Princess Margaret and her husband photographer. The tragic story of Princess Margaret's "English Rose"

Biography of Princess Margaret sad story about the fact that even the inhabitants of royal houses are lonely, that even the title, wealth and fame do not at all guarantee ordinary happiness and love. The life of Princess Margaret Rose passed in the shadow of her sister (the current Queen of Great Britain). However, despite this, Margaret managed to be remembered by the whole world for her love of freedom, courage and even some eccentricity, unusual for the inhabitants of Windsor.

Childhood and youth

Margaret Rose was born on August 21, 1930 at Glamis Castle in Scotland. The girl was youngest daughter and . Margaret's godfather was her paternal uncle, who later became King Edward VIII, and the godmother was the Swedish princess Ingrid (in the future, the Danish queen). When Margaret was six years old, Edward renounced the throne, and the girl's father became king. This moment was a turning point in the fate of Margaret.

In early childhood, Margaret and Elizabeth were inseparable. The girls spent a lot of time together and could not imagine life without each other. However, after the father ascended the throne, a spirit of rivalry appeared between the sisters.

At first it was not obvious, but soon the elder Elizabeth had to study the intricacies of politics and the political system, court etiquette and other palace nuances necessary future queen. Margaret was out of work.

The situation became more complicated after the death of the girls' father. The mother, having put on mourning, withdrew into her own experiences. Elizabeth was absorbed in palace obligations, and Margaret felt herself useless and lonely.

Queen's sister

This state of affairs oppressed Margaret: by nature, the girl got a cheerful character, a cheerful disposition and sociability. In addition, the princess was very beautiful and skillfully emphasized the dignity of her appearance. fashionable outfits and cosmetics. Later, Margaret will often be compared to an actress. Such interests were considered bad manners in the royal family: the princess was supposed to be more serious and think about palace duties, and not about dresses and parties.

The sisters were very different in this - the stiff Elizabeth attached a lot of importance to the established regulations, rules and etiquette. Margaret, on the other hand, took pleasure in going against the odds, shocking relatives and the public. Perhaps, with such a rebellion, the girl tried to attract the attention of loved ones, which she lacked so much after the death of her father.

Pretty quickly, Margaret won the glory of the "rebellious princess." Until the last days, she did not consider it necessary to deny herself any pleasures. The princess was repeatedly caught in London clubs and pubs. There was even talk of Margaret's alcoholism. Notes constantly appeared in the press that the princess was not averse to drinking. In addition, she smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. Such intemperance in bad habits seriously crippled Margaret's health and influenced her later life.

Personal life

The personal life of Princess Margaret developed rapidly and intensely. At the age of 23, the girl met the captain of the British fleet, Peter Townsend. The man was 16 years older than the princess, but this did not become an obstacle for lovers. Unfortunately, palace rules did not allow Margaret to marry her chosen one. The fact is that Townsend was divorced, in addition, he had children from his first marriage.

This relationship angered the royal family. On the part of Margaret, it was unheard of impudence and the height of indecency to agree to a relationship with a divorced man who, moreover, was much older.

However, the discontent of the family did not frighten the girl, and the romance was gaining momentum. Margaret decided to wait until her 25th birthday: at that age, she could officially renounce her title and marry her lover like an ordinary woman. It was on this path that the uncle of the girl, who sacrificed the throne for the love of a divorced woman, went in his time.

However, the situation did not turn out the way Margaret wanted. Soon Captain Peter Townsend was sent to serve in Belgium, where the man was to stay for two years. The princess's family hoped that the girl's love would subside, and she would forget about her lover. Thanks to this love story, Margaret became the idol of the women of the country: gossip was passed from mouth to mouth, many hoped for a happy ending to the novel.

The reality turned out to be more prosaic. When Peter Townsend returned to England, Margaret announced her decision to leave. Most likely, the girl was forced to take this step by the pressure of her mother and sister, who were opposed to the reckless, in their opinion, act of the princess.

