.Princess Margaret: A Fine Romance | FULL MOVIE | 2022 | Documentary

Loyalty to your queen, loyalty to your country, and loyalty to your regiment. Thrust into a life of duties, sacrifice, and heartbreak, Princess Margaret had an idyllic childhood, surrounded by her sister, mother, and father. They may have been princesses, they may have been royal, but they were also human. Which swiftly changed into an upbringing full of loneliness caused by fate. The death of her father. For the queen, his daughter. The widowed queen, his wife. And Princess Margaret. Heartbreak. They were no longer sufficiently in love, that is why they didn't marry. And her sister's new role as the Queen of England. It has been said that she was jealous. Uncover the truth behind what really happened in the love life of Princess Margaret. Her scandals in the press. The press became more intrusive. Adultery. But I think she thought, well, why shouldn't she have some fun? Her struggles to find true love. And the hard choices she had to make between her heart and her duty. Princess Margaret Rose was born on the 21st of August 1930 in Glamis Castle in Scotland, 16 days later than expected. She was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, with only one sibling, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, who was four years her senior. Duke George VI made it a priority to ensure his children grew up in a loving, close family environment, unlike the strict one he grew up in. She did have a happy childhood, you know, that King George VI, her father, or the Duke of York as he then was, he always referred to himself, his wife and two daughters as us four. And they were a royal family within the broader royal family. Elizabeth and Margaret spent all their time together, despite having contrasting personalities. Elizabeth was described as shy, yet self-assured, whilst Margaret was social and filled with energy. They were as different as chalk and cheese, Princess Elizabeth. Very uncomplicated, very straightforward. Princess Margaret, very complex, you know, her sister in later life described her as being an enigma. And really, that about sums her up, because she was a very enigmatic personality. Margaret was born fourth in line of succession to the throne. However, life dramatically changed for her at the age of six. In 1936, King George V passed away, making his eldest son, Edward VIII, king. However, before the year ended, he abdicated in order to marry the love of his life, twice divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. This meant that his younger brother, George VI, was now king. When their uncle, David, as he was known to the family, otherwise King Edward VIII, abdicated, it was Princess Elizabeth who told Princess Margaret, and she said, Uncle David's going away and Papa is to be king. And Princess Margaret said to her, does that mean you're getting a big queen? And Elizabeth said, yes, one day. After King Edward abdicated his new throne, the Yorks became king and queen. Elizabeth, at 10, was now heir presumptive. Reviewing the girl guides at Windsor Castle, the little princesses Elizabeth, 12, and Margaret, 8, assumed new importance. Life for the sisters would never be the same again. Elizabeth was being prepped for her role as future Queen of England. This meant she was expected to attend public engagements, understand her future duties, and receive higher education, something that her parents didn't deem necessary for her younger sister, Margaret. I talked to Princess Margaret about this on one occasion and said that you didn't get that higher education. She said, no, it was always a bone of contention, and I said, well, it was really very short-sighted because when you think that your grandfather, King George V, was the second son and he was called to the throne, your father was the second son and the same thing happened with him. Here you were the second child. There was only a heartbeat between you and your sister, yet you did not get the same further education that Princess Elizabeth got, and she said it was always a bone of contention. The family was forced into the spotlight, and out of the sisters, all attention within the palace gates was given to Elizabeth. I don't think Princess Margaret consciously lived her life thinking of the differences between her and her sister. It wouldn't have made any sense for her to have done so, but it has been said that she was jealous of her sister. Well, I always counter that by saying, given how close they were always throughout their life, even if it was just to say hello, they'd talk on the telephone every day. It's very difficult to maintain that close bond, as well as being jealous of somebody. But I think there were things about the Queen's life, or Princess Elizabeth's life when she became Queen, that Princess Margaret minded rather more than was jealous of. There were things in the elder sister's life, naturally, that would come to her. Either as heiress presumptive, or when the time came as Queen. So there were those slight differences. One very early one was at the time of their parents' coronation in May of 1937. And the two princesses, white lace dresses had been designed for them, special gold coronets had been made for them, and also trains, the purple robes of their rank. And Margaret was a bit bothered by the fact that her train was shorter than her