In modern history, Margaret Windsor (1930-2002), Countess of Snowdon and Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister, was arguably one of the most popular royals. She was known for her rebellious nature and determined personality, made worldwide headlines for her 'party-girl lifestyle and her relationship with Captain Peter Townsend, her father’s equerry group.
Margaret Windsor Early Life:
She was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Elizabeth II’s only sibling.
With her parents and sister, Margaret spent much of her childhood. At the age of six, when her paternal uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorced Wallis Simpson, her life changed dramatically. Margaret’s father became king, and the rightful heir became her sister, with Margaret second in line to the throne.
The early life of Margaret was spent at 145 Piccadilly (their London townhouse) and Windsor Royal Lodge, mostly at the residences of the Yorks. The Yorks were seen by the public as an ideal family: father, mother, and children, but false rumors that Margaret was deaf and mute were not fully dissipated until Margaret’s first major public appearance at the wedding of Prince George’s uncle in 1934.
She was educated by Marion Crawford, their Scottish governess, along with her sister, Princess Elizabeth. The education of Margaret was primarily overseen by her mother, who never aimed to bring her daughters up to be more than nicely behaved young ladies," in Randolph Churchill’s words. "The Duchess of York said, "I don’t know what she meant when Queen Mary insisted on the value of education. My sisters and I only had governesses, after all, and all of us married well, one of us very well.
Margaret, particularly in later years, was resentful of her limited education and targeted criticism of her mother. Margaret’s mother told a neighbor, however, that she “regretted” that her daughters did not go to school like other kids, and that the employment of a governess rather than sending the girls to school could only have been achieved at the insistence of King George V.J. M. Barrie, author.
Summary: Princess Margaret Rose, the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, was born on August 21, 1930, at Glamis Castle, Scotland. Her parents have crowned King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 after Edward VIII had abdicated to marry American Wallis Simpson. Margaret enjoyed swimming as a child and showed a gift for the piano. Following the outbreak of World War II, she was educated at Buckingham Palace but moved to Windsor Castle.
Did Princess Margaret want to be queen?
This has not been officially recorded, of course, but different biographies remember that Margaret told her friends about her envy of her older sister: "Elizabeth arguably had everything Margaret wanted: “The crown, the husband and the children,” and as reported in the Telegraph, Margaret was apparently “subconsciously jealous” of Elizabeth.
In reality, as seen on The Crown, Margaret skipped out on Elizabeth’s 10th wedding anniversary, which was just one of many acts (direct and indirect) to show how she felt. However, despite this, the two sisters remained close until the death of Margaret in 2002.
Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon, are confident that Margaret, not Elizabeth, is willing to be queen. A remarkable unfairness to Margaret, whose outgoing temperament makes her a better choice for diplomatic missions than her more reticent sibling, is to have been born second, the couple feels.
Hot & Scrappy Romance
Margaret appeared more often in the public eye after the war. Sometimes compared with her older sister, Elizabeth, the glamorous young beauty developed a reputation as an independent spirit who enjoyed socializing late into the night.
Margaret soon grew close to the war hero and royal equerry, Group Captain Peter Townsend, and their secret relationship was unveiled at the 1953 coronation of her niece, Queen Elizabeth II. Townsend, though, was an elderly man and a recent divorcee, and the Church and Parliament were said to have frowned upon the relationship.
An arrangement was finally reached between the Queen and Prime Minister Anthony Eden in which Margaret could marry Townsend in return for forfeiting her succession rights. Margaret eventually decided not to go through with the agreement, and in October 1955, she declared her separation from Townsend.
Did the Queen stop Margaret from marrying?
A former Battle of Britain pilot, Princess Margaret, and Peter Townsend, fell in love when he was first an equerry to George VI and then to Elizabeth II. He divorced his wife on the grounds of her adultery in 1952 and subsequently suggested to Margaret.
Nevertheless, under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the Queen was forced to grant permission for marriage, and under pressure from the government of Winston Churchill and the Church of England, which opposed divorce, she declined.
Instead, under the Act, Margaret and Townsend were told to wait for two years before they were 25 and more capable of deciding for themselves. In Brussels, Townsend was sent to be an air attache, living on his own in a hotel room.
There was still a concern after two years had passed. Her reluctance to give permission has been upheld by the Queen. The princess may have asked Parliament to circumvent this rejection, having reached the age of 25, but that would have created a sensation.
To exempt Margaret and her children from the succession, he vowed to amend the Act. Therefore the Queen’s approval would be unnecessary. It was clear and definitive - the marriage was blocked by the Act, so the Act must be altered. The Queen consented.
For her sister, Her Majesty does not want to stand in the way of happiness. Eden himself was very sympathetic to Princess Margaret in his letter to the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth. Exclusion from the Succession does not mean any other change to the status of Princess Margaret as a Royal Family member, he wrote.