What happened changed Margaret. The princess seemed to have decided not to spare herself and went into all serious trouble. The press talked about the girl's numerous novels, and her photos with new and new gentlemen appeared on the spreads of publications. Finally, Margaret did get married. The photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones became the chosen one of the wayward beauty. The wedding took place on May 6, 1960.

This marriage, unfortunately, broke up. In 1978, the princess divorced her husband. During the years of marriage, Margaret gave birth to two children - son David and daughter Sarah. It was Lady Sarah who, years later, became a bridesmaid at the wedding and. Margaret had four grandchildren.

Death

The last years of Margaret were tragic: the princess was very lonely. The woman's health became worse and worse - addiction to alcohol and tobacco made itself felt. A couple of years before her death, a misfortune happened: Margaret scalded her feet in the bathroom. After this incident, the princess practically did not get up on her feet, moving on wheelchair.

On February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret passed away. Doctors said the cause of death was a stroke. But even after her death, Margaret was able to impress the inhabitants of Britain and members of the royal family, expressing a desire to have her body cremated. The ashes of the rebellious princess are buried next to the grave of her father.

Memory

The name of Princess Margaret has repeatedly appeared in the movies. In 2005, the film Princess Margaret, a Love Story appeared. The picture was based on rumors and gossip, for which the princess did not get tired of giving reasons. Three years later, the film directed by Roger Donaldson, The Baker Street Robbery, was released.

Here, the plot was also based on the provocative actions of Margaret, about which the criminals allegedly became aware. They want to steal dirt on the princess in order to blackmail members of the royal family. The main roles in the film were played by Saffron Burroughs.

And in 2016, Peter Morgan's TV series The Crown was released, which reveals the history of the royal family. After the first season, the project was awarded the Golden Globe Award and received positive feedback from both critics and viewers. Princess Margaret was played by actresses and. Ben Miles plays Peter Townsend. Also participating in the filming (in the role of young Elizabeth), John Lithgow (who played), Jeremy Northam.

Princess Margaret It was the first televised royal wedding, and more than three hundred million people witnessed the princess marrying her chosen one - no, not a prince, but a photographer, Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Eccentric - especially by royal standards, an ardent, charming princess, a real "English rose" (her middle name, by the way, is Rose) was the favorite of the public, they were ready to forgive her a lot, including this marriage.

Margaret ordered the dress, of course, from Norman Hartnell, the royal family's favorite couturier. For Queen Elizabeth II, he created her wedding dress, and coronation, and many other luxurious outfits. However, if the older sister's dresses were often full of embroidery, striking with the magnificence of the fabric, the beauty of the texture, then the wedding dress of the younger one unexpectedly turned out to be completely different.

plume. The multi-pleated skirt, which was over 35 meters of fabric, was very fluffy, and lay softly over many tulle petticoats.

Margaret was vertically challenged- only a meter fifty-five centimeters, and at that time very thin. She rightly decided that luxury dress, which everyone would expect at a wedding of this level, with lace, embroidery, pearls, will simply outshine it. What bride would want this effect? So that Princess Margaret's wedding dress would then be called "the most simple dress in the history of royal weddings"!

It was made from white silk organza. The bodice looked like a tight-fitting - but not too much - jacket with a narrow, small neckline and long sleeves. He perfectly emphasized a thin waist, and a rather magnificent bust at the same time looked very feminine, but absolutely not defiant. At the back, the bodice turned into a train. The multi-pleated skirt, which was over 35 meters of fabric, was very fluffy, and lay softly over many tulle petticoats.

And no lace or frills. Nothing. The dress was one of those that at first glance seem very simple, but it is worth taking a closer look, and you understand - this is the simplicity that is given only by great skill. It fit perfectly on Margaret, and in it she did not seem quite so baby.

The veil was long, slightly longer than the train, and also very simple - transparent silk organza, without embroidery and lace, only with a narrow ivory border, which seemed to create a frame for the image.

However, the uneasy simplicity of the dress and veil emphasized the magnificent tiara. It was made in the last third of XIX century for Lady Poltimore, at the Garrard jewelry firm, which long years served British monarchs. It was purchased for Princess Margaret even before the official announcement of the engagement, and she appeared in it several times - however, not in the form of a tiara, but in the form of a necklace or brooches (many tiaras were made with the expectation that they could be worn in one way or another) .

