Margaret, beloved sister and friend to Queen Elizabeth: her life in photos

Queen Elizabeth's sister Margaret
A fascinating, scandalous life
Two sisters
Under The Queen Mother's eye
The Abdication Crisis
His Paternal Majesty
Growing up, growing apart
Pride and joy
The Rebel Royal
A morning routine for a princess
Lavish socialite
Turbulent love
The Earl of Snowdon
Children ever after
Artists, intellectuals, bohemians
Royal affairs
Rumors
No commemorative plate for this royal event
Smoke and mirrors
Royal blues
Declining health
Two deaths in the family
Princess Margaret in 'The Crown'
Noblesse oblige
Queen Elizabeth's sister Margaret

They are now together, in whichever place people go when they die: the sisters Elizabeth and Margaret, two princesses who weathered the challenges of life as royalty in very different ways.

A fascinating, scandalous life

Princess Margaret may appear, at a first glance, to have lived in the shadow of her more famous sister, Queen Elizabeth. However, the Countess of Snowden led a fascinating, scandalous life.

Two sisters

Princess Margaret Rose of Windsor was born in 1930 in Scotland. She was 4 years younger than her sister, Elizabeth. The two were the only children of the then Duke of York and Scottish aristocrat Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

Under The Queen Mother's eye

Elizabeth and Margaret’s education was mostly given to them by governesses supervised by The Queen Mother. Later in life, Margaret resented her lack of a more proper, formal education.

The Abdication Crisis

Elizabeth and Margaret's father was second in the line of succession to King George V. However, the abdication of Edward VIII to marry Wallis Simpson (both pictured here) changed their lives forever.

His Paternal Majesty

The Duke of York became King George VI and Elizabeth became heiress presumptive.

Growing up, growing apart

The two sisters manifested different personalities as they grew up. While Elizabeth started to take on the responsibilities of being the crown princess, Margaret developed an interest in theater, fashion and music.

Pride and joy

King George, who passed away in 1952, used to say that Elizabeth was his pride, but Margaret was his joy.

The Rebel Royal

While Queen Elizabeth kept an image of respect and decorum, her sister was held as the poster child of fashionable, aristocratic extravagance. The press at the time dubbed her ‘The Rebel Royal’.

A morning routine for a princess

A 1955 book, as quoted by Harper’s Bazaar, describes Princess Margaret’s morning routine as consisting of a two-hour breakfast, a one-hour bath, a vodka break at noon, and a four-course lunch along with half a bottle of wine.

Lavish socialite

The Princess grew up to become a lavish socialite. Here she can be seen in 1958 with Yves Saint Laurent after a Christian Dior fashion show.

Turbulent love

She was also well-known for her turbulent romantic life. First came Group Captain Peter Townsend. However, the Royal Family was opposed to the union, and the relationship ended in distraught.

The Earl of Snowdon

Her most famous beau was probably photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, whom she married in 1960. Armstrong-Jones was given the title of Earl of Snowdon shortly after their marriage.

Children ever after

The couple had two children: David, born in 1961, and Sarah, born in 1964.

Artists, intellectuals, bohemians

The two became well-known for hosting parties and gatherings attended by artists, intellectuals, and bohemians.

Pictured: Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon with Elton John in 1972.

Royal affairs

However, the royal couple grew distant, and the two were known to have a series of affairs during this time.

Rumors

Some rumored names linked to Margaret include the musician Mick Jagger, the comedian Peter Sellers and the actor Warren Beatty. Most of these rumors have been dismissed.

No commemorative plate for this royal event

What is true is that tabloid images of the Princess with her boyfriend Roddy Llewellyn (pictured) in the Caribbean led to their definite divorce in 1978. She was the first member of the royal family to get a divorce since 1901.

Smoke and mirrors

Princess Margaret’s health started to decline in the 1980s. An unhealthy habit cost her one of her lungs in 1985.

Royal blues

Around the same time, she was going through her own personal battle with depression.

Declining health

A series of strokes in the 90s left her partially blind and needing the help of a wheelchair. One of her last public appearances was on the 101st birthday of The Queen Mother in August 2001.

Two deaths in the family

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon passed away on February 9, 2002. The Queen Mother would pass away two months later.

Princess Margaret in 'The Crown'

The TV show 'The Crown' has brought revived attention to the figure of Princess Margaret. The young princess was played by Vanessa Kirby. The elder Margaret, in the image, was played by Helena Bonham Carter.

Noblesse oblige

The show's portrayal of Margaret begs the question if, instead of resenting living in the shadow of The Queen, maybe The Princess was simply affected by having lost her only sibling to the duties of the throne.

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