It’s hard to imagine, but some sixty years ago, the British monarchical system was shaken by loud scandals, and the queen prayed only that another article mentioning her family would not appear in the yellow press. The main instigator of this lawlessness was Margaret, the younger sister of Elizabeth II.
Meghan Markle is called the main violator of the foundations of the British royal family and they still wonder how Elizabeth II allowed her grandson to marry a foreign commoner, and even a divorced one. Knowledgeable people remember very well that once, in similar circumstances, she did not bless the relationship of her younger sister- Princess Margaret.
She was in all respects a bright woman and her beauty (in the British sense) easily overshadowed Elizabeth II, but in Everyday life had to settle for a supporting role.
Fans called her " English rose”, However, she was definitely not a sissy and was famous for her very sharp spikes. Margaret was reputed to be impulsive, quick-tempered and always said what she thought right to her face. Her aristocratic arrogance was often so excessive that even close friends could not get used to it. There were many rumors about this eccentric person, and it was not the royal behavior of the princess that gave rise to them.
She drank a lot, smoked from the age of 15 and recklessly started fleeting novels.
Contemporaries of Her Majesty believed that Margaret was spoiled by her parents, allowing her much more than her sister. However, many are sure that a large role in difficult fate this forgotten woman was played by Elizabeth II herself.
Elizabeth and Margaret were born on the 21st, four years apart (the eldest in April 1926, the youngest in August 1930). Since childhood, they were very friendly, but the environment noted how different the girls were. Their father also emphasized this, calling Elizabeth his pride, and Margaret his joy.
Everything went wrong after the death of George VI and his accession to the throne eldest daughter. The last threads of sisterly love were broken. All attention was focused on Elizabeth, who became queen at the age of 26, and Margaret felt like no one needed.
There was only one person next to her - Peter Townsend. She fell in love with a handsome officer, a hero of the Second World War, who often visited their house, as a teenager. She was 14, he was 16 years older - what kind of relationship can we talk about? Nevertheless, the years went by, and their affection for each other only grew stronger, until it turned into an adult, mutual, true love.
The couple was forced to hide their romance, but one day everyone found out about it. During one event, Margaret and Peter gave out a characteristic intimate gesture - the girl brushed a speck of dust from her companion's shoulder. This was seen by the journalists present in the hall, and the next morning a devastating article appeared in one of the British newspapers.
There was no question of a wedding: the man was divorced, he had two children in his arms. Plus, he's a commoner. Elizabeth herself was against such a union, who, if desired, could easily rewrite the law and allow her sister to marry her beloved. Instead, she put forward an ultimatum to Margaret: in the event of marriage with Townsend, she was deprived of all royal privileges and life support. The unfortunate girl did not dare to repeat the fate of her famous uncle (Edward VIII, who renounced the throne for the sake of the American actress Wallis Simpson) and publicly abandoned her intention to marry the captain, citing her obligations to her country.
Rumor has it that it was the painful breakup with Townsend that pushed Margaret onto a crooked path. Yes, she always loved to have fun, but, left without her beloved man, she seemed to have broken the chain - she became a regular at nightclubs, from where she returned only in the morning. The princess became addicted to alcohol (she preferred “male” whiskey to light sparkling), smoked up to (!) 60 cigarettes a day, as a result of which part of her lung was later removed.
This lifestyle gave rise to a lot of different gossip. However, they spoiled the mood only for Elizabeth II - Margaret herself did not care about them. The media did not skimp on epithets, calling the queen's younger sister "spoiled", "annoying" and "cynical".
The princess always answered the same thing: "If one sister is a queen, a manifestation of goodness, then the second is destined to be the embodiment of evil and corruption - the queen of the night."
There were even rumors that Margaret was sleeping with her sister's husband, Prince Philip. It has long been said about him that he does not miss a single skirt. But what led the princess? Most likely, a banal desire to take revenge on the one who deprived her main love all my life, not allowing me to marry Townsend.
Years passed, Margaret was already thirty, and she remained unmarried girl. She was not interested in parties that were beneficial for the royal family; romances with men who ended up in the royal bed were fleeting. The only one who was able to attract her attention was the photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones.
Another commoner! But the way the princess looked at him and how happy she was with him melted the heart of Elizabeth II, and the queen agreed to the marriage. True, she asked to postpone the ceremony scheduled for mid-February - the birth of Prince Andrew was expected soon, and the wedding of her younger sister should not have overshadowed this event.
