Daughter of Princess Margaret Sarah. Life in the shadow of a sister: how did the fate of the "reserve princess" Margaret, the younger sister of Elizabeth II

Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, was no stranger to controversy and scandal, much to the chagrin of her royal relatives. Unlike her quiet and correct sister, Margaret was outgoing and independent. Her romantic relationships, especially her potential marriage to Peter Townsend, garnered national attention and caused more than enough scandals in her life.

Margaret liked to socialize, smoke and be on the verge of a foul to the point that British intelligence had to pull off a bank robbery to save her reputation.

Princess Margaret was born the king's granddaughter

Princess Margaret Rose Windsor was born on 21 August 1930 to Albert Frederick Arthur George, also known as Prince Albert and later King George VI, and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon. She was their second daughter, born four years after her sister Elizabeth.

At the time of her birth, her grandfather, George V, was the King of England. He died in 1936 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward. However, King Edward VIII abdicated less than a year later to marry an American divorcee named Wallis Warfield Simpson. As soon as Edward VIII retired, Margaret's father became King George VI. Margaret and her sister had always been royalty, but now they were the king's daughters.

Princess Margaret was an energetic young girl

Princess Margaret was an independent spirit with young years. She spent most of his youth with his sister Elizabeth in London, where they were both educated under their governess Marion Crawford.

Upon learning that her father had become king, Margaret reportedly told her sister, “Does that mean you will be the next queen?” Elizabeth replied, "Yes, someday." “Poor you,” Margaret pitied her.

The princess was considered attractive and her future lover, Peter Townsend, described her as "an unusual girl, with a bright beauty, ... large violet-blue eyes, generous, with sensual lips, and skin as smooth as a peach ..."

Her secret relationship with Peter Townsend began shortly after World War II.

In 1947 the King and his family made their first international trip to South Africa. On this trip, Peter Townsend accompanied the king as a member of his family. Townsend was a World War II veteran, married and had two children. He first met Margaret when she was a teenager. He believed that Princess Margaret, who was fifteen years his junior, was nothing more than a spoiled schoolgirl.

The princess and Townsend spent a lot of time together and soon fell in love, entering into a secret relationship. The relationship became public in 1952, when, during her sister's coronation, Margaret shook the fluff off Townsend's jacket. The gesture made international headlines by making their romantic relationship public.

Peter Townsend divorced his wife in 1953 on the grounds that she was involved with another man. Once he got divorced, he was free to be with the princess... in theory. But the Church and Parliament did not approve of this relationship, especially since Margaret was third in line to the throne (behind her nephew and niece, Charles and Anna). Townsend proposed to Margaret and she agreed, but until she was 25 years old, the Queen had to consent to this marriage. Townsend was sent to Brussels and the couple spent the next two years separated.

When Townsend returned to England in 1955, Margaret was already 25 years old and allowed to marry without her sister's approval. However, Parliament did not sign the marriage contract. The Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, told Margaret that if she married Townsend, she would be deprived of all the privileges of a princess and lose her income. In October 1953, Margaret announced her decision:

I would like it known that I have decided not to marry Captain Peter Townsend. I know that, subject to my waiver of inheritance rights, I might be able to conclude civil marriage. But, mindful of the Church's teaching that Christian marriage is inseparable, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have decided to place these considerations above others.

She became engaged to her future husband shortly after Townsend proposed to another woman.

After Princess Margaret chose not to marry Townsend, she continued to choose men. Soon Margaret entered into a secret relationship with photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a charming "commoner". The two married in 1960, shortly after Townsend proposed to a Belgian woman who looked like a princess to a great extent.

Margaret and her husband started cheating on each other soon after they got married.

Margaret and Anthony were an outgoing couple. Their first few years of marriage were happy and they had two children, David and Sarah.

By 1964, their marriage began to fall apart. Armstrong-Jones had several affairs with other women, and Margaret had an affair with her longtime friend Anthony Barton. She also had an affair with Robin Douglas-Home, who committed suicide eighteen months after their separation.

Both the princess and Armstrong-Jones were unhappily married. When drunk, they fought, and when sober, they just tried to stay away from each other.

They were both aware of the other's infidelities, and when Armstrong-Jones traveled, they corresponded with each other with the utmost honesty. As Margaret's misfortune deepened, she reportedly began drinking, gaining weight, and flirting excessively. “Sometimes she almost threw herself at men,” said one of her friends. It was partly done to make Tony jealous, partly to prove to herself she was still attractive."

Margaret has been linked to Peter Sellers and Mick Jagger among others.

When Margaret wanted to escape her duties, she often came to the Isle of Mustique. The princess received 10 acres of land in the Caribbean as a wedding gift, built a luxurious villa on the island and often hung out there with her lovers. Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, and David Bowie were also at the island home. Margaret has been in love with many celebrities, including Peter Sellers, Mick Jagger, and Warren Beatty.

Her affair with Roderick Llewellyn made headlines

In 1973, Princess Margaret began an affair with Llewelyn Roderick, a 28-year-old gardener. She first invited him to her villa on Mustique in 1974, and they continued their relationship for many years. At one point, Llewellyn left the princess and she reportedly took a handful of pills. The lovers reconciled and soon photos of them together on the island were published in newspapers, causing a public outcry. It was believed that Margaret neglected her royal duties for the sake of her lover. The couple soon separated.

To steal compromising photos of the princess, British intelligence robbed a bank

In 1971 candid photos Princess Margaret was allegedly kept in a safe deposit box at the Lloyd's Bank branch in London. The photos were given to the princess and after the robbery, the press was told not to report the crime.

A film was made based on this crime. "The Baker Street Robbery", which features as a representative British intelligence MI5 broke into the bank and stole the photos to prevent their publication. The film never mentions Princess Margaret's name, but the allusions are clear.

Her divorce was the first in the royal family in 400 years.

Princess Margaret and Armstrong-Jones separated in 1976. When they officially divorced in 1978, it was the first royal divorce since the divorce of Henry VIII.

