Princess Margaret - Queen Elizabeth II’s Infamous Sister

[Music] Princess Margaret Queen Elizabeth II's Infamous sister Princess Margaret was a bright Rose who bloomed even in the shadow of her older sister she was a fashion icon and the life of many parties she had a scandalous romance her Sovereign sibling could never sanction and a disastrous marriage which paved the way for future Royal divorces and through it all she was a dedicated supporter and friend to the queen let's peek behind the Tabloid headlines and the outrageous scenes in the crown and get to know the real Princess Margaret on August 2st 1930 Elizabeth Bose lion wife of King George V's Second Son went into labor with her second child she was one of the most popular Royals and brought color and charm to the stuffy wsor family and she was a wonderful helpmate to her shy stammering husband Albert Duke of York the couple and their 4-year-old daughter Elizabeth were visiting the duchess's parents the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorn at their ancestral home glam's castle in Scotland Elizabeth's labor was long the Home Secretary who was there to officially witness the birth was kept waiting for hours finally the obstetrician delivered the baby by cesarian section like her older sister had been The Duchess wrote to her in-laws about the happy news and said she wanted to name her daughter an she thought an of York sounded pretty and Elizabeth and Anne went so well together but the king didn't care for the name when the family made their way back to London the baby was baptized Margaret Rose in the private Chapel of Buckingham Palace at the time of her birth Margaret was fourth in the line of succession to the British throne her sister and father outranked her but it was not believed that they would Reign either as the heir to the throne was George V's eldest son Edward Prince of Wales the 36-year-old Prince was himself quite popular and handsome there were concerns in the family about his many entanglements with married women but surely he would eventually settle down and father a future king the Yorks and their two daughters who were affect called liliet and Margot settled into a blissful domestic life on the sidelines the public Ador the young family and tell them up as an ideal it has often been wondered why they didn't keep trying for a son who would have outranked his sisters in succession the most likely reasons are in the 1930s women who had two C-sections were advised to stop having more children for their own health the couple didn't think the succession would come to them anyway and they were both content with their two daughters whom they adored there were unfounded rumors that little Margaret was deaf and non-verbal but these were quickly dispelled when at 4: she Charmed during her public debut at the wedding of her uncle Prince George of Kent her parents were very Hands-On Prince Albert referred to his wife and daughters as us four rather than a palace they raised their children in a London townhouse at 145 Picadilly and at the Royal Lodge at Windsor Park where the girls enjoyed running around the gardens after their many pets including three Pembrook Welsh Corgis named dookie Jane and crackers and a chameleon given to them by their cousin lord mountbatten governor general of India they had an impressive two-story thatched windy house which was presented to Elizabeth by the people of Wales for her sixth birth birthday and Peter Pan author JM Barry stopped by on occasion to read stories to the sisters Elizabeth and Margaret were constant companions but they were nothing alike Elizabeth took after her father and was shy formal and serious she was often the mother hen and protector of her little sister Margaret inherited their mother's devotion winning charm and spontaneity and was quite a Mischief maker she played pranks on the castle guards while staying at glam's Castle with the cousin she terrified the girl with tales of the ghost of a tongueless woman who danced on the castle lawn at night Margaret also had a talent for humor when her misbehavior got her into hot water she could often diffuse her father's anger by making him laugh he described Elizabeth as his pride and Margaret as his Joy the palace staff were less indulgent and one Courier reported a desire to give the spoiled princess a good slap while the sisters were mostly Bosom Buddies they fought like any siblings Elizabeth complained Margaret wants everything I want the princesses were both taught at home by a Scottish governess Maran Crawford she described Margaret as full of light-hearted fun and Frolic their mother wanted them to grow up to be nicely behaved young ladies and didn't think sending them to school for a broader education or exposure to other students was necessary when Queen Mary wrote to her daughter-in-law insisting that her granddaughters be given a better education The Duchess wouldn't hear of it she responded I and my sisters only had a governance and we all married well one of us very well Margaret later resented her mother for her limited education when