Learn about the abdication crisis of 1936 through the eyes of the two women at its heart.

Royal Wives at War Royal Wives at War

Premiered September 17, 2016
Royal Wives at War: asset-mezzanine-16x9
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Royal Wives at War

The British royal family torn apart, a nation and empire thrown into crisis and the world plunged into war. To mark 80 years since Britain’s Abdication Crisis in 2016, this drama-documentary for the BBC and PBS reveals a fierce rivalry between two women, Elizabeth the Queen Mother and American socialite Wallis Simpson, and the political, cultural and constitutional repercussions their bitter feud.

About the Program

Royal Wives at War

A revealing new look at the abdication crisis of 1936 through the eyes of the two women at its very heart. In a series of dramatized monologues set in 1967, Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Wallis Simpson look back at the dramatic events, which led to the British King, Edward VIII, giving up the throne for the woman he loved.

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