On the wedding day Margaret's hair was tied up in a high hairstyle to make the princess appear taller, and this high diamond tiara surrounded the crown of hair. The combination of a simple white dress, tiara and a small necklace that complements it was majestic, attractive, but not pompous. It was not a queen who married, but a princess.

Vogue magazine called Margaret " new princess“Her unadorned dress brings a fresh, clean touch.”

Many years later, when Margaret's son gets married, his bride will wear an outfit that is clearly inspired by the image of her mother-in-law - including a dress, a high hairstyle, and a veil ...

Well, the exquisite and simple princess outfit is a great example to follow!

When royalty ascends the throne, her name remains in history. But what happens to the other applicants? royalty. Unfortunately, their destiny is life in the shadow of their titled relatives. This is exactly what happened with Princess Margaret, the younger sister of the British Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the splendor and luxury of her existence, the "reserve princess" has always suffered from loneliness.

Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret

In the early years of their lives, the sisters were very close. But when, due to the abdication of the throne of their uncle Edward VIII, it was necessary for their parents to take 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 was out of work.

Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister Princess Margaret

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.

Princess Margaret and Captain Peter Townsend

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. 2 years later, Princess Margaret appeared on television and publicly abandoned her intention to marry the captain, citing her obligations to her country.

"Rebel Princess" Margaret

After that, Margaret became embittered and considered that now the whole point of her life would be fun. She started drinking and driving wild life. Her behavior in in public places becomes extraordinary: the days began with the fulfillment of royal obligations at endless receptions, trips to the theater, and ended invariably in nightclubs.

Princess Margaret was considered a style icon

Despite the intolerable character, Princess Margaret was gladly received in any establishments. She was very attractive. Marble skin, thin waist, sensual mouth. Every outfit in which she appeared was immediately printed in magazines, and then copied by fashionistas.

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.

Princess Margaret in her wedding dress

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, because 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.

« spare princess» Margaret

Unfortunately, this relationship did not bring the princess the desired peace, and after 18 years of marriage, she filed for divorce. How much she drank and smoked cigarettes was already legendary. Friends refused under various pretexts to accept her invitations to the palace, because Margaret would start drinking, and they would be stuck until the evening.

Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret

The last years of Margaret were deeply tragic. As a result of an accident where she scalded her legs, the princess was confined to a wheelchair. Her death came on February 9, 2002.
The life of the younger sister was bright, but tragic. The elder sister, Elizabeth II, went down in history as the longest-serving monarch.

Princess Margaret was not only a royal daughter, the sister of the queen, and after the birth of Prince Charles, the third in line for the throne, but was also known as the first beauty of the kingdom of Great Britain. Shades of lipstick, perfumes and cocktails, tulips, gladioli, roses were named after her.
She flared up like a bright comet, but in an endless series of secular scandals, her star faded. Disease and oblivion followed. When her coffin, covered with a blue and purple cloth with white lilies, was taken out of the hospital in February 2002, a few onlookers asked: “What happened? Is the queen mother dead? Not? Princess Margaret? Has she survived to this day?

Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, was born on 21 August 1930 at Glamis Castle, the ancestral home of her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, in Scotland.
At the time of her birth, she was fourth in the line of succession to the British throne.
She was destined to be a "reserve princess", to be on the sidelines, in the shadow of her crowned sister. To be noticed, she had to be much brighter than Elizabeth defying conservative conventions. No wonder Margaret was called the rebellious princess. The registration of her birth was delayed for several days so that the entry in the parish metric book would not be assigned the 13th number. But it is difficult to deceive even a princess from fate. However, all the storms are ahead, but for now she is just a lovely little "Her Royal Highness" in a beautiful castle, surrounded by the love and care of the entire royal family.

But from the very early childhood not without controversy and controversy. Mother wanted to call her Ann - "Elizabeth and Ann go so well together." Father was vehemently opposed and insisted on "Margaret Rose".
Elizabeth and Margaret did not attend school, they were taught by the Scottish governess Marion Crawford. Their education was controlled by their mother, who said: "After all, my sisters and I only had governesses, and we all married well - one of us very well." Margaret later regretted her limited education.

