Home > Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

Margaret fell in love with an RAF pilot and Battle of Britain hero, Peter Townsend , who was some years her senior. Townsend was divorced; had Margaret married him, she would have had to forfeit her title, her allowance, and her place in the line of succession. Although she was only third in line to the throne, Margaret took advice from the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior politicians, and decided not to marry him, making a public announcement to this effect in October, 1955. The announcement, which cited her loyalty to the Crown and being mindful of her position and responsibilities, seems somewhat disingenuous upon reflection. Papers released in 2004 indicate that had she married Townsend, she would have been allowed to keep her title as well as her Civil List allowance. [1]

In 1960Events January-February January 1 Independence of Cameroon January 9 Aswan High Dam construction begins in Egypt January 11 Chad declares its independence. January 14 Ralph Chubb, the gay poet and printer, dies at Fair Oak Cottage in Hampshire. January 23, she married photographer Anthony Armstrong-JonesCarl Van Vechten, 1958 Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (born March 7, 1930) is a well-known photographer, Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, and the former husband of the late Princess Margaret. The only son of Welsh barr, in a glittering ceremony, the first "modern" royal wedding thanks to the wider availability of television in the UK. In honor of his Welsh descent, her husband was created 1st Earl of SnowdonThis article is about the mountain. For Lord Snowdon see Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, located in the Snowdonia National Park ( Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri in the county of Gwynedd. Its summit ri -- he was a son of Ronald Owen Lloyd Armstrong-Jones and his first wife, Anne Messel, later Countess of Rosse -- and, for the duration of her life, Margaret officially was known as HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. They had two children, David Armstrong Jones, aka Viscount Linley, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-JonesLady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Armstrong-Jones (known since her marriage as Lady Sarah Chatto (born May 1, 1964) is the daughter of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. She is married to Daniel Chatto, and, before getting divorced in 1978Events January January 1 The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. January 1 Air India's Boeing 747 explodes near Bombay 213 dead. January 4 Referendum in Chile supports policies of Augusto Pinochet..

Margaret was well-known for being active in high-society circles, but was also involved in causes such as children's rights and supporting the arts. However, it was her indiscretions that always made headline news. She spent much of her spare time on the Caribbean island of MustiqueMustique is a private island in the Caribbean Sea, one of the Grenadines. The entire island is owned by the Mustique Company, who operate the island's two hotels, and rent or lease its 89 private villas, of which 57 are available for weekly rentals. Becau, and had a relationship with a younger man, Roddy Llewellyn . (The revelation of this relationship led to her divorce; in reality her marriage had ended years earlier, with the Snowdons by the late 1970s barely being on speaking terms.) This led to her conduct being questioned by the media, and she was described in the House of Commons as "this wayward woman" by anti-monarchist MP, Willie Hamilton. Suggestions were made that she should be removed from the Civil List.

Margaret never remarried, although her ex-husband did (he married Lucy Davies, formerly wife of film director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, in 1978, and had further issue, including an out-of-wedlock son with an editor of Country Life). As royal divorces became commonplace, her past record appeared less scandalous, and she was once more respected for her charity work. Ill-health, partly due to heavy smoking, affected her later years, and her last public appearances were made in a wheelchair.

Margaret died in hospital on February 9, 2002 after suffering several strokes. Her funeral was a private family event, though a full state memorial service was held for her several weeks later. Her funeral was also the last time the Queen Mother was seen in public before her death.

A 2003 ITV programme¹ claimed that Margaret had had a two-year sexual relationship with American socialite Sharman Douglas (1929-1996), the daughter of Lewis W. Douglas, a United States Ambassador to the Court of St James (Britain). (Douglas, a mining and chemicals heiress who was briefly married to importer Anthony Hay from 1968 to 1977, reportedly confirmed the youthful liaison.) It further suggested that Margaret and her husband were potential targets for blackmail of Russian Spy Eugene Ivanov , whose affair with Christine Keeler (who was also having an affair with War Minister John Profumo) helped destabilise the government of Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan. The programme also said that Princess Margaret developed a crush on Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and used cocaine. Though long rumoured, these allegations had not been published and broadcast in such detail before. The statement that she had a relationship with comedian and actor Peter Sellers was long known, having been confirmed by his family.

See also: British Royal Family