After months of ill health, King George V died on 20 January 1936, and Edward became King Edward VIII. He watched the announcement of his new role from a window of St James's Palace with Wallis Simpson. After only a few weeks, Edward began to cause unease in government circles with actions that were seen as too political. He did not work hard as King and was not careful about important state papers. Far from working, in August and September, Edward and his lover Wallis Simpson simply sailed around the Mediterranean on a luxury steam yacht.