Margaret played music and sang beautifully, which did not interfere with the rumors that spread among the people that the girl was deaf and dumb. Only her first public performance scattered them. Another girl loved to be the center of attention, and elder sister Elizabeth allowed this to her, commenting, "Oh, how much easier it is when Margaret is there—everyone laughs at what Margaret says."
Their father, who became King George VI after his father's death and his older brother's abdication, described Elizabeth as his pride and Margaret as his joy.
At this time, Margaret was already second in line to the throne and received the status of a child of the sovereign.

After the outbreak of World War II, Margaret and her sister were at Birkhall on the estate of Balmoral Castle, where they stayed until Christmas 1939. The nights there were so cold that drinking water froze in the decanters by their beds. Throughout the war, despite the bombing, the royal family spent windsor castle. Lord Hailsham wrote to Prime Minister Winston Churchill advising that the princesses be evacuated to Canada, to which their mother famously replied that “The children will not do without my help. I will not leave without the King. And the King will never leave."

After the end of the war in 1945, Margaret appeared on a balcony at Buckingham Palace with her family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Afterwards, both Elizabeth and Margaret joined the crowds outside the palace, singing incognito, "we want a King, we want a Queen!"

Her twenty-first birthday party was held at Balmoral in August 1951. In next month her father underwent surgery for lung cancer and died in 1952.

Growing up, Margaret has grown into a dark-haired beauty with huge blue eyes, a voluptuous mouth, and an 18-inch waist. The editors of the fashion and beauty sections immediately drew attention to her. 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. Wherever she went, she was accompanied everywhere by a crowd of secular admirers, who became known as the "Margaret set." In 1956, 26-year-old Margaret appeared on the list of the most stylish people in the world. In this prestigious list, Margaret was mentioned second only to Grace Kelly.

Offended by her mother and sister, Margaret insisted on her resettlement in Kensington Palace, where she created an alternative court from her friends and where there was no place for formal dresses and tuxedos. In the evenings, her blue Rolls-Royce left the palace gates and headed towards Soho. Almost every day she returned from the clubs in the morning. With a brightly painted mouth, large violet eyes, a dazzling smile, high-combed dark red hair, flawless marbled skin, for which the women of the Windsor family were so famous, she simultaneously resembled Hollywood star and the classical aristocrat of the 19th century.

famous open dress Margaret for a reception in Hollywood, where it caused a sensation, and a scandal in the English press

The first scandal happened with Margaret Rose, Princess of York in 1955: the younger sister of Elizabeth II, almost married the royal equerry Peter Townsend, sixteen years older than her, the father of two children and also divorced. The sister-queen, parliament and the church, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, opposed this marriage of Margaret, considering it a monstrous misalliance! In the autumn of 1955, the BBC interrupted its transmissions to broadcast a statement by Margaret, who notified the nation of the end of a twelve-year relationship with Captain Townsend. The lovers parted.

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. But when the pretty, witty and very talented society photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones began to hoot after her, Margaret unexpectedly showed firmness for everyone.

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. In May 1961, Margaret's pregnancy was officially announced.

With son and daughter
son - David, Viscount Linley, born November 3, 1961, daughter 0 Lady Sarah, born May 1, 1964. Both children were born by caesarean section

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 by Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins ...

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.

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.

Her husband, who received the title of Earl of Snowdon, in this highest protocol was far from the main role. Anthony complained to his friends that he was being treated as if he had been picked up from the gutter. The summer of 1965 was the last happy vacation that Anthony and Margaret spent together.

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. Together with youth, the retro of the 50s has also gone. In casual tweed suits, she looked squat, neither miniskirts nor ethnic outfits suited her, and the famous shirt dresses of the 70s were baggy on her. In those years, she rarely left the ranks of the most tastelessly dressed celebrities and received comments that her the view "leaves Londoners wishing there was no more fog in their city".

