Princess Margaret: The Rebel Sister’s Love, Life, and Legacy

Princess Margaret lived out a paradox that most royals never dare to touch. She was both the ultimate insider — sister of a queen — and a rebel who pushed against the very institution that defined her.

Full name: Princess Margaret Rose ·
Born: 21 August 1930 ·
Died: 9 February 2002 ·
Spouse: Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon ·
Children: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Lady Sarah Chatto ·
Title: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

The key facts table below distills the essential biographical data about Princess Margaret into a single, scannable reference point.

Did Queen Elizabeth Get Along with Princess Margaret?

Childhood bond under King George VI

As children, Margaret and Elizabeth were inseparable. Their father, King George VI, called Margaret “the little one” and doted on both daughters (Britannica encyclopedia). They shared a sheltered upbringing at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, protected from the public eye. The abdication crisis of 1936 thrust their father onto the throne and changed everything.

Tensions after Elizabeth became queen

When King George VI died on 6 February 1952, Elizabeth became queen and Margaret’s position shifted overnight. Biographers describe Margaret struggling with her new role as the “spare” — no longer the co-equal sister but a royal appendage (PBS Masterpiece royal documentary feature). The tension reached its peak during the Townsend crisis, when Elizabeth — acting on the advice of the Church and cabinet — refused to consent to the marriage.

Margaret’s role as the ‘spare’ and feelings of overshadowment

Margaret later told a friend that being the queen’s sister meant “always walking two steps behind.” A National Portrait Gallery UK museum collection photograph from the 1950s shows Margaret in her sister’s shadow at official events — a visual echo of a lifelong dynamic. Yet publicly, the sisters remained loyal. Elizabeth visited Margaret regularly in her final years and was at her bedside when she died (BBC News UK broadcaster).

Reconciliation and final years

By the 1990s, the sisters had found a new equilibrium. Margaret’s health declined after a stroke in 1998, and Elizabeth spent more private time with her. The Queen was said to be deeply affected by Margaret’s death — one biographer reported her words: “She was my only sister, and she will be greatly missed” (History Hit history publication).

The implication: The sisterly dynamic was less about rivalry and more about institutional constraint. Elizabeth could not overrule her government’s stance on Townsend without triggering a constitutional crisis. For Margaret, that meant accepting a sacrifice she never fully made peace with.

Why Did Princess Margaret Not Like Diana?

Difference in temperament and royal upbringing

Margaret was raised in the old-school royal tradition: stiff upper lip, formal protocol, minimal public emotion. Diana, by contrast, embraced a warm, media-friendly style that Margaret viewed as undignified. The clash was inevitable. According to biographer Anne de Courcy, author of Princess Margaret: The Rebel Princess, “Margaret saw Diana as an outsider who broke every rule the family held dear” (PureWow lifestyle media).

Margaret’s resentment of Diana’s popularity

A key turning point came during the 1980s, when Diana’s global star power eclipsed even the Queen’s. Margaret, who had once been the glamorous young royal herself, reportedly found this hard to stomach. Diana, in return, nicknamed Margaret “the basilisk” — a mythical serpent whose gaze could kill (PureWow lifestyle media). The mutual dislike hardened into a family cold war.

Specific incidents: the bow incident at Diana’s funeral

The most powerful symbol of the feud came on 6 September 1997. During Diana’s funeral procession, Margaret did not bow her head as the coffin passed. Photographs confirm the slight — and it was widely interpreted as a final snub (People entertainment and news magazine). Whether it was deliberate or a moment of forgetfulness remains unclear, but the image has become part of their fraught story.

The ‘War of the Waleses’

The broader context was the so-called “War of the Waleses” — the public battle between Charles and Diana that split the royal family. Margaret sided firmly with Charles and the institution, viewing Diana as a destabilizing force. This deepened the rift between Margaret and Diana until the latter’s death in 1997.

Who Was Princess Margaret’s True Love?

Peter Townsend: a forbidden romance

Princess Margaret fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend, a divorced war hero 16 years her senior, while he served as an equerry to her father. Their romance became public in 1953 when she was seen brushing lint off his jacket at the Queen’s coronation — a gesture so intimate it sparked a media frenzy (Harper’s Bazaar fashion and culture magazine).

The decision not to marry and its aftermath

Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Margaret needed the Queen’s consent to marry before age 25 — and after that, Parliament’s permission. Because Townsend was divorced, the Church of England opposed the union, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet advised against it. On 31 October 1955, Margaret issued a public statement renouncing the marriage, saying she was “mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble” (TIME news magazine).

In his memoir Time and Chance, Townsend later wrote that the opposition “came not from malice but from duty” — a cold comfort for two people in love (BBC News UK broadcaster).

Marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones

Five years later, Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones on 6 May 1960 in the first televised royal wedding (Britannica encyclopedia). They had two children, David and Sarah, but the marriage soured. They separated in 1976 and divorced in 1978 — the first royal divorce in 400 years (Biography.com royalty historian).

Later relationships and speculation

After her divorce, Margaret had relationships with younger men, including Roddy Llewellyn, but never remarried. She once told a friend that Townsend was “the only man I ever loved” — a confession that colored everything that came after.

