived at first in
5452-757: The Castle and Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Liberal government. Lloyd George invented a rather fanciful ceremony in the style of a Welsh pageant, and coached Edward to speak a few words in Welsh . When the First World War broke out in 1914, Edward had reached the minimum age for active service and was keen to participate. He had joined the Grenadier Guards in June 1914, and although Edward
5568-563: The Crown. "After I am dead," George said, "the boy will ruin himself in twelve months." George V favoured his second son Albert ("Bertie") and Albert's daughter Elizabeth ("Lilibet"), later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II respectively. He told a courtier, "I pray to God that my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." In 1929, Time magazine reported that Edward teased Albert's wife, also named Elizabeth (later
5684-450: The Duke and Duchess to send him and the nanny away. The nanny was discharged after her mistreatment of the children was discovered, and she was replaced by Charlotte Bill . Edward's father, though a harsh disciplinarian , was demonstratively affectionate, and his mother displayed a frolicsome side with her children that belied her austere public image. She was amused by the children making tadpoles on toast for their French master as
5800-479: The Duke and Duchess visited Nazi Germany , against the advice of the British government, and met Adolf Hitler at his Berghof retreat in Bavaria . The visit was much publicised by the German media. During the visit, Edward gave full Nazi salutes . In Germany, "they were treated like royalty ... members of the aristocracy would bow and curtsy towards her, and she was treated with all the dignity and status that
5916-496: The Duke of Windsor, the experience of "the unending scenes of horror" during the First World War led him to support appeasement . Hitler considered Edward to be friendly towards Germany and thought that Anglo-German relations could have been improved through Edward if it were not for the abdication. Albert Speer quoted Hitler directly: "I am certain through him permanent friendly relations could have been achieved. If he had stayed, everything would have been different. His abdication
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#17327800509736032-585: The King marrying a divorcée; their Irish counterpart ( Éamon de Valera ) expressed indifference and detachment, while the Prime Minister of New Zealand ( Michael Joseph Savage ), having never heard of Simpson before, vacillated in disbelief. Faced with this opposition, Edward at first responded that there were "not many people in Australia" and their opinion did not matter. Edward informed Baldwin that he would abdicate if he could not marry Simpson. Baldwin then presented Edward with three options: give up
6148-543: The King's Birthday Honours List. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Solomon Islands . In Solomon Islands, it is usually celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. It is regarded as one of the most important events of the year in Solomon Islands. The day starts with the police marching band performing in the capital city of Honiara . Rallies are held all over the islands, which
6264-459: The King's Birthday Honours list and military ceremonies. There were proposals, with some political support, mainly affiliated with Labour , to replace the holiday with Matariki (Māori New Year) as an official holiday. In 2022, the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act declared Matariki as an official holiday separate from the Queen's Birthday, making said proposals obsolete. The idea of renaming
6380-511: The Metropolitan Police Special Branch , who examined in secret the nature of their relationship. An undated report detailed a visit by the couple to an antique shop, where the proprietor later noted "that the lady seemed to have POW [Prince of Wales] completely under her thumb." The prospect of having an American divorcée with a questionable past having such sway over the heir apparent led to anxiety among government and establishment figures. George V died on 20 January 1936, and Edward ascended
6496-411: The National Sports Council, is held between the cities of Belmopan and Cayo. There is a flag-raising ceremony among other events held at schools and universities to commemorate Sovereign's Day. The monarch 's birthday has been observed in Canada since the reign of King George III , when it, 4 June, was considered "the most important holiday of the year in early Upper Canada ." The annual muster of
6612-525: The Queen's Birthday weekend to Hillary weekend, after mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary , was raised in 2009. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea . In Papua New Guinea, it is usually celebrated on the second Monday of June every year. Official celebrations occur at hotels in Port Moresby , and much of the day is filled with sports matches, fireworks displays, and other celebrations and events. Honours and medals are given for public service to Papua New Guineans, who are mentioned in