1960
On May 6, 1960, life in England came to a halt - a wedding was broadcast on TV from Westminster Abbey, which was watched by another 300 million people. With a bouquet of orchids, Norman Hartnell's deep V-neck silk gown with pearl beads, and a veil held by a diamond Poltimore Tiara from the Queen Victoria collection, the bride was, as the newspapers wrote, "a masterpiece of style and hairdressing."
She was accompanied by eight girlfriends and her beloved nephew - the little Prince Charles dressed up in the traditional Scottish kilt. The young couple spent their honeymoon riding the royal yacht Britannia around the Caribbean. Margaret Colin Tennant's friend Lord Glenconnor showed her Mustic Island, which he purchased in 1958. And when the princess could not hide her admiration, the lord gave her four hectares of this paradise land as a wedding gift. In London, the princess and her husband were given Kensington Palace to live in.

The first public appearance of the newlyweds in public

This concludes the holiday almanac, but at the end of the holidays there were, alas, a lot of other things. Here is what they write about the princess on the Internet (not best article, in the spirit of "caravan of stories", but oh well)
“In May 1961, Margaret's pregnancy was officially announced, and in October, a month before the birth of their first child, David, Armstrong-Jones was awarded the title of Earl of Snowdon.
With the advent of her son, Margaret's life almost did not change, only her circle changed - now there are almost no aristocrats left in it, they were replaced by bohemia: an aspiring actress, the future "Bond girl", Swedish Britt Ekland, her husband, comedian Peter Sellers, dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Margo Fontaine, The Beatles, Rolling Stones”, writer Edna O’Brien, hairdresser and stylist Vidal Sassoon, designer, mini-skirt creator Mary Quant and hippy chic inspirer, Thea Porter, whose bright oriental robes were worn with pleasure by Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins ...
It was a happy time - as if the strict world of her past, with bitter experiences and a failed relationship with Captain Townsend, retreated into the shadows, and gave way to the world of fashion, style and the art of living. In Hollywood, the couple had breakfast with Frank Sinatra, chatted with Gregory Peck, the princess tested her spell on Paul Newman. In those golden days there were many parties - in Sardinia, the Costa Esmeralda and St. Tropez. There, Margaret looked younger, sexier, happier than ever ... In May 1964, the Snowdons had a daughter, Sarah. Her godfather was Snowdon's Cambridge friend Anthony Burton, who was permanently residing in Bordeaux.
Almost every week, Margaret opened exhibitions, auctions, charity concerts, horse races, traveled with official visits, was present as a representative of the royal house at weddings, christenings and funerals, made official visits to the colonies and countries of the Commonwealth. Snowdon was far from being assigned the main role in this highest protocol.
The princess's servants did not accept Anthony Armstrong-Jones for a long time, believing that the hostess's marriage to some photographer "with a dog's face and in frayed jeans" was a monstrous misalliance. Every morning the maid, who had served Margaret since childhood, entered the couple's bedroom with breakfast. And each time she had only one cup of coffee on the tray and only one glass of orange juice for Margaret. And Anthony complained to the dregs that he was being treated as if he had been picked up in the gutter.
The summer of 1965 was the last happy vacation that Anthony and Margaret spent together.
In 1966, while Snowdon was in India, she began an affair with Anthony Barton, who at that time finally settled in Bordeaux and began, with the help of an uncle, to manage the two family estates of Leoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton. This double betrayal of a friend and wife upset Snowdon greatly. And she fell in love with a gentleman winemaker so much that she even confessed her feelings on the phone to Burton's wife Eva. But then both marriages were saved.
In the late 60s, Margaret and Lord Snowdon barely spoke to each other. On her 39th birthday in 1969, the Snowdons began to bicker loudly in a nightclub. He, having lost his temper, in the presence of guests began to put out cigarettes on her evening dress. “I have never seen someone congratulate the birthday girl like that,” American writer Gore Vidal commented on this scene without hiding sarcasm. The photographer left notes on the table, one of which was titled "Twenty Reasons I Hate You." Friends said that the spouses "exchange insults like shots." These scenes were reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
In the early 70s they living together went downhill, Margaret's style also changed. The retro style that adorned her so much in the late 50s has waned. She looked squat in casual tweed suits, neither mini-skirts nor ethnic outfits suited her, and the famous shirt dresses of the 70s sat on her baggy.

In high-platform shoes, with luxurious family jewelry that clearly did not fit a strict suit, and an invariable miniature handbag, which she did not let go even when she met guests, she gradually became an anachronism. (An American journalist once quipped, "Who is that walking around the house with a wallet?") In those years, she rarely left the ranks of the most tastelessly dressed celebrities. In the list compiled by the American critic Robert Blackwell, she was invariably given special place: he called her "an ugly waitress from a roadside cafe of the 1950s", then "a chaos of glamorous brands", then "the curse of world fashion." He called her 1973 wardrobe the pinnacle of bad taste, commenting that the sight of Margaret "makes Londoners wish there was no more fog in their city." She was number one on Blackwell's list that year.
Her love of whiskey was already legendary. For breakfast, she appeared with the same glass of Famous Grouse. During official visits, a specially assigned waiter with an ashtray followed her from room to room. Friends under various pretexts rejected her invitations to Kensington Palace, "because she will drink, and we will be stuck there until the evening."

