Love

What is love? It’s extremely difficult question to answer, though it looks so simple. The extreme subjectivity associated with love makes it difficult to be defined. And if there is no formal definition then there is definite unit to measure it. Therefore the question how much you love me also remains unanswered in true sense.

Is it the amount of one’s spending measures love? Someone may gift a jet aircraft to beloved to express love while someone else may share a bite of only candy he or she has, to express love. Then can we measure love by money spent? Difficult. A girl may abandon her parents for the love of her paramour, so is sacrifice a measure of love? A boy renounces inheritance to ancestral property for his love for a girl unacceptable to his parents, does this sacrifice measures love? Wife spends sleepless night by the bedside of her ailing husband, undergoes physical hardships and feels contented for the trouble. Are these hardships, caring are measure of love? It’s so difficult to measure love; it can be a combination of many factors in different proportions. Due to subjectivity one may feel that enough is done while the partner may feel it inadequate and both remain unhappy. By end of the day happiness has to prevail with both and that’s love.

One aspect is certain beyond doubts and that is expression, demonstration of love. Love needs to be expressed. All that mentioned so far can be different forms of demonstration to express measure of love. These expressions help to understand the intensity of love. So express love. Express at every possible opportunity, every moment, don’t wait for Valentine’s Day. Don’t make your love a ritual. The expression can be anything, planting a gentle kiss on the chick, to a gentle slap on butt, presenting a rose, to pinching an arm, from an expensive gift, to e-card. Express at right moments and of course to a right person.

One historical personality, not very well publicized, not very well projected, mired with lots of controversies is always on top of my mind when I think of love. The person was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, King Edward VIII. Later he was known as Duke of Windsor. 

In the British history King Edward’s reign was just for 326 days, shortest for any British monarch. Edward ascended the throne as King Edward VIII after death of his father King George V, who died on January 20^th 1936. King Edward VIII was in love with Wallis Simpson, a socialite American, who was seeking divorce from her second husband. King Edward VIII wanted to marry her after she gets divorced from her husband, but his subjects thought it morally unacceptable. The Church of England did not approve of remarriage of a divorcee and the clergy expected Edward to support the church’s teachings. Few options including morganatic marriage were also rejected. The King was left with no other alternative except abdication and he opted for abdication for his love. This is the greatest sacrifice I have heard of. The King who virtually ruled the entire world (remember the saying – Sun never sets on British Empire), left the throne for his love.  The last act of his reign was to give the royal assent to Abdication Act that paved way for his own abdication. All for his love. Some historical sources may portray him as a Casanova, playboy, seducer or anything similar, but when he found his true love he left everything for that. King Edward VIII, addressed the nation over a radio broadcast, a day prior to his abdication and explained his stand to the subjects. He said, "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."

After the speech he left England, went to Austria and waited for several months for Wallis Simpson’s divorce. He was made Duke of Windsor immediately after abdication, more for political reasons. Wallis Simpson changed her name to Wallis Warfield and married the Duke of Windsor on June 3^rd 1937 in France, as Church of England refused to sanction the union. The royal family too denied the style Her Royal Highness to the Duchess of Windsor. Later on the Duke served the Empire during World War II. Sadly King Edward VIII was not crowned nor was any coins minted with his picture as his reign was too short. His brother George VI became the King after him and his niece Queen Elizabeth II is now the Queen of England. Edward finally settled in France and died there on May 28^th, 1972, less than a month short of his 78^th birthday. His body was brought to England for burial.

A word about Wallis, she knew well that she will be marrying the king of most powerful empire of that era. However Edward left everything for her, yet she was ready to marry him. It was mostly her love for him rather than desire to be the queen. Wallis died in Paris on April 24^th 1986. She too is buried next to the Duke near Windsor Castle, England.

Both the Duke and Duchess may be controversial figures in the history, but the sacrifice of Edward VIII cannot be ignored. This is a saga of love, we often read of Romeo and Juliet, Laila Majanu (लैला  मजनू), Heer Ranjha (हीर राँझा), Shiri Farhad (शिरी फरहद) but there is no mention of the King and his love. Abdication was a sacrifice that was the expression of his love and like any fairy tale they lived happily forever.

Enjoy Valentine’s Day and do remember the King Edward for his love……