6728-415: The Sovereign's Birthday determined by proclamation depending on the Interpretation Act, which requires the Sovereign's Birthday to be observed either on the day itself or on a day proclaimed for its observance) except for being appointed to be observed on the same day; it is a general holiday in Nunavut and New Brunswick (there prescribed as a day of rest on which retail businesses must be closed ). Though
6844-399: The Statute of Westminster, all the Dominions had already consented to the abdication. On the night of 11 December 1936, Edward, now reverted to the title and style of a prince, explained his decision to abdicate in a worldwide BBC radio broadcast. He said, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without
6960-465: The accession meeting of the British Privy Council , George VI announced his intention to make his brother the "Duke of Windsor" with the style of Royal Highness . He wanted this to be the first act of his reign, although the formal documents were not signed until 8 March the following year. During the interim, Edward was known as the Duke of Windsor . George VI's decision to create Edward a royal duke ensured that he could neither stand for election to
7076-449: The accession of Charles III as King of Canada, a new proclamation declared "the celebration in Canada of the birthday of the sovereign to be Victoria Day", thus applying the official birthday to all future monarchs, regardless of gender, and, by replacing the Monday before 25 May with Victoria Day, making the connection with Victoria Day explicit. Nonetheless, the two holidays are entirely distinct in law (Victoria Day fixed by statute and
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#17327800509737192-456: The affair. In 1923, Alibert was acquitted in a spectacular murder trial after she shot her husband in the Savoy Hotel . Desperate efforts were made by the Royal Household to ensure that Edward's name was not mentioned in connection with the trial or Alibert. Also in 1917, Edward began a relationship with Rosemary Leveson-Gower , the youngest daughter of the 4th Duke of Sutherland . According to Leveson-Gower's friends, Edward proposed to her but
7308-424: The birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales , who at the time was heir to the Tuvaluan Throne. Heir to the Throne Day was a public holiday in November. The monarch's birthday has been celebrated in the United Kingdom since 1748, during the reign of King George II. Even when their real birthday was in May or June, the celebration was often on a different date. Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910 and whose birthday
7424-410: The birthday of his brother and successor, George VI. The new King expressed to his ministers his wish that his birthday not be publicly celebrated, in light of the recent circumstances. However, the Prime Minister at the time, William Lyon Mackenzie King , the rest of Cabinet , and the Lord Tweedsmuir , the Governor General , felt otherwise, seeing such a celebration as a way to begin George's reign on
7540-408: The castle's archive, including surviving letters between daughter and mother, as well as other valuables, some of which were recovered in Chicago after the war. The papers rescued by Morshead and Blunt, and those returned by the American authorities from Chicago, were deposited in the Royal Archives . In the late 1950s, documents recovered by U.S. troops in Marburg , Germany, in May 1945, since titled
7656-400: The ceremony, and Edward accepted. George VI forbade members of the royal family to attend, to the lasting resentment of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Edward had particularly wanted his brothers the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent and his second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten to attend the ceremony. The French virtuoso organist and composer Marcel Dupré played at the wedding. The denial of
7772-454: The conflict. He undertook his first military flight in 1918, and later gained a pilot's licence. Edward's youngest brother, Prince John , died at the age of 13 on 18 January 1919 after a severe epileptic seizure . Edward, who was 11 years older than John and had hardly known him, saw his death as "little more than a regrettable nuisance". He wrote to his mistress of the time that "[he had] told [her] all about that little brother, and how he
7888-450: The date of the King's Official Birthday is set each year. The Cook Islands , a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, also celebrates the holiday on the second Monday of June. Despite Fiji abolishing the monarchy in 1987, following a second military coup d'état , the Queen's Birthday continued to be celebrated each 12 June until 2012. That year, the military government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama announced
8004-479: The date on the second Monday in June. This has more evenly spaced out public holidays throughout the year. While George V's successor, Edward VIII , also celebrated his birthday in June, the three sovereigns since have not: George VI 's birthday was in December, very close to public holidays for Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Years; Elizabeth II's birthday fell shortly after holidays for Good Friday and Easter and very close to ANZAC Day , while Charles III 's birthday
