The last monarch of the United Kingdom to abdicate the throne was King Edward VIII. In 1936, he famously chose to step down in order to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. His decision to abdicate was driven by the political and social pressures of the time, as marrying Simpson was deemed unacceptable by the Church and British society. This historic abdication led to Edward's brother subsequently becoming King George VI, and it significantly impacted the royal family's public image and monarchy's relationship with the British public.