Duke of Windsor (1894 - 1972) and Mrs Wallis Simpson (1896 - 1986) on their wedding day, 1937 (Central Press/Getty Images)

TODAY marks exactly 80 years since one of the most-extraordinary, explosive royal events this country has ever seen.

Almost six years after he first set eyes on American divorcee Wallis Simpson, King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication and walked away from his place on the throne.

It was a tale that had gripped the nation, and then the wider world, and went into overdrive when Edward’s father, King George V, had died the previous January.

However, having fallen for Wallis Simpson when he was still Prince of Wales, the new King Edward was so smitten that he made the ultimate sacrifice — or deserted his country, in some eyes — to have her, rather than the throne.

The timeline of the events leading up to and following his abdication is truly fascinating.

It shows how he went from young man with the world at his feet, to being shunned in his own country and flirting dangerously with Nazism while living overseas, in one of those “you really couldn’t make it up” tales.

JANUARY 10, 1931

EDWARD and Wallis Simpson met for the first time.

Wallis had become involved with Ernest Simpson, an Anglo-American shipping executive, while still married to her first husband, Earl Winfield Spencer, a famed US Navy pilot.

She was still married to Simpson when she got to know Thelma, Lady Furness, who was Edward’s mistress at that time.

Lady Furness made the mistake of introducing them on January 10, and Edward, oldest son of King George V and Queen Mary and heir to the throne, would end up smitten, although not immediately.

In a few years, though, those who knew him said Edward became utterly dependent on the twice-divorced Simpson, and she was in love with him, too.

JANUARY, 1932

EDWARD dined at the Simpsons’ flat in London, staying until the small hours.

Later in the month, he would host them at his country retreat in Berkshire.

AUGUST, 1934

EDWARD took a party, including Wallis Simpson, on holiday to Biarritz, followed by a cruise along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts.

Ernest Simpson was notably absent for the first time.

NOVEMBER, 1934

WALLIS SIMPSON attended a lavish Buckingham Palace party to honour the Duke of Kent, with Edward introducing her to his mother — his father, the King, was aghast and wouldn’t even meet her.

It was an ominous sign that Edward could have read and understood, but was too smitten to do so.

Edward VIII makes his first radio broadcast to the world on the 1st March 1936 (PA Archive)

JANUARY 20, 1936

FOLLOWING the death of King George V, Edward succeeded him as King, but his father’s early anger about his relationship with Wallis was shared by others in high places.

In May of that year, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin met Wallis at a dinner hosted by the new King, but she was with her husband and the PM didn’t realise the real reason she was present.

Ernest Simpson, also carrying on an affair behind Wallis’s back, moved out of their home in July.

Edward’s way to spend his life with Wallis was clear.

AUGUST, 1936

WHEN Wallis Simpson was one of the guests on another royal cruise, this time along the coasts of Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, photos and speculation began appearing in the press, in the USA and on the Continent.

Word, of course, was soon heard of all this back in Britain, too.

OCTOBER, 1936

FOR many, this is the month it really “all kicked off”.

It was October of 1936, after all, when the new King had Wallis Simpson installed in a house near him.

It was also the year when the Prime Minister first confronted him about her, and when her divorce from Ernest was granted.

NOVEMBER, 1936

IF PM Baldwin had hoped his King would see sense, put royal duty ahead of passion and give up on Wallis Simpson, he was gravely mistaken.

Edward summoned him and got straight to the point — he wished to marry her.

DECEMBER, 1936

HAVING asked his Government if the King could have a morganatic marriage — one of unequal social ranks — Baldwin returned to inform the monarch that his Cabinet was dead against it.

Convinced the British public would not accept an American divorcee with a scandalous reputation as their Queen, it was out of the question, they said.

This left Edward with three choices, said Baldwin — the King could end the relationship, marry her and risk seeing all his ministers resign, or abdicate.

DECEMBER 3, 1936

FINALLY, the whole sorry saga appears in the British papers, with criticism of the King and his lover from all sides.

To escape the pressure, Simpson headed for France, while Edward told his Prime Minister he would like to make a broadcast to the nation, and appeal to the people for understanding.

When Baldwin told him this was out of the question, the King thought about it for a few days and then told Baldwin he had decided to abdicate.

DECEMBER 10, 1936

WITHIN a week, Edward had signed the Instrument of Abdication and Baldwin had announced the sensational news to the House of Commons.

Parliament endorsed the decision, and the King broadcast his decision to an incredulous nation.

DECEMBER 12, 1936

EDWARD’S replacement, his brother, was proclaimed King George VI and the abdicating King — now Duke of Windsor — departed for Austria.

MAY 3, 1937

HAVING had her decree absolute, Wallis Simpson was now finally free to marry Edward — back in England, days later, the new King George VI was having his Coronation.