Margaret was five her grandfather George V died and her uncle became king Ed Ed VII now that he was on the throne his unsuitable relationships could no longer be ignored he wanted to marry Wallace Simpson but she was divorced and on her second husband the King was now the head of the Church of England which did not permit remarriage If the previous spouse was still living Edward was given an ultimatum by the government give up Wallace or give up the throne Edward chose Wallace and abdicated after just 11 months his younger brother Albert was thrust into power as King George V 6 and his daughters Elizabeth 10 and Margaret 6 were now the first and second in line to the throne princess Elizabeth was the one to explain things to her little sister uncle is going away and papa is going to be king Margaret questioned does that mean you're going to be Queen and Elizabeth replied yes one day here was something something Elizabeth was getting that Margaret could never have as air presumptive Elizabeth held a special rank that her sister resented at their father's coronation the girls were matching silk lace dresses gold cornetes and purple velvet robes Margaret was Furious that her sister's robe was longer than hers and she had to be told that Elizabeth's train wasn't longer because of her rank but because she was taller the fames once idyllic life was irrepressibly altered they moved into Buckingham Palace where Margaret's room overlooked the M the Provost of Eden College gave the future Queen special instruction on the British government and Constitution this too was a bone of contention between the sisters a brownie pack of Girl Guides was formed at the palace specifically for them their parents' time was now dominated by the many duties of monarchy even more so when Britain went to war with Germany in 1939 but they always made time for their beloved daughters a na plot to kidnap the princesses was uncovered prime minister Winston Churchill wanted to send the girls to Canada but their parents were loathed to be separated instead they were moved to Windsor Castle just outside of London the medieval Fortress was now safeguarding many of the monarchy's other great Treasures including the crown jewels but it was close enough to Buckingham Palace that the king and queen could visit on weekends the princesses spent the remainder of the drab War years at Windsor the artwork was taken off the walls and moved to the basement while the princesses never went hungry they like the rest of the Nation subsisted on vegetables and other Basics while treats like butter and sugar were rationed each Christmas the princesses cheer themselves by putting on pantomimes including Cinderella and Aladdin they sold tickets to raise money for the Queen's wool fund which provided warm clothes for soldiers at the front in 1940 Margaret sat next to Elizabeth while she gave her first broadcasted speech addressing other children who had been evacuated because of the war Margaret joined in at the end and wished all the children good night most members of the royal family undertook an active role in the war effort the king's brother George died in the line of duty at 18 Elizabeth joined the auxiliary territorial service Margaret who was only 14 was exempt and spent her Spare Time practicing piano and singing show tunes her relatives were resentful and thought her parents were overindulgent they were flabbergasted that Margaret was allowed to stay up for formal dinners at only 13 at parties she invariably stole the show but shy Elizabeth didn't mind commenting oh it's so much easier when Margaret's there everybody laughs at what she says on V Day the King Queen Elizabeth 19 and Margaret 14 appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Winston Churchill to wave at the elated crowds below that evening the princesses begged their parents to be allowed to go out into the crowd and join in the once-in-a-lifetime celebration they were permitted to go out incognito in the company of 16 trustworthy corders they danced and cheered with people from all over the world joined in a conga line through the Ritz hotel and walked through St James Park after dark on their way back to the Palace at midnight they joined in with the enthusiastic crowd shouting we want the king we want the queen a few moments later they saw their parents emerge on the balcony for another impromptu wave an RAF War war hero who had shot down 11 German planes was appointed to be his Majesty's equiry or personal assistant group Captain Peter townend was also very handsome and Elizabeth teased her wide-eyed sister saying bad luck he's already married in 1947 the family embarked on a three-month tour of South Africa Peter was assigned to be Margaret chaperon he saw her as an indulged child and was very firm with her when the family returned home Elizabeth insisted on marrying her cousin Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark the Newly Weds moved into clarence's house and did a stent in Malta where Philip was stationed with the Navy the sisters were separated for the first time still they talked on