The only place where Margaret felt safe was Mustik Island. All the years of marriage and many years after the divorce, Lord Snowdon could not hear either the name of Colin Tennant or the name of the island: after all, only Margaret was given as a wedding gift Mustik!
In 1972, theater designer Olivier Messel built a 10-room coral-colored bungalow for Margaret with access to an isolated bay. A new villa with a swimming pool, terraces, stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and the Grenadines Islands was named Les Jolies Eaux "Wonderful Waters". This house she called "the only real home on earth and the best haven outside of London." In addition, far from the paparazzi, she could organize any, the most informal and unrestricted parties. Private concerts with Elton John and Mick Jagger, dinners with champagne, caviar and lobsters, and her invariable gin and tonic were on everyone's lips in those years. Margaret didn't seem to care. public opinion. “We need to meet with young people - the rest of the applicants are either busy or have died long ago,” Margaret liked to say in those years.
In September 1973, at the estate of her old friend Colin Tennant, the Princess met Roderick, "Roddy" Llewellyn, in Scotland. The long-haired hippie turned out to be 17 years younger than her, and, of course, was without certain occupations. Upon discovering that the young man had arrived undressed for a swim in the warm pool, the Queen's sister took the young man to the store and chose British flag-colored swimming trunks for him. The next day they were seen in the vicinity of Glasgow - she bought him a sweater. Journalists spread the sensation all over the world, but this news looked so absurd that they simply refused to believe it then! Llewellyn and Margaret vacationed together on the Mystique in 1974, where they attended a week-long 50th birthday party for Colin Tennant. The culmination of the evening was a performance by Mick Jagger and a special "golden reception", to which the tanned princess appeared draped in gold brocade.
Two years later, in 1976, the Sunday Times published photographs of the bikini-clad princess in the arms of her young lover on Mustica. These pictures again immediately flew around the world. And when the enraged Anthony Armstrong-Jones demanded an official retraction, the princess's personal household secretary advised him not to be ridiculous, because his wife's relationship with Luvellin had been going on for quite some time. The princess was informed by phone that the frenzied Lord Snowdon had finally left her house. She was still on her island. Her reaction was calm: “He left? All the better. it the best news you ever reported to me,” she told her secretary.
In March 1976, it was officially announced that the couple would live separately - with the corresponding remark from Queen Elizabeth II that "she is very sorry about what happened." In the newspapers, Margaret was called "expensive", "scandalous", "extravagant" and "useless". In 1978, the Snowdons divorced - this was the first divorce in the English royal family in 400 years since the time of Henry VIII. She spent the next years between London and Mustique, living on the island like a shipwrecked Robinson who lost everything he had ever had. AT free time she swam in the sea, lay in a sun lounger, solving crosswords in The Times. Roddy constantly visited her Caribbean villa, who from time to time helped the neighbors to landscape their bungalows. The press called the princess "tedious", "spoiled", "lounging" and "irritable". Elizabeth II excluded her from the number of guests of honor and refused to pay the annual 219 thousand pounds laid down for the maintenance of a member of the royal house. In the year of her 50th birthday, Roddy Llewellyn announced his engagement to a fashion dressmaker. But it seems that this fact did not upset Margaret: “If his engagement hadn’t happened, I would have been stuck in this story for a long time.”
She was increasingly sick, complained of feeling unwell, while not parting with either cigarettes (in those years she smoked 60 cigarettes a day) or Famous Grouse whiskey.
In Los Angeles, she met the Queen of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor. Having seen the Krupp diamond on her hand, weighing 33.19 carats, she did not hesitate to call it vulgar. Taylor restrained herself and with a fake smile suggested that Margaret try on the ring. And when the princess could not hide her admiration, the queen of Hollywood triumphantly said: “Now that it is on your arm, it doesn’t look so vulgar anymore, does it?”
The press called Margaret "inattentive" and "insensitive". Even close friends complained that sometimes she behaved with people as if she said - "there is no need to be nice to these people, they are just subjects of my sister." She could not forget that she had once been second in line to the throne, always with the shadow of a queen in her speech and demeanor.
In 1985, Margaret underwent lung surgery. The doctors were truly alarmed, they knew that four monarchs - Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and the princess's own father, George VI - had died of smoking-related illnesses. But even the operation did not force Margaret to part with the lighter.

In 1991, her health began to decline dramatically. Her loneliness became habitual and boring - she more and more went into the shadows. Cynical, dissatisfied with nothing and never satisfied, by the end of her life she was known more as Prince Charlie's favorite aunt - the always grumbling "Charley's aunt", an aging, far from paramount character of the royal family, eleventh in line for the throne, a "monster" and " rude."
In 1999, Les Jolies Eaux was sold by Margaret's son David Lynley for £1 million. Margaret from this news struck the first stroke. The alcohol was done away with, two thousand cigarettes were returned to the suppliers, and Margaret never used the lighter again. Wanting to cheer up her sister, Elizabeth invited her to the theater, which she always loved, but Margaret unexpectedly refused. It was then that the queen said: "It seems that my sister has lost interest in life." In March 2001, Margaret suddenly stopped seeing objects. For the celebration of the 101st birthday of the Queen Mother, she appeared in wheelchair with a swollen face, which was covered by large dark glasses.
On the first day of the new year 2002, Elizabeth II canceled her daily ritual of riding a horse and came to sit with her sister. Things seem to be on the mend...
But another blow soon followed. On the morning of February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret died in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. When her coffin, covered with a blue and purple cloth with white lilies, was taken out of the hospital, a few terist onlookers asked: “What happened? Is the queen mother dead? Not? Princess Margaret? Has she survived to this day?

Margaret Rose, the daughter of King George VI and the younger sister of the current reigning Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II, was born to attract admiring glances of others, to lead a carefree social life and, finally, to marry a high-born rich handsome man who would surround the girl with love and care. However, instead of all this, Margaret received a life full of loneliness, struggle and suffering, hidden behind a charming smile and incredible outfits and jewelry, as a "gift" from fate.

Sister of the future queen

As a child, little Margaret loved her older sister Elizabeth very much. Rumor has it that up to a certain point the princesses were inseparable, despite the radically opposite characters: the restrained, serious Elizabeth and the active, laughing Margaret. The girls' father did not yet claim the British throne - his brother Edward was to become king. However, the coronation did not take place. Edward became one of the first Windsors to choose love over the throne: his marriage to an American divorcee with a dubious past, Wallis Simpson, was not recognized, and Edward abdicated in favor of his younger brother George. This act decided the fate of the whole family of the new king, including the young Margaret, whose destiny is to always be “second”.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with their daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, December 1936

After the coronation of George VI, the life of his daughters and their relationship completely changed. Elizabeth became the main heir, and now she was being prepared for a great future, and Margaret got the role of "second violin". There was no enmity or envy between the sisters (none of the girls dreamed of becoming a queen), but this is a clear distribution of roles and royal protocol, obliging to be always behind crown princess to live in her shadow, grieved Margaret. Of the close feelings of the girl, only her father-king understood, because he himself grew up in similar situation. George VI was for Margaret the most dear person and she is his beloved daughter.