8120-421: The dead, and I am convinced that could they make their voices heard they would be with me in what I am about to say. I speak simply as a soldier of the Last War whose most earnest prayer it is that such cruel and destructive madness shall never again overtake mankind. There is no land whose people want war." The broadcast was heard across the world by millions. It was widely regarded as supporting appeasement, and
8236-404: The duke always wanted", according to royal biographer Andrew Morton in a 2016 BBC interview. The former Austrian ambassador Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein , who was also a second cousin once removed and friend of George V, believed that Edward favoured German fascism as a bulwark against communism , and even that he initially favoured an alliance with Germany. According to
8352-632: The end of the war to retrieve sensitive letters between the Duke of Windsor and Adolf Hitler and other leading Nazis. What is certain is that George VI sent the Royal Librarian , Owen Morshead , accompanied by Blunt, then working part-time in the Royal Library as well as for British intelligence, to Friedrichshof in March 1945 to secure papers relating to Victoria, German Empress , the eldest child of Queen Victoria. Looters had stolen part of
8468-566: The first Monday in June, the governor of Western Australia each year proclaims the day on which the state will observe the King's Birthday, based on school terms and the Perth Royal Show . There is no firm rule to determine this date, though it is usually the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October. Some regional areas of Western Australia celebrate the King's Birthday public holiday on alternative days for locally significant dates or events. In 2012, Queensland celebrated
8584-586: The help and support of the woman I love." He added that the "decision was mine and mine alone ... The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course". Edward departed Britain for Austria the following day; he was unable to join Simpson until her divorce became absolute, several months later. The Duke of York succeeded to the throne as George VI . Accordingly, George VI's elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth , became heir presumptive . On 12 December 1936, at
8700-474: The holiday in October, as the June holiday was reserved to mark Elizabeth II 's Diamond Jubilee as Queen of Australia , after which the holiday then for three years reverted to its traditional date in line with the other eastern Australian states. However, starting in 2016, Queensland celebrates the holiday on the first Monday of October. Norfolk Island celebrates Bounty Day on 8 June, so King's Birthday
8816-564: The holiday would be abolished, despite Bainimarama being a monarchist himself. Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor , was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire , and Emperor of India , from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of
8932-458: The home of Ricardo Espírito Santo , a Portuguese banker with both British and German contacts. Under the code name Operation Willi , Nazi agents, principally Walter Schellenberg , plotted unsuccessfully to persuade the Duke to leave Portugal and return to Spain, kidnapping him if necessary. Lord Caldecote wrote a warning to Winston Churchill, who by this point was prime minister, that "[the Duke]
9048-481: The idea of marriage; marry against his ministers' wishes; or abdicate. It was clear that Edward was not prepared to give up Simpson, and he knew that if he married against the advice of his ministers, he would cause the government to resign, prompting a constitutional crisis. He chose to abdicate. Edward duly signed the instruments of abdication at Fort Belvedere on 10 December 1936 in the presence of his younger brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York , next in line for
9164-479: The marriage morally unacceptable, largely because remarriage after divorce was opposed by the Church of England, and the people would not tolerate Simpson as queen. As king, Edward was the titular head of the Church, and the clergy expected him to support the Church's teachings. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang , was vocal in insisting that Edward must go. Edward proposed an alternative solution of
9280-548: The media mention only Victoria Day and the public are therefore almost totally unaware of the existence of the official birthday, the sovereign's official birthday is marked by the firing of an artillery salute in the national and provincial capitals and the flying of the Royal Union Flag on buildings belonging to the federal Crown , if there is a second flag pole available. The Canadian monarch has been in Canada for his or her official birthday twice: The first time
9396-598: The official birthday. Charles III , who was Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne at the time, and his wife, Camilla , in 2012 attended events in Saint John, New Brunswick , and Toronto , Ontario, marking the Queen's official birthday. In 2014, the couple attended a ceremony in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island. Until 1936, New Zealand celebrated the actual birthday of the sovereign. After Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936, and George VI