the phone every day as Elizabeth welcomed her first two children Charles and an Margaret was pushed back to fourth in the line of succession but the dazzling teenage princess Within an 18in waist and striking blue eyes wasn't at home moping now that she was 17 she was given more Royal responsibility she undertook official tours of Italy Switzerland and France and became president or Patron of a number of Charities Her Image graced countless fashion magazines she was a friend with designer Christian Dior and was one of his best customers but the Press was most interested in Margaret's social life she gave gained a reputation for unconventionality vivacity and wit the debutants and aristocratic youths she partied with were known as the Margaret set and she was the glittering Jewel at the center their favorite haunts included the 400 Club The Cafe De perie and the Mirabel restaurant publisher Mark bonam Carter one of the many young men who hung around her recorded that she was full of character and very tart in her criticism at a costume ball Margaret danced the very risque Can Can on stage with 10 other girls during the Tabloid Kur fuffle her friend Danny Kay most famous for his spins in White Christmas denied that he had taught her the dance other celebrities were eager to join the Margaret set singer and actor Eddie fiser said meeting the princess was the greatest thrill of his life they had a falling out shortly before he left his wife Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher to Mary eleth Taylor Margaret herself caught the theater bug and staged a play called the Frog which was widely panned for incompetent performances the Press was Keen to sniff out a romance between the world's most eligible bachelor girl and one of the handsome young men in her crowd she was linked to more than 30 rich and titled Bachelors including Prince Henry of Hessel King Michael I of Romania Philip cousin David mountbatten and future Prime Minister of Canada John Turner she was photographed with Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia at a Paris nightclub and her bodyguards had to help them escape the paparazzi her family encouraged a match with John Scott heir to the Duke of Buu but he was outdoorsy and Margaret was decidedly not for some time the princess's favorite arm candy was childhood friend Billy Wallace sole heir to an impressive Fortune the Press expected an engagement announcement during her 21st birthday party at balm moral but they were disappointed to only photograph Margaret with Peter townend who was always in the background of Royal photographs a month after her birthday her father who had been a heavy smoker for years underwent surgery for lung cancer Margaret was appointed one of the counselors of state and undertook some of his duties while he was recovering King George was too week to go on a royal tour of the Commonwealth so he sent Elizabeth instead us four were all there to wave Elizabeth and Philip bon voyage it was the last time they would be together Margaret went with her parents to their Sanctuary the Sandringham estate they had a happy family dinner and looked at photo albums during the early morning of February 6th 1952 King George died in his sleep at the age of 56 Elizabeth was in Kenya when she learned the news she cut her tour short and returned home for her father's funeral and to take on the heavy mantle of monarchy Margaret had always been envious of her sister's Royal Destiny and because of their personalities the younger sister might have made the more spectacular Monarch if she had been born male she would have outranked Elizabeth but Margaret set her childhood jealousies aside died and pledged her full support to her sister the loss of her dear Papa was devastating for months she attended church twice a day most of the Royals didn't smoke but Margaret had picked up the Habit from her father and after his death it became a heavy addiction Elizabeth moved out of clarence's house and into Buckingham Palace while Margaret and their mother moved out of Buckingham and into Clarence Peter towns in came with them as the controller of their household King George had seen him as the son he never had and Peter and Margaret bonded over their shared loss Peter was 15 years her senior and in the midst of a divorce but the attraction they had long felt blossomed into romance in late 1952 or early 53 Peter proposed and Margaret accepted with Glee once again she wanted what her sister had loving husband and children of her own according to the Royal marriages Act of 1772 she needed the Queen's permission to Wed but back in 1936 their uncle's relationship with the DOR had caed in the throne and the church of England hadn't gotten any more Progressive since Elizabeth as the new head of the church was in a tight spot she wanted her sister to be happy but her approval of the marriage would cause a constitutional crisis the queen asked her sister to wait until after the coronation and keep her relationship secret but when Margaret was photographed plucking fluff from Peter's coat the Press went wild the public