sister's. And she complained about this, and it had to be explained to her that it had nothing to do with rank. She wasn't being demoted in any way. What it meant was that the train was cut in relation to their height. So as Margaret was shorter, she obviously had a shorter train. So there was just that kind of little thing. Well, why doesn't that also apply to me? As she grew up, of course, she knew perfectly well why there would be those kind of certain differences. Elizabeth was very protective of Margaret, taking on a sort of maternal role. She would always insist on having her sister by her side when carrying out her royal expectations. The sisters were inseparable. To the public, they came as a pair. The world loved seeing them together, and they loved being together. The Duke of York often referred to Elizabeth as his pride, and Margaret as his joy. But like most siblings, the pair sometimes argued. Of course, there were kind of moments where they would kick, and they would bite, and they would fight, you know, or particularly Princess Margaret would. Apparently, Princess Margaret had a pretty good left hook, so, you know, and Princess Elizabeth would sometimes complain, Margaret always wants what I want. So I think, you know, what you actually see there, between the two of them, is sibling rivalry, you know, as there would be with other children, other sisters, other brothers. It's, you know, it's something that one always has to remember, is that essentially these, you know, they may have been princesses, they may have been royal, but they were also human. Thousands of happy subjects surged past a line of bodies to get a closer look at the Elizabeth and Philip waved their thanks to the happy cheers from below. King George, already showing the ravages of the ill health that was to bring about his early death, smiled happily. He was thoroughly pleased with his daughter's choice of a husband. On the 20th of November, 1947, Elizabeth married Philip in Westminster Abbey. Margaret was chief bridesmaid, and was reported to have constantly ensured that her older sister's wedding gown was in perfect condition. After the wedding, the king wrote a letter to his daughter expressing his feelings about giving her away. It said, Your leaving us has left a great blank in our lives, but do remember that your old home is still yours, and do come back to it as much and as often as possible. I can see that you are sublimely happy with Philip, which is right, but don't forget us, is the wish of your ever-loving and devoted Papa. It was a bittersweet day for the king, giving his daughter away, a sentiment that many fathers can relate to. However, he wasn't the only person in the family feeling this way. The princess couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness about losing the connection she once had with her older sister. For their entire lives, the public attention had been on Elizabeth and Margaret, the sensational siblings. But now, it was all about Elizabeth and Philip, the perfect couple. The inseparable sisters were now separated. With Elizabeth now gone, Margaret had a lot more free time. She was still expected to fulfill her royal duties as daughter of the king, and had not yet turned 18. But this didn't stop her from developing a taste for partying. You know, Princess Margaret loved going off to nightclubs. The 400 and the Embassy Club were places that she loved going. And at 19, she caused a bit of a stir by being photographed smoking a cigarette through a very long cigarette holder. Now, this was her grandmother, Queen Mary, smoked. Her father smoked. The Duchess of Kent smoked. The fact was, though, that Princess Margaret was probably the first of them to actually be photographed smoking in public, even though it was in a nightclub. And this kind of had a knock-on effect. She became, if you like, she became a role model to a lot of her generation. And when she smoked, you know, if parents, so I understand it, remonstrated with their young daughters about smoking, which, of course, was perfectly acceptable in those days. They would say, well, Princess Margaret smokes, so I'm going to smoke. And, you know, there was just the most immense and intense interest in everything that she did. But I think she thought, well, why shouldn't she have some fun? You know, she worked very hard. Other people aren't criticized for having fun, you know. But, I mean, she was great fun. I mean, she had so, I mean, she loved parties. She danced very well. She sang. She was a star. She really was. And I think looking at these photographs in the paper, a lot of young people, my children, I mean, they think, gosh, mum, she looks wonderful. You know, she's like a film star, which she was when she was young. When she went on a tour of Italy when she was 18, I think it was probably in Venice where a chambermaid had been bribed to let a journalist into her bedroom, who then, this journalist described absolutely everything, the color of her nail varnish, the perfume she wore, the color of her lipstick. You know, even these tiny inconsequential details made news. She made news. She always said, well, I can have all the fun. I mean, I think she realized that if she'd been queen, you know, it would have been a very different life. And she was very loyal to the queen. She would never, you know, she always knew that she was the younger