On May 6, 1960, life in the UK came to a standstill - on television (for the first time in history royal family) aired the wedding of Princess Margaret at Westminster Abbey.
The bride was dressed in unusually modest (for herself) wedding dress, designed by chief royal couturier Norman Hartnell. Her outfit, diamond Poltimore tiara (from the Queen Victoria collection) and a bouquet of miniature orchids created a beautiful, but not pompous look. So that everyone understands, it was not the queen who got married, but the princess.
The marriage, which lasted 18 years, could hardly be called successful: two difficult characters and big egos got along worse and worse, and soon not only Anthony, but Margaret herself began to have affairs on the side.
So she drew attention to a close friend of her husband, Anthony Burton. The feelings for him were so strong that Margaret, not at all embarrassed, began to call his wife and talk in detail about how much her husband loves. We don’t know how, but Eva Barton managed to win back the faithful, and Margaret, instantly forgetting about him, went in search of another victim.
Soon, long-haired hippie Roderick Llewellyn appeared on her way, who turned out to be 17 years younger than our heroine. In the future, he will become a well-known landscape designer in narrow circles, and at the time of the meeting with the royal person, his main passion was fun and alcohol. With Margaret, Roddy (as his relatives called him) rested at fashionable resorts, attended private parties with the participation of world celebrities - in general, he enjoyed life.
This “Dolce Vita” lasted for two whole years, and then The Sunday Time journalists managed to get photos of 46-year-old Margaret in the arms of a young and hot lover. A Sound of Thunder! Elizabeth II, tired of the antics of her younger sister, refused to pay her the annual 219 thousand pounds sterling allocated for the maintenance of members of the royal family, and her husband, finally seeing the light, announced that he was leaving. It was the first divorce in the British royal family in 400 years! And how many of them will be after ...
On the eve of her fiftieth birthday, Margaret lost her status not only as a married lady, but also as a style icon. Since the mid-1970s (it was then that her family life went downhill) Margaret rarely left the ratings of the most tastelessly dressed celebrities. Fashion critics called her "the curse of world fashion." One of them even said: "the sight of Margaret makes Londoners regret that there are no more fogs in their city." According to these ruthless experts, the princess looked squat in fashionable tweed suits, mini-skirts (and she especially loved them) did not suit her at all, and shirt dresses hung in a bag.
What a blow these words were for the one sung by Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent! These two creators of fashion Margaret adored and wanted to spit on the fact that members of the English royal family should go out in the outfits of British fashion designers. Unlike the older sister, the younger one could afford much more experimentation in clothing. Moreover, once she did pose without her. Unthinkable for a royal person, but it really happened. In 1965, then-loving and beloved husband Andrew photographed Margaret in a bath with a diamond tiara on her head. The one she wore on her wedding day.
Despite the splendor and luxury of her existence, the "spare" princess always suffered from loneliness. She felt this especially strongly in the last years of her life.
In 1991, she had her first stroke. I immediately had to forget about alcohol and cigarettes, which, to the surprise of all relatives, Margaret did. She no longer went to parties, and they invited her there less and less. Men began to lose interest in this once beautiful, but now “extinct” and lost her glamorous radiance woman. And Margaret herself began to lose interest in life.
The reason for this was an accident that happened to her in 1998. While taking a bath, the princess burned her feet badly. The injury was so serious that the freedom-loving woman could now move only in a wheelchair. At the end of 2001, Margaret stopped distinguishing objects, and in early 2002 she was taken to the hospital, where she died on February 9. The funeral was attended by family members, including the 101-year-old Queen Mother.
Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Margaret, despite being related to her sister Queen Elizabeth II was, perhaps, her complete opposite. Permissiveness and indulgences that her parents did (while older sister raised in strictness), greatly influenced the formation of her personality: Margaret grew up a spoiled and rather unscrupulous girl ..
The owner of an attractive appearance, Margaret is already in young age began to break the hearts of men. When she was 14 years old, she met a young officer, Peter Townsend. In addition to being a captain in the Royal Air Force, a war hero and a ringmaster in the king's court, he was also incredibly handsome. Of course, such a track record and the bright appearance of a young officer attracted young girl, and the fact that Townsend was married and had two sons did not bother her at all. Peter himself, despite his marital status, was fascinated by Margaret and later admitted in his memoirs that all men paid attention to her. He couldn't resist either.