was torn on the issue of the princess's marriage but the government was mostly against it while Margaret was away on a tour of rodesia Peter was reassigned to the British Embassy in Brussels it was hoped that distance would cool their romance but Margaret was determined she again asked her sister but Elizabeth advised her that she should wait until her 25th birthday at which time she could wed without the sovereign's approval for 2 years the couple lived apart in Brussels Peter rarely left his apartment after hours and avoided being seen with women Margaret carried on with her friends and was often photographed with other men public support for the marriage swelled during an appearance in the East End women yelled to the prin princess go on Marge do what you want on her 25th birthday Peter returned to London and reunited with Margaret they were encircled by the frenzied media who feverishly awaited a Royal Engagement but none occurred instead Margaret issued a statement that she would not be marrying Peter it is not clear exactly why she made this decision had she chosen to Wed him she would have been required to give up her place in the line of success session and her civilist allowance they would have had to live on his veteran pension it is also likely that separation really did cool Margaret's passion perhaps when she met him again after 2 years she discovered that he was not the great love of her life despite the outcome Margaret and Peter's relationship pushed the public to demand that the church end its ban on remarriage after divorce this would pave the way for many future Royal divorces the Margaret set dwindled as its members married Margaret herself accepted a proposal from her friend Billy Wallace but she broke things off when she learned that he had had an affair as she approached her 30th birthday the Press wondered if she would ever marry she met fashion photographer Anthony Armstrong Jones at a supper party one day after she learned that Peter was engaged to a woman half his age who greatly resembled her she accepted Anthony's proposal he gave her a ruby ring surrounded by diamonds in the shape of a rose butd when the engagement was announced the Press were shocked as they hadn't seen it coming after so many aristocratic boyfriends the public were thrilled that the princess was marrying a commoner Margaret and Anthony wed in Westminster Abbey on a beautiful May Day in 1960 the Mal was lined with white satin banners emblazed with M and a and arches of pink and red roses Margaret wore a Norman Harel silk organza gown it didn't have a single bead or bit of lace so as to set off the stunning ptim more Tiara which she had purchased at auction her brother-in-law Prince philli walked her down the aisle her niece Princess Anne was a bridesmaid it was the first Royal Wedding to be televised and attracted 300 million viewers worldwide as a wedding gift the queen created the couple Earl and Countess of Snowden one of Margaret's old boyfriends gave her a plot of land on his private Caribbean island Mustique the couple traveled there during their six we honeymoon aboard the Royal yacht Britannia back in London the Glamorous couple moved into a newly renovated apartment at Kensington Palace they settled into a life of excitement blending Margaret's society and Anthony's artistic friends they were photographed with the Beatles Frank and ra and Sophia Loren Anthony frequently photographed the royal family and gave the public a fresh view on them while the queen favored Prim suits and simple jewelry Margaret stood out in all the latest trends colorful headscarves glamorous sunglasses floral prints and bold Hues fashion magazines lotted the Margaret look the snowden's marriage was seen as an emblem of the 1960s breakdown of British class barar barers they had two children David born in 1961 and Sarah born in 1964 both were delivered via cesarian section at Margaret's request while she was sedated with what was known as Twilight sleep in 1965 the snowdens made a highly publicized tour of the United States they met politicians and celebrities and the princess danced with President Johnson at the White House the US press ate it up and fell in love with the witty princess but the cost of the trip hit a sour note back in the UK meanwhile Margaret's marriage was breaking down while on their honeymoon Anthony got word that one of his many girlfriends back in London had delivered his daughter his philandering with both women and men didn't stop once he set his vows one friend remarked If It Moves he'll have it Margaret wanted a faithful marriage but rejection from her husband pushed her into the arms of others she was romantically linked to rock star MC Jagger actors Peter sers and Warren batty and Australian cricketer Keith Miller though proof is flimsy actor John bendon sold a story to the Daily Mirror boasting of a liaison with the princess her lover Robin Douglas Hol died by suicide after their breakup infidelity was only one of Margaret and Anthony's many problems their drug and alcohol fueled arguments were Earth shattering Anthony often