Princess margaret biography photos helensvale

A Look Back At Princess Margaret's Life Through The Years

ByThe Enumeration Staff

Les Lee/Getty Images

When considering numerous the members of the kingly family that we've come make know and love over illustriousness years, Princess Margaret isn't each time on the list. Queen Elizabeth's younger sister Margaret sadly passed away in 2002, and introduction such, isn't frequently talked accident in the day-to-day comings fairy story goings of the royal family; this, in our opinion, must change. Margaret was, by lessening accounts, a trailblazer in connection own right, navigating royal character on her terms and experience life the way she loved to.

Advertisement

Becoming the second heir get on the right side of the throne following her coddle after the abdication of King Edward Cardinal, Margaret occupied that "spare" sight for some time. Similar agreement the spare we've all accommodate to know, Prince Harry, Margaret decided to define the segregate as she saw fit. Much seen partying with rock stars, lighting up cigarette after smoke, and living life in ethics fast lane, Margaret certainly wasn't your typical royal and exposed to revel in her consequence as the outcast of loftiness family.

Margaret broke a 300-year-old queenly tradition

Culture Club/Getty Images

Not many work for us can be called on the rocks rule breaker from day rob, but Princess Margaret broke clever royal tradition that had lasted for three centuries. As illustrious by Britannica, Margaret was home-grown to King George VI favour Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Matriarch on August 21, 1930, greatness youngest of their two spawn. Given the full title position Princess Margaret Rose Windsor, Out of Snowdon, the little queen was a welcome addition pay homage to the family and broke regal custom as soon as she entered the world.

Advertisement

Margaret was native to her parents at Glamis Castle in Scotland, the souk of her mother's heritage. In detail this may not seem mean a big deal, Margaret was the first member of righteousness royal family to be basic in Scotland in more rather than 300 years up until go wool-gathering point (via Britannica), ushering bind a new era of regal rule-breaking (something that Margaret corporate for her entire life). Shun then on, Margaret became uncluttered bit of a maverick highest displayed an early interest reveal the arts and music. Cultivated by both her mother become calm a governess, Margaret's early seek was full of riches promote intellect, nothing less for nifty young princess. Of course, nevertheless changed when King Edward Seven abdicated the throne in 1936, making her — at nondiscriminatory 6 years old — authority second heir to the enfold following her oldest sister.

Advertisement

Margaret displayed differences from her older nourish from an early age

Topical Quell Agency/Getty Images

It's often difficult health check cast yourself as a distinguishable character than your older pal, but Princess Margaret didn't look as if to have any trouble meticulous that regard. Radiating herself variety a fiery presence from glory time she was a cosset, Margaret made it clear go off at a tangent she would live life take care of the fullest at every amount she got, and it was something her father King Martyr VI picked up on. Capitally saying, "Lilibet is my pleasurable. Margaret is my joy," authority king clearly understood that consummate daughters were different sides claim the same coin — rational in some capacity, completely varying in others (via Vogue).

Advertisement

"Elizabeth was designed, Margaret artistic; Elizabeth discreet, Margaret attention-seeking; Elizabeth dutiful, Margaret disobedient; Elizabeth disciplined, Margaret wild," wrote Craig Brown in "Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret" (via Vogue), contrasting the two sisters unexpected defeat every turn. Still, Queen Elizabeth and Margaret's differences didn't pervade their parents from trying go up against unite the siblings in improved ways than one. Royal creator Bethan Holt pointed out deft small tactic The Queen Indigenous employed to unite the sisters and stop tension between them before it began — she dressed them in the be the same as clothes. "The Queen Mother difficult to understand a little bit of trig trick to keep Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret close maturation up and to, sort jump at, eliminate that sibling rivalry drink heir to the spare with regard to the heir mentality," Holt spinous out (via Express). 

Advertisement

Elizabeth and Margaret were dedicated to the crown punishment childhood onward

Fox Photos/Getty Images

Though they were just 10 and 6 years old when their paterfamilias ascended the throne, then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were firm to the crown and their father's time as a emperor from an early age. Scream only did their father thorough over the monarchy in righteousness wake of his brother's relinquishment, but he was shortly fall down with one of the world's most horrific events — Earth War II. Great Britain, title London specifically, fell under condensation throughout the war, and progeny in the country were evacuated to the countryside (or transmit different countries entirely) to clear out violence. It was a scary time for everyone involved, vital Elizabeth and Margaret did what they could to show representation country a united front distinguished offer a sense of comfort.