Princess Margaret and Elizabeth II
However, Margaret's behavior (she led a rather free lifestyle by royal standards: she was not against alcohol, smoked and changed suitors like gloves) did not mean that her heart belonged to Townsend. But everything changed after the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, Margaret brushed a speck of dust from Peter's uniform. This proximity of the queen's sister and the officer did not go unnoticed by journalists, and then it became clear that Margaret and Peter had a very close relationship for a long time. By the way, by that time Townsend was already divorced from his wife, and, it would seem, now he and Margaret no longer had to hide. If not for one but. According to British law, the queen's sister could only marry upon reaching the age of 25, and since she was then only 23 years old, only her elder sister could bless her marriage to Townsend. Elizabeth, however, was not opposed, but the church could not give consent to marriage with a divorced man.
As a result, believing that this union could only bring trouble to the kingdom, the British government sent Townsend to Belgium for two years. Nevertheless, all this time, Margaret and Peter continued to maintain a relationship, and literally the whole country was wondering if the lovers would get married when the Queen's sister turned 25 years old. Two months after her 25th birthday, Margaret issued an official statement in which she announced that she had changed her mind about marrying Peter Townsend. main reason Margaret called that this marriage would not be recognized by the church.
However, not everyone believed in this explanation. Someone was sure that Margaret was not yet ready for such a serious step, and her love for Peter had long since passed. And someone thought that it was all about the big difference in age and Peter's children, whom she would have to raise.
Anyway, Margaret got married. In 1960, she married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones. In a marriage that lasted 18 years, the couple had two children.
The meeting between Margaret and Peter Townsend happened in the 1990s - the queen's sister invited him to dinner. What were they talking about then? former lovers, unknown. However, returning from the meeting, Margaret noted that Peter had not changed at all, "except that his hair turned gray" ...
Source E!
This is exactly what happened with Princess Margaret, the younger sister of the British Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the splendor and luxury of its existence, spare princess' has always suffered from loneliness. Faktrum publishes a selection of facts from the biography of the princess.
1. In the early years of their lives, the sisters were very close. But when, due to the abdication of their uncle Edward VIII, their parents had to ascend the throne, the girls' lives changed dramatically. There was a spirit of rivalry between the sisters. Elizabeth was destined to become queen, so she began endless lessons on the structure of a constitutional monarchy. Margaret remained out of work.
Photo source: Kulturologia.ru
2. The real shock for the princess was the death of her father, King George VI, at the age of 56. The mother suddenly moved away from everyone, wearing mourning, Elizabeth II was swallowed up by royal obligations, and the 21-year-old Princess Margaret felt that no one needed her.
3. The first scandal associated with the name of the princess happened in 1953. On June 2, during the coronation of Elizabeth II, Margaret had the imprudence to brush off the ashes from the uniform of Captain Peter Townsend. The press regarded this gesture as meaningful and defiant.
In fact, the relationship between them lasted for many years. The princess wanted to marry the captain, but he was divorced and had two children. The sister, the archbishop and parliament opposed such a statement, since the royal person did not have the right to marry a divorced person. Margaret was given an ultimatum: in the event of marriage with Captain Townsend, she was deprived of all royal privileges and life support.
Two years later, Princess Margaret appeared on television and publicly abandoned her intention to marry the captain, citing her obligations to her country.
4. After that, Margaret became embittered and decided that now the whole point of her life would be fun. She began to drink and lead a wild life. Her behavior in in public places became extraordinary: the days began with the fulfillment of royal obligations at endless receptions, trips to the theater, and ended invariably in nightclubs.
5. Despite the intolerable character, Princess Margaret was gladly received in any establishments. She was attractive: marble skin, thin waist, sensual mouth. Every outfit in which she appeared was immediately printed in magazines, and then copied by fashionistas.
6. The princess flirted with the most famous beauties of the time. She was not offended by jokes with obvious overtones. The princess declared: if one sister is a queen, a manifestation of goodness, then the second is destined to be the embodiment of evil and corruption - the queen of the night.
7. Despite numerous romances, no one suited Margaret's status as a groom. This was very depressing for the girl. In 1959, photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones asked for the hand of the 29-year-old princess. This led to another resonance, as in last time a person of royal blood married a commoner 450 years ago. Queen Elizabeth II nevertheless agreed to the marriage, wishing her sister female happiness.
8. Unfortunately, this relationship did not bring the princess the desired peace, and after 18 years of marriage, she filed for divorce. From this marriage, Margaret had two children: David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, born November 3, 1961, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, born May 1, 1964.