One mystery is why the princess herself declared on 31 October 1955 that she would not marry Townsend after all, only three days after the final draft of the proposal was made.
In a letter in the archives, from the princess herself to Eden in August 1955, a clue can appear. She says she’s going to see Townsend in October: It is only by seeing him in this way that I feel I can properly decide whether I can marry him or not. Maybe this letter means that her desire to marry him wasn’t as strong as she thought it was.
Princess Margaret married the photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones on 6 May 1960, and Lord Snowdon and Viscount Linley were born. The 1772 Act was replaced in 2015 by the Succession to the Crown Act, which stipulates that only the nearest six individuals in line to the throne will have to be permitted to marry by the monarch.
Summary: Warwick wrote that Margaret wanted to walk away from the relationship, according to Express, because their love had fizzled out. While Margaret had plenty of reasons to look for love elsewhere, because she and Townsend had grown apart over the years, the real reason things did not work out was.
Interesting Facts about Margaret Windsor:
Here are few interesting facts about Margaret Windsor, hope these will spice up this read of the queen.
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The first member of the British royal family to have been born in Scotland for over 300 years was Princess Margaret.
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With her sister, Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret had a close relationship but fought with her as a child.
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Margaret had disappointing dreams about the Queen.
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Margaret enjoyed a decadent way of life.
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At the beginning of their relationship, Margaret fell in love with an older man who may or may not have been dating.
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Margaret chose her “Commonwealth responsibility” to marry for love.
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Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones and was watched by an estimated 300 million people.
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Her marriage cost a whopping £ 86,000.
Princess Margaret cause of death
The later life of the Princess was marred by illness and disability. From the age of 15 or earlier, she had smoked cigarettes and had managed to smoke heavily for several years. On 5 January 1985, she had removed part of her left lung; more than 30 years ago, the procedure was parallel to that of her father’s. In 1991, although she kept drinking heavily, she gave up smoking.
In 1992, for the last time before his death in 1995, Margaret met Townsend; she said he looked exactly the same, except he had grey hair"
She was admitted to the hospital for Pneumonia in January 1993. On 23 February 1998, at her holiday home in Mustique, she experienced a mild stroke. At the beginning of the following year in a bathroom accident, the Princess suffered severe scalds to her feet, affecting her mobility by requiring support when walking and sometimes using a wheelchair.
Margaret’s last public appearances were at her mother’s 101st birthday celebration in August 2001 and her aunt, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester’s 100th birthday celebration that December.
Princess Margaret died at the King Edward VII Hospital, London, at 06:30 (GMT) on 9 February 2002, at the age of 71, one day after suffering another stroke that resulted in heart complications and three days after the 50th anniversary of her father’s death.
The coffin of Margaret, draped in her personal standard, was taken before her ■■■■■■■ from Kensington Palace to St James’s Palace. The ■■■■■■■ took place on 15 February 2002, the 50th anniversary of the ■■■■■■■ of her father.
The ceremony was a private service for family and friends at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in line with her wishes. Unlike most other members of the royal family, Pri Pri was a private service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. On 19 April 2002, a state memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey.
Summary: Like her father, Princess Margaret underwent an operation to remove part of her left lung in early 1985, after years of heavy smoking. She contracted pneumonia in 1993. As the tabloids concentrated on Princess Diana and a new generation of royals, Margaret retired into private life no longer the target of media attention. In later years, she dealt with growing health concerns, suffering a series of strokes and an accident of scalding bathwater. Following her third stroke, the princess died in London on February 9, 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Here are the few now & then asked questions that will boost your interest in the topic.
Why is Elizabeth queen and not Margaret?
After the sudden death of King George VI, Elizabeth became queen, as she was the first in line to the throne. And while Margaret would continue to live a life of luxury and glamour untethered from the duties of the throne, she was still officially one of the royal subjects of her sister.
What is the age difference between queen and Margaret?
Princess Margaret was five years younger than her sister.
Did Lord Snowdon attend Margaret’s ■■■■■■■?
It Is believed Lord Snowdon, attended the ■■■■■■■ of the princess, who was her former husband. After the ■■■■■■■, members of the royal family stood in front of St George’s chapel, paying their last respects to the princess, who died at the age of 71 last Saturday.
Conclusion:
On 21 August 1930, the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Princess Margaret Windsor was born. Princess Margaret, beautiful and fun-loving, gained a reputation as a free spirit in her youth. But an unfortunate affair with Group Capt clouded her 20s. Peter Townsend of the Royal Air Force, a Battle of Britain hero who she fell in love with while serving her father, King George VI, as an equerry.
The Princess played an active part in the public work of the Royal Family during her rich and varied life, supporting The Queen. In the broad area of welfare service, and in the arts, her specific interests were. She was the patron or president of more than 80 groups, from charities for children to ballet companies.
Her troubled private life ■■■■■■■ both worldwide sympathy and universal reprobation. She was seventy-one when she died.