Edward and Harry—the men who left the royal family

While the newly crowned King Charles has certainly been the focus of attention this weekend, his younger son, Harry, has also been in the media spotlight. Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two decisions, several generations apart, engulfed the monarchy in turmoil and sent the media into meltdown. What do these two stories tell us about the British monarchy?