sister. Princess Margaret being described as the life and soul of the party, she wouldn't have described herself as such. You know, she, but very often she was, you know. I mean, she was, she loved a good party. And as she said to me on one occasion, we gave some marvellous parties here, you know, some really great parties, meaning at Kensington Palace with, you know, real A-listers. But yes, she was very often the life and soul of the party. Somebody said to me that she sparkled, you know, and that is very typical of what and who Princess Margaret was. She was a sparkler. But everything fell apart for Margaret in 1952 when her world was flipped upside down. The king was dead. For the queen, his daughter, the widowed queen, his wife, and Princess Margaret, the great ordeal begins. The imperial crown with its 3,000 jewels glints in the fitful light as George VI returns to his sorrowing capital. And with it on the oak coffin is the white wreath of his widow. Fifteen years ago, he walked here behind his dead father with no thought of crown or throne, a quiet, shy man, thankful that greatness was not to be thrust upon him. But fate ruled otherwise. On the 6th of February, 1962, King George VI passed away in his sleep after battling lung cancer. His death greatly affected Margaret because of her close bond with her father. She was said to have been unable to sleep at night until prescribed sedatives, and she described feeling like she was in a black hole. It was believed that Margaret was one of the last people to see him in his final hours. This was a year that would shape her life in many ways. What made matters worse was the distance she also felt from her mother and sister, the people she needed most during this grieving period. Her sister was now married with two children and was preparing to become queen. Her mother was also deeply wounded by the king's death and was surrounded by consults who had been by her side during her marriage to her late husband. Margaret had no one to turn to. Her enjoyment of an occasional cigarette had become an addiction, and she was known for smoking up to 60 strong cigarettes per day. Margaret felt more alone than ever before. On the 2nd of June, 1953, Margaret watched as Elizabeth was crowned queen in Westminster Abbey. This was a stark contrast to when the sisters had stood side-by-side to watch their father's coronation together. Margaret was now sidelined, and Elizabeth was officially center stage. Margaret and her mother were no longer important. She was expected to move out of Buckingham Palace. She could still visit the places she once called home, but now only as a guest. Margaret could feel her world turning upside down. That was until she found a man who could sympathize with her loss. Captain Peter Townsend had served as the late king's equerry and had known the princess since she was 14. He was 16 years her senior and was a handsome, decorated soldier. He accompanied the family on many royal engagements overseas and had witnessed firsthand how close she was with her father. And Margaret found herself growing closer and closer to him. The relationship with Peter Townsend really grew more intense after the king's death, because here she'd always had this very strong, loving relationship with her sister. Now, by the time the king died in 1952, Princess Elizabeth had married. She'd become the mother of two children. So that when she ascended the throne, she still had a husband. She still had two children, but she had all the responsibilities of sovereignty, everything that came with being queen. So that meant that she was somewhat removed from her sister. Now, Princess Margaret's mother, Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother, was engulfed, as she put it, in great clouds of black. So she wasn't there for her daughter either. She was totally consumed with her grief. So who did Margaret have? Nobody really, except Peter Townsend. And that closeness grew from that time, and it developed into love. He became a comfort to Margaret as they spent more time together, and what had begun as a friendship gradually grew into a romance. Margaret was in love. When he first joined the household, he wouldn't have had any kind of romantic notions about her whatsoever. It was only later on that their feelings developed, and one reason for this was the loss of King George VI, the father, that she absolutely adored. And I've always said that when people have said to me about Townsend being the great love of her life, no, he wasn't. In my view, the great love of her life, the man she absolutely loved was her father. However, this couldn't be the happy ending that Margaret wanted for one reason. Townsend was a married man. In 1952, Peter divorced his wife with the intention of marrying Margaret. He had grown an affection for Margaret and made it clear that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And Margaret didn't oppose it. In April 1953, he asked her for her hand in marriage, and the princess said yes. She told her sister almost immediately, but she was unaware of all the challenges this would create. The couple tried their best to keep their love under wraps. However, rumors of the two together began to rumble in the press. That was until one small public display of affection that sent everyone crazy. It was noticed after the coronation in 1953, attached to Westminster