Take a look inside the fascinating, opulent and completely extraordinary life of The Queen’s beloved sister – Princess Margaret, the Countess of Snowdon.
She oozed opulence, relished in glamour and loved to party – her life though, was shrouded in controversy and scandal yet her legacy is as stunning as ever.
Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth lived a wonderful life as little girls, but it changed forever when her father George VI, with whom she shared a close relationship with, reluctantly and unexpectedly became King in 1936 after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne so he could marry twice divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson.
Life in Buckingham Palace was strict and as the younger sister of the heir-apparent, her needs were often looked over.
“She was rather sidelined, and that’s why she became this outgoing, extravagant person because she felt she had to make her mark in some way,” close friend Lady Jane Rayne revealed in the documentary Princess Margaret – A Love Story.
Soon enough, after the Second World War, as the Princess blossomed in to a truly beautiful woman, she became a prominent socialite and the topic of conversation across the globe.
It became vastly clear that Princess Margaret was here for a good time, not a long – and boy, did she live.
Known fondly as a night owl, who would often stay up until the sun rose, she caused quite a stir for her sister who became Queen at just 25 – especially when it came to matters of the heart.
Famously the young Princess fell madly in love with a divorcee named Peter Townsend but was forced to end their engagement when her sister revealed that she had to choose between love and a royal title – including the salary that came along with it, a reported $AUD 400,000 per year.
“I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Capt. Peter Townsend. Mindful of the church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others,” she revealed to Parliament at the time.
She later married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, but after two children together they divorced in 1978 – causing more controversy for the Queen.
It was a life filled the finer things, romantic-trysts with celebrities and designer gowns, but first and foremost was her loyalty to The Queen, who she loved dearly.
Her extravagant, and expensive life came to an end in 2002 at 71 due to a stroke, The Queen announced her “beloved” sister’s death via statement with “great sadness.”
“I never in all my life heard Princess Margaret say a harsh or critical word about the Queen. She was totally devoted to her and the Queen will miss her very much,” good friend and Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord St John of Fawsley said after her death.
Although it’s been over a decade since her death, her legacy is still burning bright in her children and grandchildren, including 16-year-old grandson Arthur Chatto. However, Margaret did away with passing on any royal titles to her family, as she once explained, “My children are not royal, they just happen to have the Queen for their aunt.”
Click through to see Princess Margaret’s stunning, glamorous and decadent life in pictures, plus get to know her grandson Arthur!
While Princess Margaret sadly passed away in 2002 from a stroke, her memory is still alive and well in her 16-year-old grandson Arthur Chatto, whose mother is Lady Sarah Chatto.
Unlike his first cousins, Arthur enjoys a more low-key life away from royal duties. However in 2006 he acted as a page (L) when William was installed as a knight of the Thistle. And in 2008 (R) he joined his famous family for their traditional church service in Sandringham.
Arthur’s Instagram account shows an ambitious teenager, who attends the prestigious Eton College in Berkshire where his family members Prince William and Prince Harry also studied. And in an alternate universe if The Queen, like her uncle before her, ever decided to abdicate from the throne and thus Margaret had to step up, Arthur and his big brother Samuel could have been the equivalent of Prince William and Harry.
The heir and the spare: Born in August, 1930, The Queen’s younger sister Princess Margaret (L), Countess of Snowdon, was well-known for her irreverent approach to life. Here, the young princesses pose in matching outfits at Buckingham Palace in 1942.
The stunning royal, pictured in 1966 attending the Balmain fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, was praised for her elegant style.
But it was the trials and tribulations of her personal life that truly captured the world’s imagination.
In 1952, Margaret fell head over heels in love with Group Captain Peter Woolridge Townsend and he proposed. However after consulting The Queen, she rejected his offer of marriage as he was a divorcee and therefore an unsuitable match in the eyes of the Church of England.
“I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. But mindful of the Church’s teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others. I have reached this decision entirely alone,” she explained at the time.
She went on to marry photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in a lavish ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey in 1960. It was the first ever a royal wedding was to be broadcast on television, with 300 million viewers turning in. Sadly, they divorced in 1978 after wide-spread rumours of Margaret’s infidelity surfaced.
A year after tying the knot, the couple welcomed their first son, David, Viscount Linley.
“She was rather sidelined, and that’s why she became this outgoing, extravagant person because she felt she had to make her mark in some way,” close friend Lady Jane Rayne revealed in the documentary Princess Margaret – A Love Story.
An unbreakable bond: Along with her sister, Princess Margaret lived a wonderful life as little girls, but it changed forever when her father, with whom she shared a close relationship with, reluctantly and unexpectedly became King after his brother abdicated from the throne. Here, King George and Queen Elizabeth spend time with their daughters at the Royal Lodge in Windsor in 1946.
With her older sister taking the crown and royal responsibility, Princess Margaret was much like cheeky Prince Harry. The younger siblings to the heirs both rub shoulders with glamorous celebrities and are well-known for hitting the social scene. In 1965 the Princess charmed the Beatles, while these days Harry is constantly hanging out with A-listers.
It’s long been rumoured the Queen’s younger sister had an affair with Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger. “She found him sexy and exciting. If you saw them laughing together, dancing, the way she’d put her hand on his knee and giggle at his stories like a schoolgirl, you’d have thought there was something going on,” a courtier explained in The Wild Life And Mad Genius Of Mick Jagger by Christopher Andersen.
Decked out in her finest jewels Princess Margaret puffs back on a cigarette at the Gala For Aids Crisis Trust in 1991. Like her father, the royal was a heavy smoker and in 1985 she had part of her left lung removed.
Her proudest achievements! Margaret’s children David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto attend the Queen Mother’s 87th birthday celebrations in 1987. Like her niece Princess Anne, Margaret did away with passing on any royal titles to her family. “My children are not royal, they just happen to have the Queen for their aunt.”
Seven weeks after her daughter’s tragic passing, The Queen Mother died in her sleep.
Prince Edward, The Queen, Princess Diana, The Queen Mother, Prince Charles and Princess Margaret wave to well-wishers outside Clarence House in London on The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday in 1990.
”When my sister and I were growing up, she was made out to be the goody-goody one,” she claimed to Andrew Duncan, who wrote The Reality of Monarchy.
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