Edward informed Baldwin that he would abdicate if he could not marry Simpson. Baldwin then presented Edward with three choices: give up the idea of marriage; marry against his ministers’ wishes; or abdicate.[60] It was clear that Edward was not prepared to give up Simpson, and he knew that if he married against the advice of his ministers, he would cause the government to resign, prompting a constitutional crisis.[61] He chose to abdicate.
— Edward VIII (Wikipedia Contributors), Loc. 274-279
Also, the meaning of the word is interesting:
Abdicate means to formally give up a position of authority, especially as a king or queen, such as Edward VIII giving up the British throne in 1936. It can also mean to stop taking responsibility for something.