Abbey was this purpose-built annex through which the processions formed and people came and went. And immediately after the coronation ceremony, in her excitement, Princess Margaret went up to Group Captain Peter Townsend and put her hand on his tunic. Now, she might have been flicking away a piece of cotton, a piece of wool, a piece of fur from an old dowel, just a mink coat or something, but this was noticed by one British journalist in particular called Audrey Whiting. And Audrey thought, now that's something, there's something going on there, because that was such an intimate gesture. It was very similar to way back in the 30s, when Wallis Simpson was photographed putting her hand on the arm of the king and that act of intimacy, you know, you didn't do that sort of thing, but that act of intimacy then, and in 1953, told people, told these eagle-eyed journalists, ah, something's going on here. And indeed it was. The cat was out of the bag. The tabloids were all over it. The public attention had shifted from being on the royal coronation to the scandal with Margaret. The princess was back in centre stage again, only this time, it wasn't all positive. The problem is, the danger always is, when the media, what they don't know, they invent. The Church of England bans marriage to divorcees, and by law, royals are removed from the line of succession if they break this ban. She would also lose her civil income and role as a working member of the royal family, thus losing the ability to accompany her sister on public occasions. The queen had a tough decision to make. Would she allow her sister to marry the man she loved, or would she refuse and break her heart? As queen, she had to consent to all royal marriages under the age of 25. Elizabeth sought formal advice from government officials to help weigh up her options. The prime minister at the time was Sir Winston Churchill, and he and many government officials disapproved of Townsend. They viewed him as a commoner, an unsuitable choice for a royal. As queen and head of the Church of England, she was put in an impossible position. She was torn. Then it was decided, and Churchill was behind this, that Townsend should be got rid of. He should be sent abroad. And this is exactly what happened. He was given the choice of three postings abroad, as an air attaché at our embassies, and he chose the one in Brussels. The reason being that he'd got two sons in school here, and the option of being in Johannesburg, which was an option, was much too far, so he chose the Brussels. Princess Margaret and her mother had gone off on an official tour of Rhodesia, and the princess had been promised that Townsend would not leave the country until after she returned, and as it turned out, he was banished two days before she got back. And that upset her, as you can imagine, greatly, because this was a betrayal of a promise that she'd been given. The Queen asked Margaret to wait two years before making a decision, but in August 1955, Margaret turned 25. The princess no longer needed Elizabeth's consent to marry. The decision was now hers alone. On the 12th of October, 1955, Townsend returned to Britain. The press followed Townsend around everywhere to get an inkling of what the couple's decision would be. Would they marry or break up? Excitement bubbles like champagne in London as Group Captain Peter Townsend returns from diplomatic duties in Belgium to call on Princess Margaret. Another possibly eclectic phase opens in the much-publicized royal romance that's had the Western world agog. The Queen and her family are watched with keenest attention for a hint of what the ultimate decision may be, yes or no, and what will the princess herself decide. All the world loves a lover, and there's nothing like a happy ending to a royal love story for national rapture. Britain watches with breathless anticipation an exciting week that reunites the sweethearts, brings the captain to dinner at the palace, and closets the royal family with the Archbishop of Canterbury, main opponent of the marriage. Captain Townsend seems unruffled by the tension, but the consensus is something definite had better happen soon, or an overwrought nation may just give way. Well, there was, I mean, huge press interest in this. You know, there were polls taken. Should Princess Margaret be allowed to marry, shouldn't she be allowed to marry? You know, overwhelming result that, yes, she should be allowed to marry if that's what she wanted. It did rumble on for a couple more years because, as she said to me, we had this arrangement whereby if he was going to be in London, because he wanted to go off traveling the world, but if he was in London, he should pop in for a drink. Well, the minute that they tried that, the press was still camped out outside the gates of Clarence House, where she lived with her mother. And she said to me, it just wouldn't work. It just didn't work. You know, because it was the start of renewed speculation. There was even one headline, they're together again. Whoa, this is, you know. And the reason being, of course, that nobody knew the truth behind the matter. It was crunch time. She had to make a choice, duty or personal gratification, the crown or her heart. In 1955, Margaret released a statement confirming that she'd broken off the engagement, writing, I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights as succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage, but mindful of the Church's teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others. I have reached this decision entirely alone. And in doing so, I've been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend. They were no longer sufficiently in love. That is why they didn't marry, you know. And they got on with their lives. Margaret didn't want to hurt her sister's reputation and didn't believe that the love she shared with Peter was strong enough to do that. So she returned to her royal duties. The princess was alone once again. A decision not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend is reached by Britain's Princess Margaret, here arriving with her mother for a formal family appearance at London's Royal Opera House. In putting duty and religion ahead of her heart, Margaret had the example of her sister, the Queen, who dutifully entertained the President of Portugal while the family crisis neared a climax. Queen Mother Elizabeth approved her daughter's decision. Strongly opposing the marriage was the Archbishop of Canterbury. Margaret decided alone, strengthened, she said, by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend. The war hero whose divorce prevented the marriage returns to duty in Belgium. Mindful of her church's teaching, conscious of her duty to Britain, Princess Margaret has made her momentous decision. But not all was bad for Margaret. The public and the press had fallen in love with their darling princess. She now had a lot more freedom and was always seen out at glamorous parties and events. She became, from a pretty child, she did become a stunningly beautiful woman. She was a fashion icon. She was her own person. This is not to say that other members of the royal family are not. But whereas she was very often seen as controversial in her lifestyle, she herself, and understandably so when you see it from her point of view, was anything but controversial. I once said to her about her having this label of being a controversial member of the royal family or just being a controversial person. And she said, but I'm not controversial. I'm just living my own life. But with the princess now approaching 30, the queen was becoming more and more concerned about Margaret still being single. She worried that all suitable options would marry someone else if left too long. And it wasn't only the queen who had taken a particular interest in Margaret's love life. Speculation about who the princess would marry took the tabloids by storm. Who would marry Margaret? An earl? A prince? A duke? Which aristocrat would win her heart? It was photographer and designer, Anthony Armstrong Jones, who had caught the eye of Princess Margaret. He wasn't the most conventional choice for the princess. He was a commoner. He was known to have had relations with both men and women and was known for living a somewhat seedy life in the eyes of higher society. But that didn't stop Margaret. Learning from her previous situation with Townsend, the princess decided to keep her relationship a complete secret this time around, even from her sister. Don't explain, don't complain. You know, that was their mantra. Would the queen approve? He was an unconventional and shocking choice. But with Margaret now over the age of 25, the decision was all hers. And Armstrong wasn't a divorcee. Becoming growingly desperate for her sister to wed and feeling a sense of guilt after the previous relationship scandal, the queen approved of Margaret's relationship with Anthony. In February 1960, the couple announced their engagement, catching many by surprise. They became the royal family's golden couple. Margaret was at the height of her popularity and was adored by the public. She was madly in love. Was this the fairy tale ending that Margaret had hoped for? On May 6, 1960, Margaret and Anthony made it official. The couple married in Westminster Abbey in London, and it was the first royal wedding to be televised. A room and radiantly beautiful bride make their triumphal departure. A princess who rejected royalty and high society to find the man she loved. An artistic commoner of good family and highly successful freelance photographer, Mr. Armstrong Jones and his bride, Princess Margaret, Mrs. Anthony Armstrong Jones, ride to the palace to a tumultuous salvation from the fall. Time of the arrival of the wedding party at Buckingham Palace, even the gracious and dignified queen and queen mother reveal they share in the mood of jubilation that dominates the day. They'll make their traditional appearance on the palace balcony and be cheered to the echo by one of the greatest crowds ever to mass in Britain in recent history. According to the BBC, it was watched by over 20 million viewers worldwide. Anthony was given the title of Earl of Snowdon following their marriage. By 1964, they had two children together, David Armstrong Jones in 1961, and Lady Sarah Chateau in 1964. The princess and Lord Snowdon had arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday after their San Francisco visit. And on Monday, after meeting Hollywood stars at a private party, they embarked on a four-hour tour of the Universal City Studios. At the specific request of Her Majesty's government, the couple embarked on their tour of the USA in 1956. It mainly consisted of official