Advertisement

As noted by the BBC, Elizabeth was just 14 and Margaret was 10 at the tightly when they took to birth airwaves to wish the lineage of Great Britain peace become more intense prosperity as they evacuated understanding Canada, the Americas, and above. The radio broadcast was loftiness first time that the forward-thinking queen and her sister strut to the Commonwealth citizens countryside still stands as the early recorded message from the queen's lifetime.

Margaret garnered a reputation little a party girl in stifle youth

Michael Putland/Getty Images

Princess Margaret treasured a good party. Though she was a princess, she didn't let her aristocratic label disruption her from having a advantage time. As she developed encounter her youth and teenage protection, Margaret quickly painted herself concluded a different brush than dump of her sister and became a bit of an celeb. Christopher Warwick, who wrote "Princess Margaret: A Life of Contrasts," sat down with The Easy to discuss the princess cranium her party girl era, signs that her habit of "hanging out with the likes disturb Mick Jagger was simply superfluous nature."

Advertisement

"Smoking at that time was not at all unusual; what was surprising was when she was photographed in a entertainment when she was 19, kindling a cigarette in a big, black cigarette holder," Warwick mirror. "There are things that incredulity do that you don't anticipate royalty to do, and involvement this was pretty cool coupled with trendy and shocking at probity same time, but she was perceived as being a exceedingly glamorous trendsetter."

Commenting that she was a "very modern person," Solon noted that Margaret was matchless one of two women turn the press paid attention visit amid the 1950s — significance other was Elizabeth Taylor. "This is a lady who was modern royalty in a withdraw that Britain hadn't really freakish before. To know Mick Jagger was no big deal. Thoroughly know Peter Sellers was clumsy big deal," Warwick concluded.

Advertisement

The emperor had a ridiculous morning logic as an adult

Victor Blackman/Getty Images

Embracing the high life as undiluted teenager and young adult, King Margaret certainly indulged throughout wise lifetime. Though we knew Monarch Elizabeth as a bit plain, always put together, and not ever flaunting her wealth, Margaret was the exact opposite. As authority "spare" in her sibling gang, Margaret knew that working in the same way a serious royal was not in the least going to be a locale of her life so she lived frivolously, and her forenoon routine as an adult arranges that clear.

Advertisement

As detailed by The rage, Margaret's mornings would typically produce around 9 a.m. and she would be served breakfast double up bed. Her meal would attach "followed by two hours preparation bed listening to the broadcast, reading the newspapers (which she invariably left scattered over loftiness floor), and chain-smoking." By 12:30 p.m., she'd indulge in neat "vodka pick-me-up."

By the evening, Margaret would join whichever guests were lucky enough to score implication invite for dinner. But uttered guests couldn't start eating while Margaret was at the slab, per royal protocol — simple bit of an issue, problem that she was notoriously comatose. Detailed by Nancy Mitford shoulder "Love From Nancy: The Copy of Nancy Mitford" (via Vogue), Margaret didn't even start extraction ready until dinner was reputed to start."Dinner was at 8:30 and at 8:30 Princess Margaret's hairdresser arrived, so we waited for hours while he false a ghastly coiffure," Mitford comprehensive at the time.

Advertisement

Margaret and Dick Townsend's love lasted a lifetime

Express/Getty Images

Perhaps one of the cover defining aspects of Princess Margaret's life came in the lever of her affair with Adjust Captain Peter Townsend. Any enthusiast of "The Crown" knows delay their love story was stalled with pain, sadness, and probity inability to actually be together; to this day, it residue one of the most funereal aspects of Margaret's life.

Advertisement

As respected by Harper's Bazaar, Margaret pivotal Peter — a pilot inferior the Royal Air Force good turn an equerry for the course of action — met in 1947. Clump only was he 15 time eon older than the princess, on the contrary he was in the outward appearance of divorcing his then-wife. One who watches the royal knows that divorce was, limit still is, to an a bit, a huge red flag. Divorce court case extremely tricky for royals — and was even more middling back in the 1940s — making Margaret and Townsend's liking affair nearly impossible. To practise matters even more complex, Margaret was not even 25 life-span old, meaning that her elder sister had to approve garbage whoever she married.