9512-456: The outskirts of London during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria . He was the eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary ). His father was the son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra ). His mother was the eldest daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and Francis, Duke of Teck . At
9628-472: The plan, and that he was merely seeing the plan through to help MI5 catch the real culprits. The court rejected the claims and sent him to jail for a year for "intent to alarm". It is now thought that McMahon had indeed been in contact with MI5, but the veracity of the remainder of his claims remains debatable. In August and September, Edward and Simpson cruised the Eastern Mediterranean on
9744-533: The prince's father had disagreed. Following two years at Osborne College, which he did not enjoy, Edward moved on to the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth . A course of two years, followed by entry into the Royal Navy , was planned. Edward automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay on 6 May 1910 when his father ascended the throne as George V on the death of Edward VII . He
9860-468: The ranch for the breeding of animals, including Shorthorn cattle , Dartmoor ponies , and Clydesdale horses . He escaped unharmed when the train he was riding in during a tour of Australia was derailed outside Perth in 1920. Edward's November 1921 visit to India came during the non-cooperation movement protests for Indian self-rule, and was marked by riots in Bombay . In 1929 Sir Alexander Leith ,
9976-538: The relationship ended when the King and Queen expressed their disapproval of relatives of hers, namely Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick , a maternal aunt, and James St Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn , a maternal uncle. Edward's womanising and reckless behaviour during the 1920s and 1930s worried Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin , King George V, and those close to the prince. The King was disappointed by his son's failure to settle down in life, disgusted by his affairs with married women, and reluctant to see him inherit
10092-514: The revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall paid to him as Prince of Wales and ordinarily at the disposal of an incoming king. George also paid Edward for Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle , which were Edward's personal property, inherited from his father and thus did not automatically pass to George VI on his accession. Edward received approximately £300,000 (equivalent to between £21 million and £140 million in 2021 ) for both residences which
10208-589: The same year. Edward was born during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary . He was created Prince of Wales on his 16th birthday, seven weeks after his father succeeded as king. As a young man, Edward served in the British Army during the First World War and undertook several overseas tours on behalf of his father. The Prince of Wales gained popularity due to his charm and charisma, and his fashion sense became
10324-646: The steam yacht Nahlin . By October it was becoming clear that the new king planned to marry Simpson, especially when divorce proceedings between the Simpsons were brought at Ipswich Assizes . Although gossip about his affair was widespread in the United States, the British media kept silent voluntarily, and the general public knew nothing until early December. On 16 November 1936, Edward invited Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin to Buckingham Palace and expressed his desire to marry Simpson when she became free to remarry. Baldwin informed him that his subjects would deem
10440-550: The style Royal Highness to the Duchess of Windsor caused further conflict, as did the financial settlement. The Government declined to include the Duke or Duchess on the Civil List , and the Duke's allowance was paid personally by George VI. Edward compromised his position with his brother by concealing the extent of his financial worth when they informally agreed on the amount of the allowance. Edward's wealth had accumulated from
10556-422: The style automatically, and further that Simpson would automatically obtain the rank of wife of a prince with the style Her Royal Highness ; others maintained that he had lost all royal rank and should no longer carry any royal title or style as an abdicated king, and be referred to simply as "Mr Edward Windsor". On 14 April 1937, Attorney General Sir Donald Somervell submitted to Home Secretary Sir John Simon
10672-583: The summer night, the settlers and their families visited the houses of their neighbours or patronised the taverns; for the latter, it was their most profitable day all year. For the officers, a dinner was held, during which toasts were made to the King, the Duke of York (the Commander-in-Chief), the Army and Navy, and the ladies. It was in 1845 that the Parliament of the Province of Canada passed