and public engagements. But this wouldn't stop Margaret from having her fun. She attended a welcome-to-Hollywood party arranged for her in Los Angeles after a tour of Universal Studios. Next in line, Greer Garson, a star of more recent times. Others presented to the princess before the studio luncheon included Rock Hudson. The princess had become acquainted with American tramcars in San Francisco. Hollywood went one better and laid on a converted tramcar for a journey through the make-believe world of Universal City. It was the first ever full-scale visit to Hollywood by a member of the British royal family. And the converted tramcar took the place of horses as the princess and Lord Snowdon rode through the lath and plaster mock-up of a typical western town. The Americans loved her. And she loved them. A dream come true, seeing real, live princes. The arrival of Princess Margaret and her husband is greeted with a cheers of the crowd. The flashing lights and nervous children. Dignified bedlam ring. Most adults remember Margaret growing up with her sister and the two children were as loved by Americans as they were by Britons. Now Margaret and her husband, one of the most vibrant young couples, taking part in all the modern activities of the jet set, being in tune with the times. For this trip, Americans still show their love and admiration. She was made very well. But sadly, all was not as rosy as it once was. By the 1970s, the marriage had begun to crumble apart. Anthony had multiple affairs which he made no effort to keep a secret. He was reported to have been quite harsh and emotionally abusive towards the princess, leaving her mean and malicious notes. He would take long photography business trips abroad to carry out his affairs. The clean-cut lifestyle of being the husband of a princess was not what he wanted anymore. He grew bored of attending royal events and opening hospitals and consequently made life miserable for Margaret. He'd had enough of just being Mr. Princess Margaret. Again, the princess found herself feeling terribly lonely. The queen and queen's mother adored Townsend. The princess tried bringing matters up with her sister. However, due to Margaret's well-known trade of being quite headstrong, the queen put it down to bumps in the road that all marriages face and often thought Margaret was likely the problem. She would insist that she sticks it through and try to work through any issues. But it was all too much for the princess. She needed somewhere to get away. And that's exactly what she did when she found the island of Mustique. The Caribbean island of Mustique became a very important feature in Princess Margaret's life. Way back in, I think it must have been, what, 1958, 59, great friend of hers, Colin Tennant, bought this little island that was just full of scrub, you know, there was mosquitoes and there was nothing there. It was, well, beyond primitive. But this was an island that, of course, Colin Tennant developed into really what you might describe as a hedonist playground. Well, she came on our honeymoon. That was the first time. The tanya steamed in and it seemed even bigger than the island because Mustique was quite small. Anyway, we hadn't given her a wedding present. And so Colin said, man, would you like something wrapped up in a little box? Or would you like a piece of land? Waving his arm rather vaguely around. And she said, oh, I'd like a piece of land. And then we never really heard from her for a bit about the land. And then one day she rang up and said, did you mean what you said? Have I got a bit of land? And we said, yes. And would you like to come and stay? We could then choose a bit. And so she came out to Mustique. We were living literally in a beach house. We had no electric light, no hot water and nowhere to sit. We were sitting on beach chairs. Anyway, she loved it, absolutely loved it. And we used to go different. We had picnics every day on a different beach. And that was the start of her love affair really with Mustique. It was her own private getaway. She stated it was the only place I can relax. Her home on the island called Les Joliso was built on 10 acres of land that had been a wedding gift from Colin Tennant. The very distinguished Oliver Messor, he designed this single story house for her, which did sometimes get referred to as a villa. And the princess said to me, a villa? It makes it sound as though it's somewhere in Brighton. It wasn't a villa at all. The house in Mustique was the very first house that was anything she owned because she obviously didn't own the house at Kensington Palace. And it was hers. And she had great fun buying all the furniture for it and the curtains. And she really loved it. It was hers. It became her party island, where she would host parties for some of her favorite people. You know, she said to me, if anybody can escape our climate in February, then they should do it. We always had lots of amateur theatricals. Even at Glen, we always were doing plays. And she dressed up as Brunhilde one time and Mae West. I mean, she was a really good sport. And of course, her singing. She played the piano beautifully and sang divinely. And so we were always singing. There was always something like that going on. She just loved the Caribbean. You know, we remember that she first visited the Caribbean in 1955 and she fell in love with it then