9. Margaret was nicknamed the "rebel princess" because of her scandalous behavior: she was a regular in London clubs and willingly appeared in the company of rockers, with a glass of alcohol and a long mouthpiece in her hand. Since the eighties, she has appeared serious problems with health. The press claims that she smokes up to 60 cigarettes a day and is addicted to gin.
10. Last years Margaret were deeply tragic. As a result of an accident where she scalded her legs, the princess was confined to a wheelchair. She died on February 9, 2002 from a stroke.
It is noteworthy that before her, members of the royal family were last born in Scotland in the 17th century. Her father is Prince Albert, Duke of York. Princess Margaret received home education, as well as her sister, the future Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II). She paid much attention to horseback riding, and besides, she was passionately interested in gardening, music and ballet. During World War II, the family, who refused to evacuate, took refuge in the dungeon of Windsor Castle (Windsor Castle).
In the light, Princess Margaret first appeared on VE Day - when she stood on the balcony for the first time Buckingham Palace(Buckingham Palace) in front of the public, surrounded by members of the royal family. After that, Margaret began social work, mandatory for all members of the royal family. It is known that since childhood she had excellent taste and was interested in art and fashion.
At the age of 23, Princess Margaret fell in love with Captain Peter Townsend, who served at court. However, there was no question of any wedding with him - Peter was divorced. And, although in essence this meant that he was absolutely free, Anglican Church and political circles would certainly condemn the princess. So, Townsend was sent away by the Queen, having been appointed military attaché to Belgium. By the time he returned a couple of years later, the princess, despite the fact that she had been waiting for him all this time, changed her mind about marrying - now it seemed impossible for her to marry a divorced man, thereby renouncing royal privileges.
Princess Margaret married Anthony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. Her husband subsequently received the title of Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley; two children were born to this family, David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (1961) and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (1964).
This marriage, however, did not turn out to be too strong - in 1978 the couple divorced. Lord Snowdon himself later admitted that it was very difficult for him to be the husband of a royal person. The divorce was a real shock to the general public, but by this time it had become too difficult to hide the troubles in the family from prying eyes.
In general, Princess Margaret received the nickname "rebellious princess" for some unbridled and completely inappropriate way of life for a royal offspring. It is known that she spent a lot of time in London clubs, made acquaintances with rockers, smoked and drank inappropriately. In general, of all the members of the royal family, it was Princess Margaret who caused the largest number rumors of false rumors both with his failed personal life and public behavior.
In the 80s, the health of the princess began to fail, and she was forced to give up many of her habits; she began to appear less in public, however, she did not refuse the duties of a member of the royal family. It is known that she supported the arts, was the chairman of the Royal Ballet, and also headed the National Committee for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Margaret lived mostly on Mastic Island, surrounded only by close friends. The last time Princess Margaret appeared before the public during the celebration of the 101st birthday of the Queen Mother in August 2001.
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margaret rose, youngest daughter King George VI, sister of the now living Elizabeth II, was a real enfantterrible. The princess was born on August 21, 1930, and became the second and last child in family. Initially, neither she nor her sister prepared for the role of the daughters of the monarch, since the throne after the death of George V was to go to his eldest son, Edward VIII. But fate decreed otherwise: as you know, Edward preferred the woman he loved to the crown, and his younger brother became the monarch. Margaret herself, having matured, quite rarely remembered her uncle with a kind word.
Margaret was classic daddy's daughter". And, if strict requirements were imposed on the eldest, Elizabeth, heir to the throne, then the youngest was allowed much more.
Little Princess Margaret. (pinterest.com)
Outwardly, Margaret was very similar to her older sister: large features faces, a prominent nose, full lips, golden curls, but still, of the two girls, it was she who was considered the beauty in the family. Her unusual lilac-blue eyes possessed a special attraction. Subsequently, Peter Townsend will record in his diary that the eyes of the princess are "the colors of the tropical sea."
Margaret felt her feminine power quite early - already as a 14-year-old teenager, she flirted and flirted with Townsend, who at that time was the master of the horse at the court of her father. A captain in the RAF, a war hero, he was a brilliant young officer, and incredibly attractive as well.
Peter Townsend. (pinterest.com)
They were separated from Margaret by a 16-year age difference, in addition, Townsend was married and had two sons. In his memoirs, he noted that Margaret was always the central figure in the room, she literally attracted the views of everyone present.