Margaret was 22 years old when the king passed away. The tragedy of the family and the whole kingdom was soon marked by a joyful event - the young Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne. But for her younger sister, it was the beginning of the end. The last threads of sisterly love that bound Margaret and Elizabeth were broken. As soon as Elizabeth became queen, she occupied Buckingham Palace, moving her mother and sister to Clarence House.

Princess Margaret and Elizabeth II

tragic love Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend

His name was Peter Townsend, he was 16 years older than Margaret, and served as equerry to the late George VI. Margaret knew Peter from a young age: he taught her how to ride and was responsible for the safety of the princess during trips. It is difficult to say exactly when this feeling originated. Perhaps their friendship at a certain moment grew into something more, and the couple could not hide their feelings from each other ... Hiding them from others, alas, did not work out for a long time either! During one event, to which representatives of the British press were invited, Margaret and Peter gave a rather characteristic intimate gesture - the girl brushed a speck of dust from the shoulder of the stableman. It turned out to be easy for journalists to prove the fact of the relationship between the princess and the commoner, and soon the whole kingdom was discussing Margaret's novel.

Townsend was not suitable as a candidate for the husband of Princess Townsend: the man was divorced, had two children, and was not of noble birth. The people were indignant. If it weren’t for the fact that the princess’s lover was a former colonel in the Royal Air Force and a hero of the Second World War, his further fate after such a daring act, it would be generally difficult to predict. But the man got off lightly - Elizabeth simply sent him away from her younger sister: to serve outside the country.

Despite the fact that the lovers were separated, Margaret's heart remained true to one Peter. Acting as a princess, she traveled the country on official visits, impressing those around her with her beauty and haute couture outfits. Knowing that the photos would get into the press, Margaret deliberately preened and smiled at the camera so that Peter could see her in the newspapers.

Princess Margaret and couturier Yves Saint Laurent

Princess Margaret and couturier Christian Dior

Royal tour, Jamaica, 1955

Royal tour, Caribbean, 1955

Before her 25th birthday, there was very little left. The girl was waiting for a chance to enter the age that gave her the opportunity to disobey the royal family and make a choice in favor of love. However, this dream turned out to be illusory. The princess was pressured not only elder sister but also the public. On Margaret's shoulders lay the burden of responsibility for the fate of the entire British monarchy, because the stiff country could not tolerate another renunciation of the titles of a member of the royal family! It turned out that Margaret had no choice.

Saying goodbye to Townsend was hard and painful. The paparazzi managed to take some pictures of Peter and Margaret's last date in 1955. On the face of the princess, leaving her lover forever, a mask of pain and despair froze. A few days later, she officially announced that their romance was over.

Princess Margaret in a car after saying goodbye to Peter Townsend, October 1955

Margaret, who from the age of 18 was fond of fashion and even shone on the covers of fashion publications, continued to attend shows of the best French designers and various social events. Despite the pain she endured, she performed well in public. Wherever the princess went, her trademark charming smile invariably remained on her face. The British press immediately doubted whether the princess was really in love if she so quickly forgot her equerry? Some publications again began to wag the name of Margaret in the press, but now reproaching her for choosing wealth and title, and not love. Margaret did not seem to react. But the resentment inside her forever put an end to her love for her sister and faith in people. The girl pointedly did not appear at official events that were important for her sister-queen, with pleasure replacing communication with her family with fun leisure activities with friends.

4 years after breaking up with Peter Townsend, Margaret was again in for a shock: Peter was going to marry a girl who looked remarkably like her. He himself told her about it in telephone conversation. As it turns out, during their last meeting, Peter and Margaret vowed never to tie the knot with anyone else. Peter broke his promise, and Margaret finally lost her mind. Next in her life was a revenge marriage to photographer Tony Armstrong-Jones, a string of young lovers, wild life and general condemnation.

Peter Townsend with his wife

Princess Margaret's wedding to Tony Armstrong-Jones

The once beloved Princess Margaret, whose photos appeared in the press more often than pictures of other members of the royal family, has forever gone into oblivion. She grew old early, did not know happiness and spent the rest of her days alone. Despite the grievances, when Townsend was dying, Margaret came to say goodbye to him. The princess survived her beloved by 7 years.

The brilliant life of Margaret Rose of the House of Windsor was like a supernova, but what a beautiful flash it was. She was born on the night of the perfect storm and was her father's favorite daughter. Then he was not yet a king, or even an heir to the first line. And Margaret grew up younger, but no less significant child in the lives of their parents. And then a lot of things happened at once: the abdication of Uncle Edward from the throne for the American Wallis, the coronation of her father, George VI, and, worst of all, the sudden realization that she would always have to be the shadow of her older sister - the crown princess now and the queen in the future. Walking slightly behind Elizabeth, and not holding hands, as before, taking bows after her ... To her credit, she never envied Elizabeth, she was oppressed only by the role of her sister's "train". And Margaret decided: if she cannot become a queen, then she will be a royal star.

It was not a problem for the princess to attract attention - she was incredibly pretty, in her way Audrey Hepburn (with whom they were almost the same age), but only more interesting, because royalty. At the age of 18, she was already actively interested in fashion and chose clothes based on her own preferences. And at the age of 21 she was already the main guest of all London shows of French couturiers. Christian Dior put on a show for Princess Margaret, and she showed New Look style on the covers of magazines and paraded in the most fashionable styles dresses at official events in which she was obliged to take part, being the daughter of the king.

She was not yet 22 when her father suddenly died, only person who understood her feelings - the feelings of a "spare", because he himself lived in this status most of his life. From that moment on, an unbridgeable gulf formed between her and Elizabeth. Life in Buckingham Palace was over - according to tradition, it became the home of the new queen, Elizabeth hastened to move her mother to Clarence House. And along with her, her younger sister was sent there.