and never fell out of love with it. However, being sister of the Queen of England, things can only stay private for so long. Slowly, the tabloids caught wind of the princess's getaway. And soon, pictures of the princess enjoying herself on a beach were on the front cover of newspapers all over Britain. And this was the last thing anyone wanted to see. During the 1970s, Britain was struggling. People were experiencing power cuts and facing growing poverty. Waking up to images of the princess relaxing in the Caribbean sun didn't go down well with most people. I think it's true to say about Princess Margaret that, you know, in the purple prose that was employed by journalists and writers in the 50s and, you know, maybe even into the 60s, from being Princess Charming, in later life, she became probably the one member of the royal family who came in for an immense amount of criticism. Demands were made in Parliament to cut down her royal allowance and reduce the cost of the monarchy. The Queen refused. Again, the Queen's loyalty was being tested. As if that wasn't enough, the princess was about to find herself in another scandal, this time larger than any she had seen before. While traveling to a house party hosted by one of Margaret's old friends in Scotland, she met a man named Roddy Llewellyn in Café Royale in Edinburgh. Margaret began a longstanding affair with Roddy, a landscape gardener, 17 years her junior. Her love life was front page news once again. In 1976, the affair was exposed. Uproar sparked once photos of the couple on holiday on the island of Mystique were captured by the press. The press over that time became more intrusive. The public wasn't pleased. The government wasn't pleased. And the Queen most definitely wasn't pleased. She was threatening the reputation of the entire royal family. There's an idea that she was always going backwards and forwards. Well, it's not true at all. She would go at most twice a year, beginning of the year and towards the end. The problem is the danger always is. When the media, what they don't know, they invent. In 1978, the palace released a statement saying that Margaret and Snowden's relationship would end. Her Royal Highness, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowden and the Earl of Snowden, after two years of separation, have agreed that their marriage should be formally ended. Accordingly, Her Royal Highness will start the necessary proceedings. This was the first divorce in the royal family in 400 years. The Queen had hoped that this would put an end to all the commotion. But things only got worse. The press wouldn't leave Margaret alone. I think that this is partly to do with the fact, the aging process. You know, when you've got this intensely beautiful, glamorous, 20-something princess doing things that thrill the world. That's one thing. As she gets older, you know, in her 50s or something, people have still, I think we wouldn't be sitting here talking about her, if there wasn't still enormous interest in her life. But it became more critical. Margaret and Roddy had an eight-year romance, which continued even after her separation from her husband. And she got on with things. I remember once saying, just after she'd given up smoking, how much I admired her giving up smoking. And she just said, oh Anne, no, I've just given up. And she made nothing of it, you know, and she just did. That was it. This time, Margaret refused to feel alone. She engulfed herself in her commitments to her royal engagements, to her sister and to the crown, until she could no longer do so due to her declining physical health. In the 1970s, she suffered a nervous breakdown and began treatment for her depression. On the 5th of January 1985, she had part of her left lung removed, similar to her father's surgery 30 years prior. In 1991, she gave up smoking entirely, but continued heavy drinking. In February 1998, the princess suffered her first stroke in her home in Mustique. She suffered at least three strokes between 1998 and 2001, including a bout of pneumonia, before dying in London on the 9th of February 2002, after suffering a fourth and final stroke at the age of 71. The princess died a single woman. However, she didn't die a lonely woman. She was very, very loyal about the queen. She adored the queen and was always, you know, wanting to please her. She was a great character. You know, she really, really was. I sometimes wish it had been possible for the public to have known, generally for the public to have known, how thoughtful and kind and loving she could be, in contrast to the stories of how difficult she could be. She was known to be surrounded by friends, family and dearest loved ones, and devoted herself to a life of philanthropy. I think she did an awful lot that wasn't public. She did it quietly and privately and without any fuss. I think what irked her most of all was when the media got her so wrong. And, you know, she once said herself that she'd been misreported and misrepresented from the time that she was 15. She had a lot of very, very good friends and people really loved her. She was very good at friendship. That was one of, I think, one of the best things about her. She's a really good friend. In another aspect of her life, she actually helped modernise the monarchy. She brought monarchy into the 20th century. I think she was the last real princess.