left notes around their home for Margaret to find listing things he hated about her one read you look like a Jewish manicurist and I hate you at 43 Margaret met 26-year-old Gardener Rodney Luellen she invited him to her private retreat her home on the Caribbean island of Mystique when Rody went on an impulsive trip to Turkey Margaret became distraught and took an overdose of sleeping pills in 1976 pictures of Margaret and Rody in swimsuits were published amid the malstrom she and Anthony finally separated the press and the government labeled her a royal parasite and a Floy and there were discussions about removing her from the Civil list during the turmoil Margaret took to her bed with alcoholic hepatitis and a nervous breakdown her children David and Sarah often stayed with their aunt Elizabeth who was steadfast in her support of her sister in 1978 Margaret became the first senior Royal to divorce since Henry VII over 400 years earlier a few months later Anthony married his longtime mistress Lucy Lindsay hog somehow Margaret managed to remain friends with both Margaret and Rody carried on for another 3 years but he married someone else in 1981 and Margaret gave her blessing Princess Margaret dedicated the rest of her life to supporting her sister and doing good she headed 80 charitable organizations she served as president of the Girl Guides The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Royal Ballet she gained back the public affection which had been lost by her romantic scandals some saw her as a snob others upright spot in the royal family many who met her were perplexed by her swings between formality and trality she was ever a crack wit with a biting tongue she ignored Twiggy and said that Princess Grace didn't look like a movie star in 2002 she met Helena bonam Carter niece of her old boyfriend Mark she told the anenu oh Helena yes you are getting better at acting Helena who would go on to portray Margaret to great a claim in the crown laughed at at the princess's compliment put down when her nephew Prince Charles moved next door to her at Kensington Palace Margaret became fast friends with his Young Bride Diana the two women who were each the Royal it girl of their generation often went out shopping or to the theater together Diana said of her aunt-in-law I've always adored Margot I love her to bits and she has been wonderful to me from day one Margaret was supportive of Diana during her separation as she had gone through similar difficulties but when Diana gave her Infamous Panorama interview during which she said Charles should not be king Margaret's sympathies dried out she sent Diana a scathing letter informing her that she had betrayed the queen and the monarchy the former friends were not speaking when Diana died in 1997 in 1993 Margaret secretly met up with her her old flame Peter Townsend and they chatted like old friends he died the next year Margaret herself was plagued with ill health resulting from Decades of heavy smoking and drinking just like her father she had part of her lung removed she quit smoking but continued drinking in 1999 she scalded her feet in the bathroom her Mobility was affected and she often used a wheelchair a series of Strokes left her partially blind one of Margaret's last public appearances was at the 101st birthday celebration of her mother in August 2001 after the 50th anniversary of her father's death Margaret was admitted to hospital in London she died on February 9th 2002 at the age of 71 Queen Elizabeth was devastated by the loss of her beloved sister she was afraid that she would lose her composure and asked her son Charles to give a televised aess on her behalf 1 month later her mother died at the age of 101 there wasn't room for an extra coffin below the King George V 6 Memorial Chapel at Windsor so Margaret a rebel even in death broke with royal tradition and was cremated her ashes were interred next to her beloved parents and 20 years later they were joined by the remains of her sister Elizabeth us four we're finally together again want even more tea on History check out the history Tea Time Podcast you can now follow history tea time on Facebook Instagram and Tik Tok if you enjoyed this video please like subscribe comment your thoughts and check out my other Royal history videos if you really want to help please consider supporting me on patreon a link is in the description thank you for watching

Channel: History Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday

Views: 409,072

Keywords: history, documentary, royal family, royalty, bbc, the crown, british history, royal wedding, queen, queens of the world, european royalty, Royal history, Lindsay Holiday, History tea time, History tea time with Lindsay Holiday, princess margaret, the crown season 6, queen elizabeth ii, elizabeth and margaret, princess margaret on the crown, princess margaret's death, queen elizabeth's sister, the queen's sister, princess margaret countess of snowdon, princess diana, george vi

Id: hrgPFpRfxoQ

Length: 29min 1sec (1741 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 19 2023