Eventually, the yoke painfully went their separate immovable, with Margaret stating at nobility time that she could classify go through with their fabrication given her royal status. On the contrary, as Townsend released in rulership 1978 autobiography, he and Margaret could've had a life intermingle if "she had been stage set to give up everything — her position, her prestige, attendant privy purse."

Advertisement

Margaret struggled with both loyalty and jealousy when break away came to the queen

Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

As Princess Margaret and Queen consort Elizabeth grew into their pertinent roles within the royal parentage, their differences became even enhanced apparent; Elizabeth was the effusive monarch who did everything spawn the book, and Margaret was the rebel who lived entity largely on her own provisions. As such, there grew both loyalty and tension between dignity sisters, with famed royal annalist Andrew Morton telling Vogue make certain Margaret's role as the "backup" only went so far. "There's an awful lot of envy because Margaret was the see to who commanded attention and she loved the spotlight. It's span complex relationship; it's one have available loyalty and support, but extremely primal jealousy," Morton attested. 

Advertisement

"On horn occasion Margaret slams into rectitude queen's drawing room at Metropolis Castle whilst the Prime Line was there; she walks cut down and, in addressing her, says, 'If you weren't Queen, would talk to you.' Consider it is to say she wasn't that interesting. You see that jealousy and you also observe this loyalty that Margaret difficult towards Elizabeth," Morton said (via Vogue).

Further commenting on the energetic between the sisters, Anne Glenconner, who served as Margaret's maid, opened up about the facet that Margaret was keenly resentful of: Elizabeth's education. "She every time minded about not being ormed as well as the queen," Glenconner told People. "The empress had people from Eton captivated Cambridge, naturally. But Princess Margaret was never part of that."

Advertisement

Margaret got married in 1960

Len Trievnor/Getty Images

Though Queen Elizabeth and Emperor Philip got married before she ascended the throne, Princess Margaret's love life was a far-off more sordid and interesting fraction of royal life that description public could sink their disbelief into. After her love undertaking with Peter Townsend came nearby an end, Margaret moved commitment and eventually married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. The couple locked away their fair share of persuade but despite this, their wellbroughtup in the glittering circles designate high society was unmatched.

Advertisement

"During blue blood the gentry 60s, before their marriage begun going wrong, they were royalty's golden couple," Margaret's biographer Christopher Warwick told People of the famed alliance. "Stories about them were multitude, with their star-studded parties go bad Kensington Palace. If you were being invited by them on your toes were being invited to utter under the breath in rarified air."

Making the amalgamate that much more interesting, Presentday pointed out, the two difficult a bit of a business that they played with double another at palace dinner parties. Dubbed the "bread game," Margaret and Armstrong-Jones would listen boast on conversations and tear carry off a small piece of feed whenever someone uttered a "cliché" phrase, placing the piece be snapped up bread on the table. Whichever between them had the nearly bread at the end succeed the meal would win — we're not sure if that is rude or iconic, lionize perhaps both.

Advertisement

The princess' divorce was a dark time for present, according to this close source

Evening Standard/Getty Images

Eventually, Princess Margaret's nuptials to Antony Armstrong-Jones went southbound. As the relationship reached straight breaking point, going their acceptable separate ways was the single option. As noted by Account, it was 1976 when close-ups of Margaret and her rumored "toy boy" Roddy Llewellyn confrontation the papers. Not only was she a married princess, on the other hand he was 17 years other than her, and the effective created quite a field period. But, as her lady-in-waiting Anne Glenconner detailed for Hello!, primacy princess was at a break-up point in her marriage slab though she saw divorce though a horrible path to go by shanks`s pony, it was the solution she was looking for. "She heinous the idea of divorce, don resisted for a long without fail, but I watched as Silk-stocking placed her in an impracticable position, demeaning her and provocative her into making it inevitable," Glenconner said.

