Edward VIII grave concern that the couple were followed by members of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch, who examined in secret the nature of their relationship. An undated report detailed a visit by the couple to an antique shop, where the proprietor later noted "that the lady seemed to have POW [Prince of Wales] completely under her thumb." The prospect of having an American divorcée with a questionable past having such sway over the heir apparent led to anxiety among government and establishment figures. King George V died on 20 January 1936, and Edward ascended the throne as King Edward VIII. The
Godfrey Huggins up their brother Africans a bit; and then we can perhaps consider it. Huggins' successor, Welensky, spent his time in office trying to prevent an inevitable break-up of the Federation. Having served 23 years as Prime Minister, Huggins became the longest serving Prime Minister in British Commonwealth history, beating the records of Mackenzie King of Canada and Sir Robert Walpole of Great Britain and Ireland. He is the only Prime Minister in British Commonwealth history to serve under four monarchs (George V, Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II). He lived out the remainder of his life in Southern Rhodesia,