Lord Snowdon began avoiding the spotlight, working endless hours in his role as the art director of The Sunday Times, and treating Margaret with increasing cruelty. . But when the time came, she renounced Townsend in a touching statement. Others believed her self-indulgent lifestyle may have contributed. Tragedy struck in 1952 when King George VI died in his sleep after struggling with lung cancer, which elevated Elizabeth, just 25 at the time, to the throne. When the two princesses respectively reached 18 the age at which upper-class girls traditionally came out the difference in their roles was apparent. Anne de Courcy maps Princess Margarets life and final years, and considers what might have led to her early death. Those strokes had left her with impaired vision and reduced mobility. Stating that people were more interested in the couple than the recent 1955 United Kingdom general election, on 29 May the Daily Express published an editorial demanding that Buckingham Palace confirm or deny the rumours. ", "How accurate is The Crown? She began smoking heavily after the death of her father. Anne Princess Royal (b. [158] As she recovered, her ladies-in-waiting kept Lord Snowdon away from her, afraid that seeing him would distress her further. [1] Margaret abandoned her plans with Townsend and married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960; the Queen created him Earl of Snowdon. Afterwards, both Elizabeth and Margaret joined the crowds outside the palace, incognito, chanting, "We want the King, we want the Queen! [191] She became interested in ballet from a very young age and enjoyed participating in amateur plays. [186], Margaret's later life was marred by illness and disability. Princess Margaret Rose was born on August 21, 1930, at Glamis Castle, Scotland, the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. We were liberated at last from this monstrous problem", Townsend said. We lose our precious gift divine to worship and adore Although Margaret and Townsend had read the editorial the newspaper denounced as from "a dusty world and a forgotten age", they had earlier made their decision and written an announcement.[99][103]. However, her bond with her sister Queen Elizabeth II remained strong until her. [73] A temporary assignment of three months from the RAF became permanent. Her sister, Princess Margaret, meanwhile, had a lock on the column inches and cover pages of the British tabloids for much of the mid-to-late 20th century. What might happen if the Queen abdicates the throne?
Princess Margaret's final years - HistoryExtra She was enjoying time at a friends home on the island when she fell ill, and the news spread widely enough that Buckingham Palace announced it to the world shortly after. Its preposterous. Her tumultuous love life is still remembered today, and has been portrayed in Netflix's The Crown series - rekindling public interest in the princess, who was known for her glamorous lifestyle and whip-smart tongue. Below we investigate the true story, and the eventual death of the troubled royal. During the abdication crisis, the Church of England refused to countenance the remarriage of the divorced. The press began reporting on their troubles in 1967, which led to an attempt to reconcile, but it was of little use. Princess Margaret died at 71 on Feb. 9, 2002, at King Edward VIIs Hospital in London. [29] Margaret spoke at the end by wishing all the children goodnight. Nervous staffers then found it difficult to wake her. She was already no stranger to indulgences; her morning routine famously started with chain-smoking in bed and late breakfasts of vodka before a lunch that revolved around big glasses of wine. People who came into contact with her could be perplexed by her swings between frivolity and formality. [59] In January 1955, she made the first of many trips to the Caribbean, perhaps to distract, and as a reward for being apart, from Townsend. Her life, if not her actions, made the decisions and choices of her sister's children, three of whom divorced, easier than they otherwise would have been. [248] The sale of her effects totalled 13,658,000. "[111], Why a betrothal did not occur is unclear. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 1955) Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom & Philip Duke of Edinburgh. Just Margaret. Below we investigate the real story behind the season 3 events, and what led to Margaret's eventual death in 2002. [246] A world record price of 1.24million was set by a Faberg clock. It started with breakfast in bed at 9:00 a.m., "followed . [60] Margaret did not reveal this publicly until an interview and subsequent biography with Nigel Dempster in 1977. [75], Private Secretary to the Queen Sir Alan Lascelles wrote that Townsend came to tell him he had asked Margaret to marry him shortly before Christmas 1952. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Already, at 54, a portion of her left lung had been removed and she suffered from migraines, bronchitis and laryngitis. The previous day, she had suffered another stroke that was followed by cardiac problems. [109], The press described Margaret's 25th birthday, 21 August 1955, as the day she was free to marry,[68] and expected an announcement about Townsend soon. Known for her indulgences, the royal battled various health issues throughout her life. American newspapers noted her increasing vitality and speculated that she must be in love. According toThe Guardian, the princess was the first member of the royal family to be cremated in the century since the procedure became legal. Famous in her youth for her glittering social life when she scandalised Fifties London by being pictured smoking in public. [145][60] A year later she had a one-month liaison with Robin Douglas-Home, a nephew of former British Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home. Her education was supervised by her mother, and she and her sister were entrusted to a governess. They continued to drift, and Margaret began an affair with Roderic Llewellyn, a man 18 years her junior, in 1973. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [111][112] A Gallup poll found that 59% of Britons approved of their marrying, with 17% opposed. [142] The Snowdons experimented with the styles and fashions of the 1960s. [121], "Thoroughly drained, thoroughly demoralized", Margaret later said,[60] she and Townsend wrote the statement together. In 1952, her father died, her sister became queen, and Townsend divorced his wife. [155] It was the first of several visits. No longer was Margaret simply the younger sister of an older sibling, but of someone who would one day become the most important figure in the kingdom while she remained, merely, the younger sister. The Church would consider any children from the marriage to be illegitimate. "Peter Townsend of the Royal Air Force, a Battle of Britain hero with whom she fell in love when he served as an equerry to her father, King George VI.". [213] Unlike most other members of the royal family, Princess Margaret was cremated, at Slough Crematorium. [51] In July 1949, at a fancy dress ball at the American Ambassador's residence, Margaret performed the can-can on stage, accompanied by Douglas and ten other costumed girls.
