Canada and the abdication of Edward VIII

had a chance to vote for the party in 1967, .4% of the total electorate. If a sacrifice candidate is arbitrarily defined as one who secures less than ten per cent of the vote, twenty NDP candidates suffered this fate, winning 23,803 votes or just under a Canada and the abdication of Edward VIII GORDON BEADLE In spite of the excessive amount of attention that has been given to the abdication crisis of 1936, the behavior of the Canadian people and their representatives during this remarkable affair has been largely ignored. This is unfortunate because Edward's unique relationship with Canada during his long career as Prince of Wales and the events and circumstances surrounding his sudden departure from the throne sheds light on the role and importance of the Monarchy in Anglo-Canadian relations. The role of the Monarchy in Commonwealth affairs is difficult to analyze with any degree of precision because the appeal of the Monarchy in Canada and elsewhere is largely emotional and its influence is usually 'felt" rather than rationally understood. However, it seems safe to say that the Monarchy is the symbol of a shared political heritage and the single common denominator among a remarkably heterogeneous group of people. In some vague, half-understood way, the Monarchy represents a tangible link with the values, traditions, and glorious past of England and it is somehow thought to be important to preserve that link and the relationship that it signifies. Authorities on the subject of the British Constitution usually maintain that the Monarchy as an institution is more important than the individual who happens to occupy the throne. But this should not be taken to mean that the personality and behavior of the Monarch have been unimportant in the conduct of the affairs of state. The genial charm of Edward VII was useful in cementing the Anglo-French Entente. The patriotism and devotion to duty of George V Iournal of Canadian Studies percentage point of the total votes cast. No Liberal or Conservative fell into this humiliating category although the Liberal candidate in the traditional Liberal stronghold of Kenora came quite close. helped to unify Britain and the Commonwealth during the First World War and acted as a stabilizing influence during the difficult years that followed. The personality and behavior of Edward Windsor, as Prince of Wales and King, both strengthened and endangeredthe Monarchy and the traditional ties with the nations of the Commonwealth. When the Prince of Wales began to assume his official duties after the close of World War I, it soon became apparent that there were personal and generational differences between George V and his heir. The King frequently disapproved of his son's dress, social behavior, and performance at ceremonial functions. Their differences were important in that they reflected different conceptions of the Monarchy. The aging King wished to adhere closely to the formal , Victorian model, while the Prince of Wales, perhaps reflecting to some degree his war experiences and the rebellious spirit of the times, seems to have believed that the time had come to bring the Monarchy closer to the people. In spite of the ominous differences within the royal family, the Monarchy, unlike so many of Britain's traditional institutions, emerged from the Great War with its popularity and prestige still intact. The continued popularity of the Monarchy was due in part to its non-political status, but it may also be attributed to the fact that it seemed to face two ways at once and in so doing was in a sense all things to all people. To the traditionalists and the disturbed older generation, the conventional tastes and traditional behavior of George V may have represented stability and order in a confused and rapidly changing world. To the younger generation , especially the veterans, the Monarchy was probably more closely associated with the ultramodern Prince of Wales. Realizing the political value of a young and 33 popular heir to the throne, Prime Minister Lloyd George concluded that the future King might be useful in quelling the post-war unrest in the Empire. As he saw it, "the appearance of the popular Prince of Wales in far comers of...