It is said that it was then that an affair began between the princess and Captain Peter Townsend, the head stable of the late king. But perhaps it all started much earlier. They had known each other for many years, he taught her how to ride, took her on horseback rides, looked after her safety on trips, and the fact that Margaret once saw in this handsome mature man more than a friend is not at all surprising. They gave themselves away by chance - at one of the events, Margaret, on impulse, brushed a speck of dust from his clothes, and reporters noticed this. It was not difficult to pull the string and unwind the ball: the 22-year-old sister of the Queen is in love with the groom! It is difficult to imagine a more unfortunate set of circumstances in the biography of the chosen one of the princess: a commoner, divorced, two children, 16 years older. Only one thing saved him from immediate booing - in the past, a colonel in the Royal Air Force, Townsend was a hero of the Second World War.

For three years, the whole of Great Britain, and after it the whole world, with undisguised and ruthless attention, watched the development of relations between the princess of the blood and the commoner. It was a difficult period in Margaret's life. Peter was sent "in exile" (as he himself described it) - to serve outside the country. Margaret plunged headlong into royal duties: travel around the country and beyond - to the former British colonies. Invariably brilliant, dressed in the latest fashion, she was one of the most photographed women of royal blood (later this title will pass to Diana). She put herself under the cameras - for him, so that he, being far from her, could see how beautiful she was, and how true to his love. At that time, whoever was spinning around English rose, but she was indifferent to courtship, she was waiting for her to turn 25.

Peter was divorced, and the Church, headed by the elder sister, did not approve of such a marriage. But at 25, Margaret could already disobey. To do this, it was only necessary ... to renounce his family and give up titles. However, she was bluntly told that her act could be the beginning of a new crisis of the monarchy, and the British monarchy could not survive the second shock to its foundations in 20 years. When you are only 25, and not only your family, but the whole society is pressing on you, and the press is rinsing your name, calling a traitor to the memory of her father, it is difficult to make the right choice.

The denouement took place at the end of 1955. Margaret and Peter spent the last weekend before the decision was made together. They were even photographed by the paparazzi - her leaving the house, and him - doomedly standing at the open door, looking after her. As it turned out decades later, on that last evening, Margaret and Peter swore to each other that they would not connect their lives with someone else, since they were not destined to be together. A couple of days later, the princess spoke to the people, announcing that she was forever abandoning the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bmarrying Captain Peter Townsend. The kingdom breathed a sigh of relief. And the star Margaret began her journey towards sunset.

“But is she really grieving?” - The rhetoric of the newspapers changed dramatically the morning after Margaret's speech. Those who only yesterday urged the princess to remember a duty that is higher than personal aspirations, now that she heard them, slandered her: “Well, of course, the privileges for a spoiled girl turned out to be more important than the love of a commoner.” Margaret endured these mockeries stoically. But she didn't forgive anyone. For example, the day when the queen and her husband gave an official festive reception in honor of the 10th anniversary of their marriage, Margaret chose to spend with a friend in the theater, having shown up only late in the evening and had not been at the celebration for even an hour. So she took revenge on her sister for her broken dreams of happiness.

The sister of the Queen of England, Princess Margaret, was called the “style icon”, the “bohemian guru”. There were many about her. incredible stories, shocking rumors. There were legends about her. Long before Lady Diana, she gained fame as a "rebellious princess"

Only the most chosen and most famous Hollywood stars managed to live such a full, stormy, rich in love life life as Princess Margaret. From childhood, Margaret was nicknamed "P-2", "princess number two." Lively, witty and impulsive, Margaret was complete opposite thoughtful, reserved and serious Elizabeth, who was four years older. “Elizabeth is all in Coburg ancestors, Margaret is in Hanoverian ones,” Elizabeth, their mother, explained the difference in the characters of her daughters. Margaret was born in an old ancestral Scottish castle, which since the 12th century belonged to her mother's family, an ancient dynasty of Scottish aristocrats. Glamis Castle still attracts tourists today with its ancient walls, historical legends and ... ghosts.

The Duchess of York, unlike her daughters, did not believe in any ghosts, although she was the daughter of the 14th Earl of Kinghorn and was the great-great-great-granddaughter of the very devil-cursed Scottish Earl of Strathmore. The girls' father, the shy and timid Prince Albert, was the second son of the king who ruled England at the time. Albert was not going to be King, being content with the title of Duke of York. His father, George V, was preparing to pass the throne to his eldest son, the Duke of Windsor. But history judged otherwise. In January 1936, after the death of George V, the crown passed to his unmarried son, who became known as Edward VIII. And he renounced his title and throne in order to marry a twice-divorced American Mrs. Simpson. So unexpectedly for everyone, the shy and gentle father of Margaret in December 1937 became King George VI. The family moved to Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth became heir to the crown, and Margaret was second in line to the throne.

The first scandal happened with Margaret Rose in 1953: the younger sister of Elizabeth II almost married Captain Townsend, who served at court, sixteen years older than her, the father of two children and also divorced. She met him as a teenager, at the end of the war, and all these years the relationship of lovers was kept in the strictest confidence.

But on June 2, 1953, during the coronation of Elizabeth, Margaret inadvertently, in front of everyone, brushed off a tiny trace of cigarette ash on her lover's uniform. Reporters and distinguished guests invited to the coronation regarded her gesture as extremely defiant, indecent, intimate ...

The sister queen, parliament and the church, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, opposed Margaret's marriage to officer Peter Townsend, considering it a monstrous misalliance, moreover, not a single member of the royal family had ever married a divorced partner!

In the autumn of 1955, the BBC interrupted its broadcasts to broadcast a statement by Margaret, who was notifying the nation of the end of a twelve-year relationship with Captain Townsend. The lovers parted. The tabloids, having lost interest in the "spare princess" and "abandoned younger sister", left her alone for a while ...

But what the paparazzi, who were hungry for sensations, could not see in Margaret, the editors of the fashion and beauty sections saw.

Queen of the New Look

In 1956, 26-year-old Margaret, transformed into a dark-haired beauty with huge blue eyes and a sensual mouth, appeared on the list of the most stylish people in the world. In this prestigious list, Margaret was mentioned second only to Grace Kelly. Not only the royal daughter, the queen's sister, and after the birth of Prince Charles, the third in line for the throne, but, as it soon became clear to everyone, also the first beauty of the kingdom!