By the time Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, Margaret had become one of the most popular girls in Britain. Cheerful and cheerful, she adored parties and was the object of close attention of the press. Spoiled and spoiled by her father's excessive attention, Margaret loved to shock the conservative public. Once, as a 19-year-old princess, she was caught smoking: she was sipping a cigarette in one of the glamorous restaurants in the West End. The public and ordinary Britons adored Margaret: she dictated fashion, her habits were instantly picked up by the women of the United Kingdom. She shone on the covers of newspapers and magazines like a real movie star.
Princess. (pinterest.com)
Margaret was not distinguished by a quiet disposition. She loved to smoke, drink, dance all night until morning and appear in the company of various gentlemen. However, for the time being, nothing was heard about serious hobbies.
It happened during the coronation of Elizabeth II, June 2, 1953. Margaret approached Townsend, who was present at the ceremony, and gently brushed a feather from his uniform. The gesture did not go unnoticed: more than 30 journalists from the world's most influential publications were invited to the coronation, and they all drew attention to this little familiarity. By that time, the romance between Townsen and Margaret was in full swing, especially when they were brought together by the death of George VI in 1952. The princess, who was very attached to her father, sought support from a longtime family friend. In the same year, Townsend got a divorce - his wife Rosemary was carried away by the son of the famous court painter de Laszlo.
The secret was revealed: from now on, the entire British public was aware of the affair between Margaret and Townsend. He was a free man, and everyone was wondering: will they get married? According to the law, Margaret could not independently make such decisions until she reached the age of 25, the permission of the monarch, that is, her sister, was required. And although Elizabeth II was supportive of this novel, their mother was in frustrated feelings. most main problem it was the law of God - the Anglican Church could not recognize a marriage with someone who was divorced. However, a civil ceremony was possible. Elizabeth advised her sister to wait until the 25th birthday and directly address this issue to Parliament.
The government, led by Prime Minister Churchill, believed that the marriage of Margaret and Townsend could become a big problem for the monarchy. The decision was made to send Townsend on a diplomatic mission to Brussels, away from the princess and the court. He spent two years in Belgium.
All this time they maintained a relationship, regularly calling on the phone. Margaret adhered to the usual daily routine: events, meetings, going out.
A young princess in Townsend society. (pinterest.com)
On August 21, 1955, Margaret finally reached her 25th birthday, which means she no longer needed permission from the Queen to marry. The whole country froze in anticipation: what will happen next? Main question: will the government approve this union?
In those days, the DailyMirror newspaper conducted a survey among the population of Britain, and 97% answered that Margaret should definitely be able to marry the one she loves. But what was the price of such happiness? The princess would probably lose not only the right to claim the throne, but would also be deprived of the royal content. Townsend rightly thought he might be asking too much of her. An invisible shadow in front of Margaret loomed the figure of Uncle Edward, who left everything for the sake of love. Was she ready to do the same?
On October 31, 1955, the news broadcast on the radio was interrupted by a message that the announcer read on behalf of Princess Margaret. “I have decided not to marry Captain Peter Townsend…” sounded on the air. In her speech, Margaret noted that she made the decision on her own, after careful consideration, taking into account the fact that, although a civil ceremony would be possible, church canons did not allow it. It was this reason that she put at the forefront. So, anyway, it appeared in the speech.
The nation was convinced that Margaret was under pressure that she could not resist. They sympathized with her and admired her - still, a young girl in love put duty above emotions.
And only many years later, after the death of the princess, facts became known that the public could not know about before. In the declassified archives, a draft note was found that was submitted to the Parliament for consideration. The document stated that a marriage between Townsend and Margaret would not be the worst possible scenario. The princess would not only retain all privileges and maintenance, the issue of giving Townsend the title was also considered. This paper is dated October 28, 1955. That is just three days before Margaret's public address to the nation. Did the princess know about this document? Unknown.
End of the novel. (pinterest.com)
The true motives for Margaret's refusal to marry Townsend were clear only to her alone. Someone believed that she actually considered duty more important than feelings, while others around her suspected that in fact her love was no longer so strong. English writer and playwright Noel Catward, who was among those who closely watched royal history love, later noted: “She could not know, poor, young, girl in love, that love is dying, and a joint future with a man much older in age and two adopted sons would hardly be so cloudless ... "
One way or another, the novel came to an end. Margaret married in 1960 to a simple photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones. The relationship of this couple gave the press a lot of hot stories and scandals. Yes, and Margaret herself has done a lot of hype with her antics. They crossed paths with Townsend 40 years later: in the late 90s, she invited him to lunch. According to the princess's biographer, Christopher Warwick, when she returned from a meeting with her longtime love, she said: "You know, he hasn't changed at all, except that his hair has become gray."
