Although the South African cabinet had assented to the passage of His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at the time of the abdication in December 1936, the South African act was passed in February 1937 to resolve legal uncertainties.
The preamble of the statute also stated that any changes to the succession to the throne would require the assent of the parliaments of all of the dominions.
[2] The legal position in South Africa was further complicated by the provisions of the Status of the Union Act, 1934.
[2] To resolve this confusion, the South African parliament enacted in February 1937 its own Abdication Act.
It also declared that actions taken in the name of Edward VIII after the abdication but before the passage of the South African act were deemed to be valid.