Harry and Meghan's return from California exile a major royal plot twist

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have drawn frequent comparisons with King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, with both couples stepping away from royal life amid a media frenzy.

Like Harry, Edward chose a partner who was American and divorced, and then left England.

But the announcement that the Sussex family are relocating back to the UK introduces a plot twist to the story of previous royal exiles.

Decades before "Megxit" sparked a media storm, it was the scandalous 1937 marriage of King Edward VIII that made headlines around the world.

Only months into his brief reign, Edward announced his intention to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite.

The British government and Church of England spoke out against the union, viewing Mrs Wallis as an unsuitable candidate for queen consort.

According to a BBC article from 2020, as the abdication crisis loomed, Mrs Simpson "fled to France, pursued across the country by reporters to Cannes".

Edward abdicated in December 1936, having been on the throne for just 325 days and never crowned.

He spoke to the British people from Windsor Castle in what would come to be recognised as one of the most significant broadcasts of the 20th century.

"You must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love," he said.

Edward was made Duke of Windsor and the couple married in France. Only 16 people attended the low-key wedding, and not one member of the British royal family turned up.

King George VI, his younger brother who had succeeded him on the throne, had issued a ban preventing any member of his family from being present.

After the abdication, the couple were financed primarily through a private annual allowance from King George, and were — to all intents and purposes — exiled abroad to live mainly in France and the US.

During the Second World War, Edward was appointed Governor of the Bahamas, a position he held until 1945.