At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak.

A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor, and now that I have been succeeded by my brother, the Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart.

You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the throne. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the empire, which, as Prince of Wales and lately as King, I have for twenty-five years tried to serve.

But 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.

And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course.

I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would, in the end, be best for all.

This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother, with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith without interruption or injury to the life and progress of the empire. And he has one matchless blessing, enjoyed by so many of you, and not bestowed on me—a happy home with his wife and children.

During these hard days I have been comforted by her majesty my mother and by my family. The ministers of the crown, and in particular, Mr. Baldwin, the Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them, and between me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father, I should never have allowed any such issue to arise.

Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the throne, I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the empire. For that I am very grateful.

I now quit altogether public affairs and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the fortunes of the British race and empire with profound interest and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to his majesty in a private station, I shall not fail.

And now, we all have a new King. I wish him and you, his people, happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all! God save the King!

長久以來，我終於有機會能夠說說我心裡頭的話了。我向來就不想壓抑什麼，但一直到現在，在憲法上我才有這個機會可以說自己想說的話。

幾個小時以前，我卸下了國王和皇帝的最後職責，並且交由我的弟弟約克公爵來繼任。首先，我要宣誓效忠於他，忠誠地宣誓。

你們也都知道了我之所以放棄王位的原因。我希望你們能夠了解，這25年以來，我身為威爾斯王子，不久前繼任了國王，而當我在做出退位的決定時，我並不曾忘記這個國家和帝國。

但是，我要請你們相信的是，如果沒有我心愛的那位女子的幫助與支持，我是無法肩負起國家的重責大任、履行國王職責的。

還有，我希望你們能明白的是，這是我個人一個人所做出的決定，完全是我自己審度出的結果。與此事關係最密切的其他人，一直到最後還在勸我不要這樣做。

我只是想，要如何做才能在各方面達到最圓滿的結果，所以我就做出了這個我人生中最重大的決定。

當我確認了我弟弟足以立即接任國王時，我要做出退位的決定就不是那麼困難了。他長期以來就接受有關國家公共事務的磨練，並且擁有優秀的素質，國家的前景不會因為這件事而暫時停擺或是受到傷害。此外，他還擁有一種無與倫比的幸福—他和妻兒擁有一個美滿快樂的家庭—這也是你們許多人所擁有的辛福，但卻是我所沒有的。

在這段煎熬的日子裡，我得到了母后和我家人們的安慰。王國的大臣們，尤其是首相鮑德溫先生，他一直非常地體諒我。我和大臣們或是和國會之間，在遵守憲法的問題上不曾產生過分歧。我的父親根據憲法傳統來教養我，所以我決不允許發生這種憲法上的問題。

從我當上威爾斯王子開始，後來又繼承了王位，期間不論我住在哪裡，我所到之處，都一直深受所有人民的愛戴。對於這一點，我深深感懷於心。

現在，我將完全退出公共事務，卸下職責。也許要好一段時間之後，我才會再回到我的國家故土，但對於英國人民和這個國家的未來，我永遠都會非常關心。將來不管任何時候，只要國王發現我能以個人的身分來貢獻些什麼，我將義不容辭。

現在，我們有了一個新的國王，我誠心祈願國王和人民都能夠安樂富庶。願上帝保佑你們大家！上帝保佑國王！