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.
“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. The newspapers called Margaret "expensive", "scandalous", "extravagant" and "useless".
Both spouses cheated on each other, but it was Margaret's betrayals that became public property thanks to the ubiquitous paparazzi.

The Snowdons divorced in 1978, the first divorce in the English royal family in 400 years since Henry VIII. Despite the fact that her husband had a very tarnished reputation, all the blame was placed on Margaret. 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. As more and more new heirs to the throne were born, Princess Margaret's turn dropped to 11, and interest in her was completely lost over 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 1985, Margaret underwent lung surgery. In 1991, her health began to decline dramatically. A series of strokes followed.

In March 2001, Margaret suddenly stopped seeing objects. 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. But another blow soon followed. 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. These were last days Princess Margaret. On the morning of February 9, 2002, she died in her sleep.

In 1950, the royal governess, Marion Crawford, who raised the princesses, published a biography of Elizabeth, describing both Margaret's childhood years, her "light-hearted fun" and her "funny and outrageous ... antics." Marion Crawford wrote: "The impulsive and vivid remarks she made made headlines and, taken out of their context, began to produce in the public eye an oddly distorted personality that bore little resemblance to the Margaret we knew."

American writer Gore Vidal recalled a conversation with Margaret in which she discussed her public fame, saying, "It was inevitable: when there are two sisters, and each is a Queen, one must be the source of honor and everything, something good, while while the other should be the center of the most creative malice, the evil sister." However, the sisters' letters to each other show no signs of disagreement between them.

Margaret's most important legacy is said to have paved the way for the public acceptance of royal divorce. Her sister's children followed suit, three of whom divorced and much more easily than would have been possible before.

In the art of the kinkmatographer, Margaret's personality has found many incarnations from her childhood years (Oscar-winning "The King's Speech" 2010) to reflecting the details of her troubled life
("Princess Margaret, a love story» 2005). In addition, she became the heroine of many television series (Women of Windsor (1992) and others).

21 August 1930 – 11 December 1936: HRH Princess Margaret of York
December 11, 1936 – October 3, 1961: her Royal Highness princess margaret
3 October 1961 – 9 February 2002: HRH Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

The first scandal happened with Margaret Rose, Princess of York in 1955: the younger sister of Elizabeth II, almost married the royal equerry, sixteen years her senior, father of two children and also divorced. 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 was married to a divorced partner! In the autumn of 1955, the BBC interrupted its transmissions to broadcast a statement by Margaret, who notified 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 ”, They left her alone for a while ... But what the paparazzi eager for sensations could not see in Margaret was seen by the editors of the fashion and beauty sections. 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 sister of the queen, and after the birth of Prince Charles, the third in line for the throne, but as it soon became clear to everyone, 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 gowns by Norman Hartnell and Victor Stiebel. Wherever she went, she was accompanied everywhere by a crowd of secular admirers, who became known as the "Margaret set." Offended by her mother and sister, Margaret insisted on her resettlement in Kensington Palace, where she created an alternative court from her friends and where there was no place for formal dresses and tuxedos. In the evenings, her blue Rolls-Royce left the palace gates and headed towards Soho. Almost every day she returned from the clubs in the morning. 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. Shades of lipstick, perfumes and cocktails, tulips, gladioluses, 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. But when the pretty, witty and very talented society photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones began to hoot 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 in marriage. 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 friends and her beloved nephew, little Prince Charles, dressed in a 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 as wedding gift four hectares of this heavenly land. 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. 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, The Rolling Stones, writer Edna O'Brien, hairdresser and stylist Vidal Sassoon, designer, miniskirt maker Mary Quant and hippy chic inspiration, Thea Porter, whose brightly colored oriental robes delight 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, 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 Snowdon's comrade from Cambridge, Irishman Anthony Barton, who permanently resided in Bordeaux, became. Almost every week, Margaret 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 in this highest protocol was assigned a far from the main role. 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 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 cheating- friend and wife - very upset. 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, their life together went downhill, and Margaret's style 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 refuge 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 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 princess was informed by telephone 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 feigned 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, 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 girl." 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. 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. 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?