Abandoned coronation of Edward VIII

Preparations had already begun and souvenirs were on sale when Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936 due to substantial opposition to his intention to marry Wallis Simpson, who had already divorced twice.

While Edward VIII was away, cruising on the Nahlin with Wallis Simpson, his brother Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) sat in his place on the committees.

[2] Although the executive committee was chaired by the Earl Marshal, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, was also a driving force behind the preparations for the coronation and many of the decisions in respect to the order of service were made by or with him.

[3] The king's desire to marry a woman thought by many to be unsuitable was the public reason for the constitutional crisis that led to his abdication from the throne on 11 December 1936.

Due to the brevity of his reign, both proof and circulation strikes of Edward VIII's coinage are extremely rare, and highly desired by numismatists.

While silver coinage was not supposed to be issued until just before the coronation was to take place, the new brass three-penny bit was already being made for introduction early in January 1937, and the entire stock was melted down.

On 29 September 1936, William Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield, Governor of Victoria, visited the plant and was invited to sign and date one of the finished sheets.

[10] In Canada, the official destruction of Edward VIII stamp dies and proofs took place on 25 and 27 January 1937; some essays were kept in the archives and the two plaster casts were saved by coin engraver Emmanuel Hahn and a postal officer.

[11] There are stories of schools retrieving commemorative mugs and plates from pupils and replacing them with ones designed for the new king and queen, while many vendors put the redundant items up for sale anyway.