English Original
On a cold January morning in 1936, King George V was laid to rest. Following his coffin was his eldest son, the handsome and beloved Prince of Wales, poised to become the next King of England. He was a model royal, at ease in all company, and expected to modernize the monarchy. Yet, as he approached 40, he remained unmarried. Only a privileged few knew of his relationship with the mysterious American, Wallis Simpson, a woman married to another man, whom he was determined to marry.
Upon becoming King Edward VIII, no one could persuade him to relinquish Wallis—not even Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who declared Britain would not accept an American divorcee as queen. Despite intense political pressure, the King remained steadfast. He was forced to abdicate, and flags across the nation flew at half-mast.
In the summer of 1937, a quiet wedding was held in France. The couple appeared nervous, especially the groom, who just a year prior had been king. They were thereafter known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The man who had surrendered a kingdom and the woman who had left two husbands embarked on a life of perpetual social engagement and gaiety. During the war, they were stationed in the Bahamas but occasionally emerged to attend cultural festivals, astonishing locals with their brilliant attire. The former king found himself reduced to a mere celebrity, and rumors of marital strife even forced them to publicly display their affection for the cameras.
Years later, upon the Duke's death, the nation mourned and reflected on one man's fateful decision to trade the crown for love, and the profound price both he and Wallis ultimately paid.
中文翻译
1936年1月的一个寒冷早晨，国王乔治五世下葬。跟随其灵柩的是他的长子，英俊且深受爱戴的威尔士亲王，他即将成为下一任英格兰国王。他是一位模范王室成员，在任何场合都从容自若，人们期望他能给君主制带来新风。然而，年近四十的他依然未婚。只有少数特权阶层知道他与神秘的美国女子沃利斯·辛普森的恋情——这位女子当时已有丈夫，而国王却决意要娶她。
成为爱德华八世国王后，无人能说服他放弃沃利斯——就连代表国家发声的首相斯坦利·鲍德温也不能，他宣称英国不会接受一位美国离婚女子作为王后。尽管面临巨大的政治压力，国王毫不动摇。他被迫退位，举国降半旗致哀。
1937年夏天，一场安静的婚礼在法国举行。这对夫妇显得有些紧张，尤其是新郎——仅仅一年前，他还是一位国王。此后，他们被称为温莎公爵和公爵夫人。
这位放弃王位的男人和这位离开两位丈夫的女人，开始了他们无尽的社会应酬与享乐生活。战争期间，他们受困于巴哈马，但偶尔会出席一些文化节庆，以其华丽的服饰令当地居民惊叹。这位前国王发现自己已沦为纯粹的社交名人，甚至有关婚姻不和的传闻迫使他们不得不在镜头前公开展示恩爱。
多年后，公爵去世，举国哀悼，并反思了这个人以王位换取爱情的重大决定，以及他与沃利斯最终付出的沉重代价。