Petite, thin, with a beautiful figure, she became the inspiration for the New Look style. Her outfits were instantly published in women's magazines, and then copied by fashion dressmakers across the country. She was dazzling in exquisite hats and evening dresses Norman Hartnell and Victor Stiebel. The famous feminist and writer Simone de Beauvoir tried in vain to reason with fashionistas with her sermons that “leading a life imbued with a sense of style and not suffering from stress is possible only for well-to-do people who do not have to take care of children and the kitchen, laundry and ironing, shopping and cleaning. The cult of the new femininity was rapidly becoming fashionable.

When her mother asked her how she felt at the next official event, she received the answer: “To be honest, I was damn bored.” When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and gave a ball at Buckingham Palace, she did not go to the reception, ignored the dinner that followed, and did not appear at the ball. Late in the evening, she gathered her friends and went first to the theater, then to a restaurant, and in the morning ended up in a nightclub. Her arrival in the midst of a party in a fur coat in the company of fashion artists at the Cafe de Paris became a sensation. Margaret took the stage, took the microphone and sang Let's Do It. The crowd roared with delight.

The princess loved the London Cockney accent, strong Benson and Hedges cigarettes and Famous Grouse whiskey. She was not afraid of ambiguous jokes and dubious anecdotes. Almost every day she returned from the clubs in the morning. “I find joy in defiance,” she once told Jean Cocteau. - This is inevitable: when there are two sisters, and one of them is a queen, who should be an example and a role model, the other is, by definition, doomed to be spoiled and evil, the "queen of the night."

With a brightly painted mouth, large violet eyes, a dazzling smile, high-combed auburn hair, flawless marbled skin for which the women of the Windsor family were so famous, she resembled both a Hollywood star and a classic nineteenth-century aristocrat. Frank Sinatra called her eyes "the most perfect in the world", and Maurice Chevalier said that "they are on the spot". Shades of lipstick, perfumes and cocktails, tulips, gladioli, roses were named after her. But, receiving up to twenty marriage proposals a year, at the age of 30 Margaret was never married. None of her admirers corresponded to the status of the spouse of the “royal sister” - the princess did not dare to challenge this decision of her crowned relatives.

Misalliance

But when the handsome, witty and very talented society photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones began to look after her, Margaret unexpectedly showed firmness for everyone. They met in the summer of 1958 at the wedding of a relative, and in the fall they already danced at the Halloween ball at the Dorchester Hotel. In December 1959, Armstrong-Jones asked Elizabeth II for Margaret's hand, which led her into great confusion - in the history of England, the royal daughter only once married a commoner, and that was 450 years ago! In the end, the queen, who wished happiness for her younger sister like a woman, reasoned that this rootless applicant had at least graduated from Cambridge ...

On May 6, 1960, life in England stopped - a wedding was broadcast on TV from Westminster Abbey, which was watched by another 300 million people. The bride, bearing a bouquet of orchids, wearing a Norman Hartnell deep-V-necked silk gown with pearl beads and a veil held by a diamond Poltimore tiara from the Queen Victoria collection, was, as the newspapers wrote, "a masterpiece of style and hairdressing."

She was accompanied by eight girlfriends and her beloved nephew, little Prince Charles, dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt. The young people spent their honeymoon riding the royal yacht Britannia around the Caribbean Islands.

Margaret Colin Tennant's friend Lord Glenconner showed her Mustique Island, which he purchased in 1958. And when the princess could not hide her admiration, the lord gave her four hectares of this paradise land as a wedding gift. In London, the princess and her husband were given Kensington Palace to live in. In May 1961, Margaret's pregnancy was officially announced, and in October, a month before the birth of their first child, David, Armstrong-Jones was awarded the title of Earl of Snowdon.

Britain was entering the swinging sixties - new era, where the princess with her eternal cigarette in her hand and Snowdon with his incredible creative energy played a special role.

With the advent of her son, Margaret's life almost did not change, only her circle changed - now there are almost no aristocrats left in it, bohemia has replaced it: an aspiring actress, the future "Bond girl", Swedish Britt Ekland, her husband, comedian Peter Sellers, dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fontaine, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, writer Edna O'Brien, hairdresser and stylist Vidal Sassoon, mini-skirt designer Mary Quant and hippy chic Tea inspiration Porter, whose bright oriental robes were worn by Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins...

It was a happy time - as if the strict world of her past with sorrowful experiences and a failed relationship with Captain Townsend receded into the shadows, giving way to the world of fashion, style and the art of living. In Hollywood, the couple had breakfast with Frank Sinatra, chatted with Gregory Peck, the princess tested her spell on Paul Newman.

In May 1964, the Snowdons had a daughter, Sarah. Her godfather was Snowdon's Cambridge friend Anthony Burton, who was permanently residing in Bordeaux.

royal mask

The only thing that overshadowed the life of the young spouses was the royal duties of Margaret. Almost every week she opened exhibitions, auctions, charity concerts, horse races, went on official visits, was present as a representative of the royal house at weddings, christenings and funerals, visited the colonies and Commonwealth countries on official visits. Snowdon was far from being assigned the main role in this highest protocol.

Margaret's cheerful ease was often replaced by an arrogant "royal mask". During dinner at the house of Lady Cavendish, she was pissed off by a violation of decorum: the tired hostess of the evening, taking off her shoes under the table, got up to say goodbye to the little Prince Charles, and walked a few steps barefoot. Outraged, the princess set her shoes on a platter in the center of the table.

Only she was allowed to say “mother said that, sister said that ...”, and she regarded the words “your mother” or “sister” repeated after her as impudence and instantly pulled the offender, demanding that about the Queen Mother or Elizabeth II spoke using their royal titles. (She herself always called the queen "my poor sister".)

Born a princess, she insisted that even her closest friends address her as "ma'am."

The princess's servants did not accept Anthony Armstrong-Jones for a long time, believing that the hostess's marriage to some photographer "with a dog's face and in frayed jeans" was a monstrous misalliance. Every morning the maid, who had served Margaret since childhood, entered the couple's bedroom with breakfast. And each time on the tray she had only one cup of coffee and only one glass of orange juice - for Margaret. And Anthony, who had done without servants all his life, simply did not know how to express his displeasure to them. He complained to his friends that he was being treated as if he had been picked up from the gutter.