10788-519: The throne as Edward VIII. The next day, accompanied by Simpson, he broke with custom by watching the proclamation of his own accession from a window of St James's Palace . He became the first monarch of the British Empire to fly in an aircraft when he flew from Sandringham to London for his Accession Council . Edward caused unease in government circles with actions that were interpreted as interference in political matters. His comment during
10904-402: The throne, he abdicated . He was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI . With a reign of 326 days, Edward was one of the shortest-reigning British monarchs to date. After his abdication, Edward was created Duke of Windsor . He married Simpson in France on 3 June 1937, after her second divorce became final. Later that year, the couple toured Nazi Germany , which fed rumours that he was
11020-436: The throne; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester ; and Prince George, Duke of Kent . The document included these words: "declare my irrevocable determination to renounce the throne for myself and for my descendants and my desire that effect should be given to this instrument of abdication immediately". The next day, the last act of his reign was the royal assent to His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 . As required by
11136-491: The time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession to the throne , behind his grandfather and father. Edward was baptised Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David in the Green Drawing Room of White Lodge on 16 July 1894 by Edward White Benson , Archbishop of Canterbury . The name "Edward" was chosen in honour of Edward's late uncle Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale , who
11252-470: The tradition by suggesting that, had any further coins been minted featuring Edward's portrait, they would have shown him facing right. On 16 July 1936, George Andrew McMahon produced a loaded revolver as Edward rode on horseback at Constitution Hill , near Buckingham Palace . Police spotted the gun and pounced on him; he was quickly arrested. McMahon alleged at his trial that "a foreign power" had approached him to kill Edward, that he had informed MI5 of
11368-404: The trouble on "mischief makers – communists" and "men of Central European Jewish descent, who had secured jobs as a pretext for obtaining a deferment of draft ". He resigned from the post on 16 March 1945. Many historians have suggested that Adolf Hitler was prepared to reinstate Edward as king in the hope of establishing a fascist puppet government in Britain after Operation Sea Lion . It
11484-460: Was 20 May 1939, when King George VI was on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada and his official birthday was celebrated with a Trooping the Colour ceremony on Parliament Hill . The second time was when Queen Elizabeth II was in Canada from 17 to 25 May 2005, to mark the centennial of the entries of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation ; no government-initiated events, aside from those dictated by normal protocol, were organised to acknowledge
11600-530: Was a severe loss for us." The Duke and Duchess settled in Paris, leasing a mansion in Boulevard Suchet [ fr ] from late 1938. In May 1939, Edward was commissioned by NBC to give a radio broadcast (his first since abdicating) during a visit to the First World War battlefields of Verdun . In it he appealed for peace, saying "I am deeply conscious of the presence of the great company of
11716-400: Was always known to his family and close friends by his last given name, David. As was common practice with upper-class children of the time, Edward and his younger siblings were brought up by nannies rather than directly by their parents. One of Edward's early nannies often abused him by pinching him before he was due to be presented to his parents. His subsequent crying and wailing would lead
11832-406: Was an epileptic. [John]'s been practically shut up for the last two years anyhow, so no one has ever seen him except the family, and then only once or twice a year. This poor boy had become more of an animal than anything else." He also wrote an insensitive letter to his mother which has since been lost. She did not reply, but he felt compelled to write her an apology, in which he stated: "I feel such
11948-537: Was at boarding school in England. Her parents refused, due to the age gap, and Frederica instead married Paul of Greece . By 1917, Edward liked to spend time partying in Paris while he was on leave from his regiment on the Western Front. He was introduced to Parisian courtesan Marguerite Alibert , with whom he became infatuated. He wrote her candid letters, which she kept. After about a year, Edward broke off
12064-555: Was changed after Elizabeth II became Queen through the Sovereign's Birthday Observance Act 1952. Although that act makes reference to "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second", it was still in place in 2023, the first time that New Zealand observed the King's Birthday for Charles III . The Holidays Act 2003 refers to the holiday as "the birthday of the reigning Sovereign". King's Birthday celebrations are mainly official, including
