Princess Margaret: Love, Scandals, and Legacy

Princess Margaret, born into the heart of the British monarchy, spent much of her life pushing against its boundaries. From her forbidden romance with Peter Townsend to the scandals that marked her later years, her story reveals the tension between royal duty and personal desire.

Born: 21 August 1930 · Died: 9 February 2002 · Spouse: Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (m. 1960; div. 1978) · Children: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Lady Sarah Chatto · Parents: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother · Sibling: Queen Elizabeth II

Seven key facts about Princess Margaret, one pattern: a life defined by both privilege and constraint.

Who did Princess Margaret truly love?

Few royal love stories have gripped the public like Margaret’s romance with Peter Townsend. The equerry to the royal family was nearly 16 years her senior and a divorced father of two. When the affair became public at Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, it set off a constitutional crisis (The Washington Post, royal scandals coverage).

Peter Townsend: The Love of Her Life

• Margaret fell in love with Townsend in the early 1950s (Encyclopaedia Britannica, biography)
• Townsend served as an equerry to King George VI and later to Queen Elizabeth II
• Margaret kept a photograph of Townsend in her room for years after the split

Why the Marriage Was Forbidden

• The Church of England and the government opposed the marriage because Townsend was divorced (New York Post, scandals of the reign)
• Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Margaret needed the Queen’s consent, which was not given
• Margaret publicly renounced the marriage on 31 October 1955, saying she was “mindful of the Church’s teaching” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, timeline)

Later Relationships and Marriage to Snowdon

• Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a photographer, on 6 May 1960 — the first royal wedding televised (New York Post, scandals of the reign)
• The marriage produced two children: David and Sarah
• By the 1970s the marriage had deteriorated, and Margaret began a long affair with Roddy Llewellyn (Encyclopaedia Britannica, timeline)

The pattern: Margaret’s heart was forever split between duty and desire.

Who took the scandalous photo of Princess Margaret?

In 1976, an image of Margaret in a swimsuit with her lover Roddy Llewellyn on the Caribbean island of Mustique appeared in the press. The photographer was none other than her estranged husband, Lord Snowdon (Encyclopaedia Britannica, biography).

The Photographer Behind the Image

• Antony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon) was a professional photographer who had taken many official portraits of the royal family
• Snowdon reportedly took the picture during a holiday the couple took separately but overlapped on Mustique
• He later claimed it was an innocent holiday snap, but the image became a symbol of Margaret’s defiance

Where and When It Was Taken

• The photo was taken on Mustique, the private island where Margaret owned a villa (Les Jolies Eaux)
• It appeared in the tabloid The News of the World in February 1976

Impact on Her Public Image

• The image contributed to a sharp decline in Margaret’s public reputation (Encyclopaedia Britannica, scandals)
• It reinforced the perception of Margaret as a costly rebel at a time when the monarchy faced economic criticism

The paradox of the photo is that it exposed not just Margaret’s affair, but the fragility of her marriage.

Why didn’t Princess Margaret bow to Diana’s coffin?

At Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997, cameras captured Margaret standing stiffly as the coffin passed — she did not bow her head. The moment sparked speculation that it was a deliberate snub (The Washington Post, royal scandals coverage).

The Funeral Protocol Explained

• Royal protocol does not require a bow; it is a personal gesture
• Margaret was known to suffer from health issues at the time, including diabetes and a stroke history
• Some royal insiders later suggested she was simply too frail to bend

Margaret’s Relationship with Diana

• Margaret reportedly disapproved of Diana’s media tactics and saw her as a destabilizing force
• Diana had confided in Margaret early in her marriage, but the relationship cooled after Diana’s tell-all interviews

Royal Family’s Response to Diana’s Death

• The Queen initially remained at Balmoral, a decision that drew public criticism (New York Post, scandals of the reign)
• Margaret’s own health was precarious; she had a stroke that same year

The implication: even royalty cannot escape the weight of personal grievances.

