The Prince of Wales

King for 326 days!

Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII

The Prince of Wales became King Edward VIII for one of the shortest periods of any King, 326 days. He then abdicated the throne, married Mrs. Wallis Simpson, and was given the title of Duke of Windsor. It can all be very confusing. He was apparently not cut out to be King, having a very 'playboy' attitude, and when he wanted to marry Mrs. Simpson, who was divorced from three husbands, he was convinced to abdicate the throne and his Royal duties in favour of his brother who was then crowned King George VI. In 1919 he toured Canada to report on British interests in developing the country. If you wish to watch the video of his various stops and the crowds that came out to greet him, follow this link to You Tube. Part of his tour included the Okanagan Valley, where he visited schools, orchards, packing plants, and various other points, to the excitement of many who turned out to cheer him along. Okanagan Historical Reports has a good write up about the various places he visited and his attention to them. He was said to be full of questions and genuinely interested in how things worked. https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ohs/items/1.0132213#p12z-4r0f:%22Prince%20of%20Wales%20visit%22

Prince of Wales being welcomed to Penticton on the steps of the Ellis Building by dignitaries and school children. (PMA 7077)

Wikipedia will help you sort out the lines of succession before and after the Prince of Wales, and the various titles he had during his life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII

Princee of Wales boarding the SS Sicamous

"At the end of September 1919, the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, visited the Okanagan as part of his cross-country tour. The Sicamous carried the Prince and his party from Penticton to Okanagan Landing and then from Kelowna back to Penticton. Included was a stop at Summerland pictured at left."

Quote and photo from 'Paddlewheelers and Steam Tugs' by Robert Turner