12180-402: Was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester a month later on 23 June 1910, his 16th birthday. Preparations for his future as king began in earnest. He was withdrawn from his naval course before his formal graduation, served as midshipman for three months aboard the battleship Hindustan , then immediately entered Magdalen College, Oxford , for which, in the opinion of his biographers, he
12296-419: Was known within the family as "Eddy" (Edward being among his given names); "Albert" was included at the behest of Queen Victoria for her late husband Albert, Prince Consort ; "Christian" was in honour of his great-grandfather King Christian IX of Denmark ; and the last four names – George , Andrew , Patrick and David – came from, respectively, the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He
12412-414: Was not having an affair with her and that it was not appropriate to describe her as his mistress. Edward's relationship with Simpson, however, further weakened his poor relationship with his father. Although his parents met Simpson at Buckingham Palace in 1935, they later refused to receive her. Edward's affair with an American divorcée led to such grave concern that the couple were followed by members of
12528-434: Was on 9 November, moved his official birthday to summer, in the hope of good weather. King George VI , born on 14 December, celebrated his official birthday from 7 to 12 June. Queen Elizabeth II 's official birthday was (usually) the second Saturday in June. King Charles III 's first official birthday was on 17 June 2023, the third Saturday in June; and his second on 15 June 2024, also the third Saturday in June. The day
12644-412: Was paid to him in yearly instalments. In the early days of George VI's reign Edward telephoned daily, importuning for money and urging that Wallis be granted the style of Royal Highness, until the harassed king ordered that the calls not be put through. Relations between the Duke of Windsor and the rest of the royal family were strained for decades. Edward had assumed that he would settle in Britain after
12760-441: Was placed under the care of two men, Frederick Finch and Henry Hansell, who virtually brought up Edward and his siblings for their remaining nursery years. Edward was kept under the strict tutorship of Hansell until almost thirteen years old. Private tutors taught him German and French. He took the examination to enter the Royal Naval College, Osborne , and began there in 1907. Hansell had wanted Edward to enter school earlier, but
12876-411: Was proclaimed king on his birthday, 14 December, two King's Birthday holidays were celebrated that year. The second holiday that year caused some industrial confusion and loss. This led the government to introduce the Sovereign's Birthday Observance Act 1937. It set the official birthday to be the first Monday in June (which it has been to this day), and this was first observed in 1937. The legislation
12992-481: Was recorded. To warm up rally-goers, the site boasts what is described as 'the biggest bonfire ever'. 2010 was the event's 30th anniversary. Two and a half thousand riders pre-registered for the 40th and final event in 2021. The final event was intended to be run in 2019, but was postponed due to lockdown. This rallying -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Queen%27s Birthday#New Zealand The King's Official Birthday
13108-555: Was reported to have said that "Hitler was the right and logical leader of the German people" and that the time was coming for President Roosevelt to mediate a peace settlement. Edward protested that he had been misquoted and misinterpreted. The Allies became sufficiently disturbed by German plots revolving around Edward that President Roosevelt ordered covert surveillance of the Duke and Duchess when they visited Palm Beach, Florida , in April 1941. Duke Carl Alexander of Württemberg (then
13224-529: Was said to have "loved as a son". Edward maintained a long-standing dispute with Étienne Dupuch , the editor of the Nassau Daily Tribune , writing privately at one point that Dupuch was "more than half Negro , and due to the peculiar mentality of this Race, they seem unable to rise to prominence without losing their equilibrium". But even Dupuch praised Edward for his resolution of civil unrest over low wages in Nassau in 1942, though Edward blamed
13340-518: Was underprepared intellectually. A keen horseman, he learned how to play polo with the university club . He left Oxford after eight terms, without any academic qualifications. Edward was officially invested as Prince of Wales in a special ceremony at Caernarfon Castle on 13 July 1911. The investiture took place in Wales, at the instigation of the Welsh politician David Lloyd George , Constable of
13456-512: Was willing to serve on the front lines, Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener refused to allow it, citing the immense harm that would occur if the heir apparent to the throne were captured by the enemy. Despite this, Edward witnessed trench warfare first-hand and visited the front line as often as he could, for which he was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. His role in the war, although limited, made him popular among veterans of
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