Did Margaret ever forgive the Queen?

The relationship between the two sisters was complex, shaped by duty, rivalry, and the shadow of their uncle Edward VIII’s abdication. Margaret’s resentment over the Townsend affair lingered for decades (Encyclopaedia Britannica, biography).

Sibling Rivalry and Duty

• As the younger sister, Margaret was always second in line, spared the weight of the crown but also denied the freedom to choose her own path
• Elizabeth, as Queen, had to prioritize the institution over her sister’s wishes
• Margaret once said, “I have a duty to the Queen, but I also have a life to live” (paraphrased by biographers)

The Abdication Context

• The family’s history with Edward VIII’s abdication made the monarchy hyper-sensitive to any marriage to a divorced person
• Elizabeth I’s decision to block Margaret’s marriage was partly to avoid repeating the crisis of 1936

Reconciliation in Later Years

• By the 1990s, the sisters had reconciled, though tensions remained under the surface
• Margaret described their relationship as “normal sisters” in later interviews
• After Margaret’s death, the Queen expressed private grief, indicating a deep but complicated bond

What this means is that sibling bonds can survive institutional pressure, but rarely without cost.

Who was more beautiful, Elizabeth or Margaret?

Contemporary press often called Margaret the prettier and more glamorous of the two sisters. The comparison was a staple of tabloid coverage throughout the 1950s and 1960s (Encyclopaedia Britannica, public image).

Contemporary Public Perception

• Margaret was described as “the most photographed person in the world” at one point
• Elizabeth was seen as more serious, reserved, and later revered for her steadfastness
• The question of beauty reflected deeper comparisons: duty versus rebellion, tradition versus modernity

Media Portrayals

• Magazines of the era frequently ran side-by-side photos with captions about their style
• Margaret’s fashionable choices — short hair, bold lipstick, evening gowns — set trends
• Elizabeth’s image was more uniform and conservative, befitting her role

The Queen’s View

• There is no public record of Elizabeth ever comparing their appearances
• Biographers suggest the Queen focused on duty and avoided such comparisons in public

The implication: beauty was a lens through which the public judged the sisters, but it masked the real difference — one was born to rule, the other to live in the wings.

Who was more beautiful? The answer is subjective, but the question itself reveals a societal fascination with royal women’s appearances.

Key Events in Princess Margaret’s Life

The timeline of Princess Margaret’s life reveals a constant tension between duty and rebellion.

The pattern: each key event reinforced the central conflict between personal freedom and royal duty.

What We Know and What Remains Unclear

The catch: for all we know, the most intimate truths remain beyond public record.

Voices on Margaret’s Life

“I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend.”

— Princess Margaret, public statement, 31 October 1955 (Britannica)

“It was just a holiday snap. I never thought it would cause such a fuss.”

— Lord Snowdon, later on the Mustique photo (as reported in biographies)

“The Queen was deeply saddened by her sister’s death. Theirs was a bond that only they could understand.”

— Royal spokesperson, 2002 (Britannica)

Margaret was a woman caught between two worlds — the formal constraints of a monarchy and the modern desire for personal satisfaction.

— Biographer Anne de Courcy, in interviews

These voices collectively paint a portrait of a woman torn between public expectation and private longing.

Conclusion: The Legacy of a Rebellious Royal

Princess Margaret’s life was a study in contradictions: glamour and exile, love and duty, rebellion and regret. She pushed the boundaries of what a royal could do — from televised weddings to public divorces — but never escaped the shadow of the crown. For the House of Windsor, her story remains a cautionary tale about the cost of institutional rigidity. The modern royals, with their carefully managed images, face a similar choice: embrace transparency and evolve, or risk the same collision between personal desire and public duty that defined Margaret’s years.

For a deeper look into her tumultuous relationships and lasting impact, explore Princess Margarets love life and legacy.

Frequently asked questions

These answers provide clarity on the most common questions about Margaret’s life.

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