Finally, her "set" friends were convinced that she had accepted Jones's offer only to get her brave captain out of her mind. In order to comply with the "format" of the invitation and accompany his wife to Balmoral, Lord Snowdon had to take shooting lessons and learn how to fish. He did this clumsily and with obvious disgust, because neither a well-aimed hunter, nor a dexterous rider ever came out of him.

In the end, he was so tired of the role of "prince consort" that he began to increasingly absent himself on creative trips and "on business."

No, no, but she had heard rumors that he was interested in other women. The summer of 1965 was the last happy vacation that Anthony and Margaret spent together.

And other men

In 1966, while Snowdon was in India, she began an affair with Anthony Barton, who at that time had finally settled in Bordeaux and began, with the help of an uncle, to manage the two family estates of Leoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton. Snowdon, this double betrayal - friend and wife - greatly upset. And she fell in love with the gentleman winemaker so much that she even confessed her feelings on the phone to Burton's wife Eva. But then both marriages were saved.

Snowdon began to travel again, and Margaret again became interested - this time with the nephew of the Prime Minister of England, Robin Douglas-Home, who worked part-time in a nightclub. Robin was a pianist, gambler, drunkard and ladies' man. The list of his “victories” included Princess Margrethe of Sweden, the wife of the writer Richard Harris (author of The Silence of the Lambs) Elizabeth and even Jacqueline Onassis herself. The handsome upstart has already tarnished Jackie's honor by publishing their private correspondence in the tabloids. But Margaret was not afraid. Valentine's Day in 1967, the couple celebrated together at Douglas' house in Sussex. The princess bombarded her lover with letters thanking her for "returning to life." But Douglas-Home remained true to himself: he betrayed Margaret by selling her letters at a New York auction, which earned him a lot of money and universal censure. This relationship was short-lived, everyone remembered Douglas-Home only after the news of his suicide: a year and a half after breaking up with Margaret, he considered life meaningless and took a cocktail of alcohol and poison.

And Margaret was already carried away by the actor Peter Sellers. The appearance of a respectable bespectacled intellectual did not prevent Sellers from becoming one of the most famous comedians in the history of cinema. Sellers accompanied Margaret on her tours of the antique markets in Portobello, and in Snowdon's absence went with her to restaurants in South Kensington, to ballet and nightclubs. He frankly admired the magnificent forms of the princess, claiming that the size of her breasts is exactly the same as that of Sophia Loren. He brought her together with Warren Beatty, already famous actor and famous womanizer.

In the late 60s, Margaret and Lord Snowdon hardly spoke to each other. He refused to take his wife on his trips, claiming that he was bored with her.

On her 39th birthday in 1969, the Snowdons began to bicker loudly in a nightclub. He, having lost his temper, in the presence of guests began to put out cigarettes on her evening dress. “I have never seen someone congratulate the birthday girl like that,” American writer Gore Vidal commented on this scene without hiding sarcasm. On another occasion, when Margaret hosted a reception, Snowdon dragged into the palace a whole crowd of former university friends dressed in leather, nodded to the guests and walked with them into the back room. Their joint trips more and more often turned into a public showdown: one day, after a party in Barbados ended, the princess was ready to go home, and Snowdon could not be found anywhere. The count was found under the table ... with another guest, and he had to be literally dragged away from her.

Twenty reasons to hate

When an official invitation arrived from Australia with the note "in case Lord Snowdon accompanies your royal highness, it will give us even more pleasure, ”she did not even inform her husband about the impending visit. And when Anthony began to insist on a trip, this time not objecting to being in the shadow of his royal wife, she threatened to cancel the royal tour.

The photographer left notes on the table, one of which was titled "Twenty Reasons I Hate You." Their relationship was so tense that after quarrels he ran out into the yard, got behind the wheel and, in anger, with a terrible noise, drove around the park on sports car. Friends said that the spouses "exchange insults like shots." These scenes were reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

In 1969, Snowdon began an affair with Lady Jacqueline Rufus-Isaacs, a neighbor in country house in Sussex. From a relationship with journalist Melanie Cable-Alexander, he had a son.

In the early 70s, their life together went downhill, and Margaret's style changed. Fashion critics noted with surprise that "she could look luxurious one week, and seem unimaginably slut the next." However, the princess was never obsessed with clothes and did not really follow fashion. The retro style that adorned her so much in the late 50s has waned. She looked squat in casual tweed suits, neither mini-skirts nor ethnic outfits suited her, and the famous shirt dresses of the 70s sat on her baggy. In high platform shoes, with luxurious family jewelry that clearly did not fit a formal suit, and an invariable miniature handbag, which she did not let go of even when she met guests, Margaret gradually became an anachronism.

Her love of whiskey was already legendary. For breakfast, she appeared with the same glass of Famous Grouse. Even in the hospitals or museums that she patronized, employees always kept two bottles ready - one with Famous Grouse whiskey, the other (out of courtesy, just in case) - with Scotch mineral water highland spring. An untimely filled glass or an insufficient amount of ice caused her extreme irritation. During official visits, a specially assigned waiter with an ashtray followed her from room to room. Friends under various pretexts rejected her invitations to Kensington Palace, "because she will drink, and we will be stuck there until the evening."

In 1972, theater designer Olivier Messel built a 10-room coral-colored bungalow for Margaret with access to an isolated bay. A new villa with a swimming pool, terraces, stunning views of the Caribbean Sea was named Les Jolies Eaux - "Wonderful Waters". This house she called "the only real home on earth and the best haven outside of London." In addition, away from the paparazzi, she could organize any, the most informal and not limited by any conventions parties. Private concerts with Elton John and Mick Jagger, champagne, caviar and lobster dinners, and her invariable gin and tonic were on everyone's lips in those years. Margaret didn't seem to care about public opinion. And it was outraged by her new love adventure. This time, the choice of the Queen's sister turned out to be John Bindon, an actor of working origin, a petty gangster, a cocaine lover, who received two years in prison for beating. According to rumors, the character of Bindon inspired Guy Ritchie to create the film "Lock, Stock, Two Smoking Barrels". It is difficult to say what attracted Margaret about him, but their relationship continued in London. In his small apartment in Soho, he put on a fresh shirt, ironed his trousers, then a car picked him up and drove him to Kensington Palace. Once the princess and her boyfriend were noticed in a restaurant, where one of the attractions was chess, which were couples in various sexual poses.