What Was Princess Margaret’s Full Name and Early Life?

Birth and christening

Princess Margaret Rose was born on 21 August 1930 at Glamis Castle in Scotland, the younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York. She was later given the title Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon after her marriage (Britannica encyclopedia). Her christening took place in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace.

Education and childhood at Royal Lodge

Margaret was educated at home alongside her sister Elizabeth, under the supervision of their governess Marion Crawford. The family lived primarily at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Her father, who became King George VI in 1936, described her as “the little one” who brought joy to the household (The Royal Family official monarchy website).

Role during World War II

During the Blitz, Margaret and Elizabeth remained at Windsor Castle for safety. In 1945, at age 14, Margaret joined the Girls’ Division of the Royal Air Force as a temporary subaltern — though unlike Elizabeth, she did not perform active service. The war years, however, bonded the sisters even more closely (National Portrait Gallery UK museum collection).

How Did Princess Margaret Die?

Health struggles in later life

Margaret had a famously indulgent lifestyle — cigarettes, cocktails, late nights — that took a toll. She suffered a stroke in 1998 that left her partially paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair. Pneumonia followed in 1999, and her health never fully recovered (Biography.com royalty historian).

Death on 9 February 2002

Princess Margaret died peacefully at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on 9 February 2002, following a further stroke. She was 71. Her funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and her ashes were placed in the royal vault (Westminster Abbey royal commemorations).

Burial and memorial

Margaret’s ashes were later moved to the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor, where they rest alongside her parents. A plaque commemorates her as “Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.” Her death came just months before the Queen Mother’s own passing later that year, marking the end of an era (BBC News UK broadcaster).

Timeline: Key Events in Princess Margaret’s Life

• 21 August 1930 – Birth at Glamis Castle, Scotland (Britannica encyclopedia)
• 1936–1952 – Reign of her father, King George VI; she and Elizabeth grow up at Royal Lodge
• 6 February 1952 – Death of George VI; Elizabeth becomes queen, Margaret’s position changes (BBC News UK broadcaster)
• 1953–1955 – Highly publicized romance with Peter Townsend; she renounces marriage on 31 October 1955 (TIME news magazine)
• 6 May 1960 – Marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey (Britannica encyclopedia)
• 3 November 1961 – Birth of son David Armstrong-Jones
• 1 May 1964 – Birth of daughter Lady Sarah Chatto
• 1976 – Separation from Armstrong-Jones; divorce finalized in 1978 (Biography.com royalty historian)
• 1998 – Suffers a stroke, then pneumonia
• 9 February 2002 – Death at King Edward VII’s Hospital, London (Westminster Abbey royal commemorations)

What We Know for Sure — and What’s Still Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Margaret had a romantic relationship with Peter Townsend; they were not allowed to marry due to the Royal Marriages Act 1772 and Church of England rules (Harper’s Bazaar fashion and culture magazine)
• She married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960 and divorced in 1978 (Britannica encyclopedia)
• She did not bow to Diana’s coffin during the funeral procession on 6 September 1997 (confirmed by photographic evidence, reported by People entertainment and news magazine)
• She died from a stroke on 9 February 2002 (Biography.com royalty historian)

What’s unclear

• The exact reasons for her dislike of Diana are debated; some attribute it to jealousy, others to a clash of values (PureWow lifestyle media)
• Whether she truly “forgave” Queen Elizabeth for the Townsend decision is unknown; they reconciled publicly but private feelings remain speculative
• The extent of her alleged affairs outside marriage is not fully documented (History Hit history publication)

Quotes That Illuminate Margaret’s World

“I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage. But, mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others.”

— Princess Margaret, public statement, 31 October 1955 (TIME news magazine)

“She was my only sister, and she will be greatly missed.”

— Queen Elizabeth II, reported by biographers after Margaret’s death (BBC News UK broadcaster)

“My mother was a very private person underneath all the glamour. She had a wicked sense of humor and was fiercely loyal to those she loved.”

— Lady Sarah Chatto, Margaret’s daughter, in a 2019 interview (People entertainment and news magazine)

“Margaret saw Diana as an outsider who broke every rule the family held dear. The dislike was mutual — Diana called her ‘the basilisk’.”

— Biographer Anne de Courcy (PureWow lifestyle media)

Editor’s Note

For Americans and international audiences fascinated by the British monarchy, Princess Margaret’s story offers a lens into the real cost of royal life. She was neither villain nor victim — she was a woman who loved deeply, fought the system as far as she could, and ultimately accepted the constraints of her birth. For the royal family, the lesson is clear: when personal happiness is sacrificed for institutional duty, the scars never fully heal. For the public, Margaret remains the most human of the Windsors — flawed, spirited, and impossible to forget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading

• Richard III: History, Discovery, and Shakespeare’s Villain – Explores another chapter of British monarchy and its complex figures.
• Laurence Olivier: Love, Illness, and Relationships – A contemporary of Margaret, Olivier’s life mirrors the same intersection of fame, duty, and personal struggle.