Some people are just born lucky but don't know what to do with it, that would be the motto I would assign to the life of Queen Elizabeth's late sister, Princess Margaret. Born four years after her sister the future queen, Margaret was fourth in line for the throne after her sis, father, and uncle (the same one who later was charmed by a woman named Wallis Simpson). In an excerpt, 'The Princess and the Photographer' from Anne De Courcy's biography on Lord Snowdon in the February 2009 'Vanity Fair' (No. 582) delves into the marriage between the princess and her commoner husband.
Personally, I think Princess Margaret is an interesting character to research because she had it all, but didn't do anything with it. In some ways, one gets the feeling that Princess Margaret saw the world as if it owed something to her. I guess when your sister is the young queen, and the tradition of bartering British princesses with other royal houses in Europe fell to the wayside, then the only thing left to do is to have proper tea parties and become the queen's troubled sibling. Yes, Margaret was disappointed in love at a young age, but then again who isn't? I'm sure family relations become strain when it is your older sister who nixed your relationship with a man nearly twice your age because he was divorced. You see, at the time, because the Queen was and still is the Defender of the Faith of the Church of England, it was a no-no for those of royal personage to divorce or marry someone who had been divorced. Which was the reason her uncle, King Edward, abdicated from the throne because he wanted to marry Wallis Simpson who was a divorcee, and gasp, an American. Yet, in reference to Margaret, as the song goes - Que, Sera, Sera.
Margaret was a prettier version of her older more serious sister. Described as charming as a child, it sounds that most of her staff considered her a brat as an adult. According to De Courcy's article, her employees often had to miss parties arranged for the palace staff because Princess Margaret had a hankering for some sort of exotic something which could not wait until the next day. I wonder if this is where certain Hollywood 'Divas' learned their tricks of the trade?
The future Lord Snowdon, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, met the princess when he worked as a royal photographer. Handsome and a bit of a playboy, he apparently rocked Margaret's world enough for her to accept his proposal of marriage. The funny thing (not funny ha-ha, but funny in a Dr. Phil sort of way) was that some of her closer staff, her maid for instance, treated her husband with open contempt because he was not of the manor born (yes, I know that isn't the correct way to interpret that saying, but it works for my purposes). Eventually, their marriage (the first royal wedding televised in 1960 and watched by 300 million people worldwide) couldn't weather the things that usually challenge marriages - such as affairs. Oh yes, Margaret allegedly had her fair share.
The great thing about Margaret is that she is often used in historical reference such as in the movie 'Gods and Monsters' where a pivotal scene takes place at a garden party being held in her honor. There is also a scene in 'The Queen' where a conversation with Princess Margaret (unseen) on the phone leads to a bitchy response along the line, "Diana is more trouble dead than she was alive." In the end, it has been noted by such reliable resources as Wikipedia, that Princess Margaret's greatest legacy hangs on the mantle that she made royal divorce acceptable. And isn't that how all Princesses live happy ever after?
Westerfeild © 2009
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Comments: 24
Alison, thank you and you can say that again about money and happiness.
Mary, thank you.
1) Your use of "to the manor born" was exactly correct in this context. Why did you think otherwise?
2) When I was a kid, she was always referred to as "Princess Margaret Rose."
Nice commentary. I think Princess Margaret's behavior wasn't unusual. You have to be wealthy and privileged to do it on the scale she did. Generally women of more modest means who behave like Princess Margaret are the subject of more localized gossip. Somehow being a member of the hereditary aristocracy or an heiress makes it more interesting to a lot of people.
Which is why so many of us Scots are republicans!
Dame Ruth, some time ago, before I disappeared due to illness, someone at Gather corrected my use of the term. They quoted Shakespeare.
Princess Margaret Rose is just…I don’t know…too precious.
Just Me, you can say that again. It seemed as if she wanted freedom from the restraints she was born under, but still wanted the perks.
Dorian, thank you very much.
Nancy, I don’t think any of them have been very happy since the guts of the monarchy have been taken out. They really have no other role, in terms of leadership, then that of figureheads who cut ribbons on opening days of museums and such. If someone more knowledgeable than myself wants to correct me, I’ll stand corrected, but that how I, as an American, observe it.
Nippy, must I remind you that I had CANCER, and then went through CHEMO, and then my CAT DIED on CHRISTMAS EVE. True, my cancer (let’s hope) is gone and my hair is growing back from the chemo, but nothing is going to bring my cat back to life now is it? So in lieu of that, I think I’m entitled to publish just one article on Gather a day. ; )
Nippy, I think you are both right and wrong. I don’t think many people would have fussed over her so if she had not been a princess, but Gore Vidal did say that he found her to have a quick and witty mind, so maybe she would have been better off if she had not been a princess.
Miss Havisham, I started a ‘Vanity Fair’ group on Gather if you care to check it out. I’m slowly trying to breathe in new life into some of my old groups. I love ‘Vanity Fair’ because I like the mix of it.
http://vanityfairthemag.gather.com/
Linda, it is.
Debbie, thank you and what a sweet thing to say.
Bart, I think the British tax payers are paying for all of it. In many ways they are like caged birds that everyone likes to look at but really don’t do anything except eat and…well you know. Even when they do have some ambition and want to ‘spread their wings’ sort of speak, they find that because of who they are they can’t. Such as Prince Harry who went to Afghanistan, but then the papers found out he was there and he had to be shipped home because his mere presence put his squad in harm’s way. I have to say that with so much personal invasion, I don’t think it would be much fun to be royal.
Faith, that’s not your life! You are loved and cherished by many, while dear Margaret was cherish by few and despised by many.
Ishbel, I’ve read in many places that there are several Scots that want to chuck their British ties and return Scotland back into its own country.
Miss Havisham, I just love the mixture of topics. I like how everything is done fairly intelligently. I adore their articles about how the mega rich are different from me… their thinner and dumber.