In September 1973, at the estate of her old friend Colin Tennant, the Princess met Roderick, "Roddy" Llewellyn, in Scotland. The long-haired hippie turned out to be 17 years younger than her and, of course, was without certain occupations. Upon discovering that the young man had arrived without clothes to swim in the warm pool, the Queen's sister took the young man to the store and chose for him swimming trunks in the colors of the British flag. The next day they were seen in the vicinity of Glasgow - she bought him a sweater. Journalists spread the sensation all over the world, but this news looked so absurd that they simply refused to believe it then! Llewellyn and Margaret vacationed together on Mustique in 1974, where they attended a week-long 50th birthday party for Colin Tennant. The culmination of the evening was a performance by Mick Jagger and a special "golden reception", to which the tanned princess appeared draped in gold brocade.

Two years later, in 1976, The Sunday Times featured photographs of the bikini-clad princess in the arms of her young lover on Mustique. These pictures again immediately flew around the world. And when an enraged Anthony Armstrong-Jones demanded an official refutation, the princess's personal household secretary advised him not to be ridiculous, because his wife's relationship with Luvellin lasted quite a long time. The fact that Lord Snowdon, driven to a frenzy, finally left her house, was reported to the princess by phone. She was still on her island. Her reaction was calm: “He left? All the better. This is the best news you have ever given me,” she told her secretary.

In March 1976, it was officially announced that the couple would live separately - with the corresponding remark from Queen Elizabeth II that "she is very sorry about what happened."

Sunset P2

The Snowdons divorced in 1978, the first divorce in the English royal family in 400 years since Henry VIII. Anthony soon married television producer Lucy Lindsey-Hogg. It was then that Margaret said to her friend Colin Tennant: "I am back where I once was after parting with Captain Townsend, only this time I am divorced." Friends sent her to a psychoanalyst without revealing her incognito, the doctor's verdict was: "This woman needs treatment, and as soon as possible." She spent the following years between London and Mustique, living on the island like a shipwrecked Robinson

once had. In her free time, she swam in the sea, lay in a sun lounger, solving crossword puzzles in The Times.

The press called the princess "tedious", "spoiled", "lounging" and "irritable". Elizabeth II excluded her from the number of guests of honor and refused to pay the annual 219 thousand pounds laid down for the maintenance of a member of the royal house. In the year of her 50th birthday, Roddy Llewellyn announced his engagement to a fashion dressmaker. However, it seems that this fact did not upset Margaret: “If his engagement hadn’t happened, I would have been stuck in this story for a long time.”

She was increasingly sick, complained of feeling unwell, while not parting with either cigarettes (in those years she smoked 60 cigarettes a day) or whiskey. Continuing to perform royal duties, Margaret did not consider it necessary to choose expressions. In Los Angeles, she met the "Queen of Hollywood" Elizabeth Taylor. Having seen the Krupp diamond weighing 33.19 carats on her hand, she did not hesitate to call it vulgar. Taylor restrained herself and invited Margaret to try on the ring. And when the princess could not hide her admiration, the queen of Hollywood triumphantly said: “Now that it is on your hand, it already looks not so vulgar, does it?”

In 1991, her health began to decline dramatically. Loneliness became habitual and boring - she more and more went into the shadows. She was overshadowed by another Margaret - Thatcher. In the nineties, the princess entered on the "platform", and did not part with her heavy sandals either in winter or in summer. "And where did she just dig them up?" - fashion critics were perplexed. She was wrapped in pink satin, the look of a dusty old-fashioned mannequin in a cheap clothing store. Her world of noble heroes, love adventures, magnificent outfits, murderous arrogance, subtle irony ceased to exist.

Cynical, dissatisfied with nothing and never satisfied, by the end of her life she was known more as Prince Charlie's beloved aunt - far from being a primary character in the royal family, eleventh in line for the throne, a "monster" and a "rude woman."

But the real joy for Margaret was her children, who lived with her in Kensington Palace. Her daughter Sarah, an artist, has already had several exhibitions. Son David became a world-famous furniture designer whose works began to be hunted by show business stars, including Elton John himself. But most importantly, her children learned very well the lesson of what a bad marriage means. Their unions were stable and happy.

During her lifetime, the princess registered her villa on Mustique in the name of her son. And she did it with a light heart - she believed David and wanted to avoid inheritance taxes. But in the spring of 1998, buyers showed up at her Caribbean home wanting to see the property for sale. Their visit took Margaret, who was resting at the villa, by surprise - she did not know anything about her son's plans. For two days Margaret did not get out of bed. And on the third day, she scalded her legs terribly - the plumbing system on the island, which has not changed since the 60s, is hopelessly outdated. In 1999, Les Jolies Eaux was sold by David Linley for a million pounds. Margaret had her first stroke. The alcohol was done away with, two thousand cigarettes were returned to the suppliers, and Margaret never used the lighter again. She was never able to put on shoes on her sore feet.

Wanting to cheer up her sister, Elizabeth invited her to the theater, which she always loved, but Margaret unexpectedly refused. Then the queen said: "It seems that my sister has lost interest in life." In March 2001, Margaret suddenly stopped seeing objects. What frustrated her most was that she could not solve her favorite crossword puzzles in the evenings. At the celebration of the 101st birthday of the Queen Mother, she appeared in a wheelchair, with a swollen face, which was covered by large dark glasses.

On the first day of the new year, 2002, Elizabeth II canceled her daily ritual of riding a horse and came to sit with her sister. That case seemed to be on the mend ... But soon another blow followed. On the morning of February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret died in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. As her coffin, covered with a blue and purple cloth with white lilies, was taken out of the hospital, a few onlookers asked: “What happened? Is the queen mother dead? Not? Princess Margaret? Has she survived to this day?

Margaret never found out that she was mourned long before her real death.