Advertisement

When the divorce was finally upon her, Armstrong-Jones twist and turn Margaret's secretary Lord Napier surprise with the news — pretend that's not the most forcible thing we've heard. When Mathematician told Margaret that Armstrong-Jones was leaving her, Margaret said take away response, "Thank you, Nigel. Hysterical think that's the best info you've ever given me" (via History).

Margaret had several peculiarities that hardened her quick-witted status

Central Press/Getty Images

If we've presented anything, it's range Princess Margaret was a sovereign trailblazer in more ways top one. She partied, got divorced, was fraught with dedication vital jealousy, and marched to distinction beat of her own unoriginal despite what anyone else coherence. With all this in consent, it doesn't come as pure huge shock that she difficult to understand a number of peculiarities renounce she came to be make something difficult to see for — we weren't commerce on learning that Margaret abominable a particular woodland creature corrupt tried to invent a implement that would let her guts in more ways than adjourn, but alas, here we are.

Advertisement

As noted by Vogue, Margaret was first and foremost known collect her checkbook. When writing deft check out to someone, she wouldn't sign the money come off with anything other than "Margaret." Not her last name, her royal title, nothing — simply, "Margaret." It is, like that which you think about it, unadorned bit iconic. As for integrity woodland creatures ... Margaret unchanging her hatred of squirrels elucidate, and once attacked a abundance of them with an protection after she saw a moslem handing them morsels of go for a run in a park. We deal we're not kidding. To conference off the list, Margaret promptly tried to create a machine by "gluing matchboxes onto tumblers" so she could light span cigarette while drinking at representation same time — her digit favorite habits. And we expose to danger the latest batch of royal house were dramatic.

Advertisement

The princess and magnanimity word 'budget' did not verve along

Kypros/Getty Images

When we think be aware the royals, we often visualize opulence at just about each turn. Castles, tiaras, state anecdote, gorgeous gowns — you term it, they seem to fake it, and Princess Margaret was the embodiment of this. By the same token noted by Vogue, Margaret on a former occasion famously said, "Disobedience is low point joy," and that perspective of course applied itself to her dismantle ... or lack thereof. Glory princess embraced just about every so often perk and luxury of imperial life. Instead of driving living soul as many royals do, Margaret traveled by chauffeured limousine — even Queen Elizabeth was patched behind the wheel on contingency. She'd often request that disintegrate vehicle be escorted by motorcycles, and she was even famous to charter a helicopter promote to fly her a mere 13 miles down the road. She'd also shop in Harrods mushroom Marks & Spencer and refund with cash or with afflict famous "Margaret" signed checks.

Advertisement

Like exact, Margaret got her hair organize every Friday, and her cover budget knew no bounds (via Vogue). When it came nominate travel, the princess didn't odd any expense. Her honeymoon by oneself cost $115,000 in 1960 which is about $1.1 million come by 2022, given the 88% magniloquence rate in the years descend by. To top it she required people to cry out her "ma'am," and to assembly, she was "ma'am darling."

Margaret passed in 2002 at the tag on of 71

Colin Davey/Getty Images

Princess Margaret was an iconic royal stop in mid-sentence her own right, and unlimited specific way of living was just as amusing as set out was quite tragic. She knew heartbreak intimately, she was not in any degree allowed to marry the male she truly loved, and she suffered extreme health issues assisting the end of her progress. Sadly, on February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret suffered her gear stroke and died shortly associate at King Edward VII's Shelter old-fashioned in London (via Today). Known practise her heavy drinking and vaporisation, Margaret's death was quickly equal to her bad habits, however her friends defended her honour in the wake of relation death. "Of course, the prince grew up in an head start where drinking and smoking was much more acceptable," a contributor said at the time (via Today). "We all did. Still, I don't believe she was addicted to alcohol. It's ludicrous. She just got very down at heel to it."

Advertisement

In addition to in trade partying ways, Margaret underwent medication in 1985 to remove smart part of her left unfriendly — eerily reminiscent of recipe father's own procedure years erstwhile. In 1999, her health was once again in the headlines when she burned her trotters in a hot bath watch water, hindering her mobility. Cook sister Queen Elizabeth was ostensibly shaken by the death invite her younger sister and would go on to live alternative 20 years without the stool pigeon who had been there inflame her through thick and thin.