Princess Diana Last Words Before Death: What Did She Say - StyleCaster Parliament might pass resolutions opposing the marriage, which the people would see as a disagreement between government and monarchy; Lord Salisbury, a High Anglican, might resign from the government rather than help pass a Bill of Renunciation. A footman told how the King diverted the pair's picnic plans, adding that whatever the King and Queen knew about the developing relationship, few royal staff failed to notice as it was obvious to them. PRINCESS Margaret died in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year of 2002 at the age of 71 after a period of ill health. In 2002, the New York Times wrote: The New York Times reported that Margaret left "closely scripted instructions" for her funeralwhich occurred on the 50th anniversary of her father's, King George VI. "I was so exhausted because of everything that all I wanted to do was sleep . Margaret accepted one of Wallace's many proposals to marry in 1956, but the engagement ended before an official announcement when he admitted to a romance in the Bahamas; "I had my chance and blew it with my big mouth", Wallace said. Princess Margaret's interview with Royal author Andrew Duncan reveals so much about how she felt about her sister, Queen Elizabeth. [230] Margaret was described by her cousin Lady Elizabeth Shakerley as "somebody who had a wonderful capacity for giving a lot of people pleasure and she was making a very, very, very good and loyal friend". [19], Margaret's grandfather, George V, died when she was five, and her uncle acceded to the throne as King Edward VIII. The Princess of Wales died on August 31, 1997 after sustaining fatal injuries in a car crash. [33], At the end of the war in 1945, Margaret appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with her family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Given all the tumult around the crown at the time, it wasnt really an option. Margaret and Lord Snowdon divorced in 1978, the first royal divorce in 400 years. They stuck it out in England throughout World War II and Margaret grew into a gregarious, funny teenager, qualities that would later become her calling card. They were married on May 6, 1960, in the first royal wedding to be televised. She signed her checks as "Margaret." No title. [83] Of her father she wrote, "He was such a wonderful person, the very heart and centre of our happy family. Andrew Duke of York & Charles Prince of Wales. They were married in May 1960.
Royal tragedy: Princess Margaret's touching last words She chose her royal duties. Speaking to the Radio Times, he revealed some of her comments she had revealed to him back in the 1960s, in one of the very few and final occasions she spoke candidly about the Queen. And I did, right through to the following afternoon.". [191] Actors and film stars were among the regular visitors to her residence at Kensington Palace. [230], The Independent wrote in Townsend's 1995 obituary that "The immense display of popular sentiment and interest [in the relationship] can now be seen to have constituted a watershed in the nation's attitude towards divorce". Anne de Courcy is a writer, journalist and book reviewer and the author of the authoritative Lord Snowdon biography (Snowdon: the Biography, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008), Claim your summer book + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed. The documentary also reveals how Her Majesty and Margaret remained devoted sisters over the years. Margaret was the first member of the royal family in some 300 years to be born in Scotland, at her mothers family seat of Glamis Castle. Eventually her extensive charitable work, combined with a new, more modern sympathy for the restricted options she faced, gained her a measure of public respect. Speaking to Channel 5 documentary 'Princess Margaret: Rebel without a Crown', the expert said: "She would say exactly what she thought. [68], For two years, press speculation continued. Like her beloved sister, the late Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret's influence lives on. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, CI, GCVO, GCStJ, CD (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King GeorgeVI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Royal author Andrew Duncan has released an interview from the late 1960s with Princess Margaret. Elizabeth, however, did not mind this, and commented, "Oh, it's so much easier when Margaret's thereeverybody laughs at what Margaret says". As a journalist, she has written thousands of profile pieces - interviewing CEOs, real-life case studies and celebrities - interviewing everyone from Emma Bunton to the founder of Headspace. [38] Later that year, Margaret was a bridesmaid at Elizabeth's wedding. Her Majesty issued the announcement "with great sadness" and reportedly "[Princess Margaret's] children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, were at her side.". [151] In 1975, the Princess was listed among women with whom actor Warren Beatty had had romantic relationships. However, her bond with her sister Queen Elizabeth II remained strong until her very final day.
From style icon to recluse: the end for princess of sorrows [82], Margaret was grief-stricken by her father's death and was prescribed sedatives to help her sleep. Margaret and her father were. The registration of her birth was delayed for several days to avoid her being numbered thirteen in the parish register. Edward Earl of Wessex/Sophie Countess of Wessex. Margaret lost a lot of standing with the public, with the tabloids following her every move, mocking and speculating and noting her increasing time in the Caribbean. [61] Prime Minister Churchill personally approved of "a lovely young royal lady married to a gallant young airman" but his wife reminded Churchill that he had made the same mistake during the abdication crisis. ", JUST IN:Royal heartbreak: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry mark tragedy. 1434; Heald, pp. Margaret would be allowed to keep her royal title and her allowance, stay in the country, and even continue with her public duties. The three-month-long visit was Margaret's first visit abroad, and she later claimed that she remembered "every minute of it". Anne de Courcy maps Princess Margaret's life and final years, and considers what might have led to her early death [247] The Poltimore Tiara, which she wore for her wedding in 1960, sold for 926,400. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
Princess Margaret: The True Story of the Royal Party Girl [41], Around the time of Princess Elizabeth's wedding in November 1947, the press started to follow the social life of "unconventional" Margaret and her reputation for vivacity and wit. The water that gushed out of them was, thanks to a faulty thermostat, near-boiling.