- Elder sister, younger sister.
Number one and number two.
- Who is number one?
- You.
Course.
(drums)
- Hello and welcome to beneath the crown.
I'm Laura Jackson and you are in the right place
if you want to delve deeper into the true stories
that inspired season three of our show.
Lets roll back the years to join Princess Margaret
on her memorable tour of the United States of America.
(video reel)
(jazz music)
- It's 1965 and while the world is being conquered
by four lads called The Beatles,
Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon are too busy partying
to do much in the way of royal duties.
- Quite right.
- [Laura] So as a public show of unity
they embarked on an intent three week tour
of the United States.
Being an informal visit,
the 12 members of the royal party
had to take commercial flights.
(airplane engine whooshing)
Margaret became only the second senior royal to do so.
(classical jazz music)
(camera shutter)
Margaret visiting for the first time
was greeted very warmly indeed.
(crowd cheers)
Still there was an outcry over the entire 64,000 pound cost
of the tour,
roughly 1.2 million in today's money.
(jazz music)
The first few days of the tour in San Francisco
saw Margaret and Tony on a whirlwind of social engagements
and sightseeing, often drawing large crowds.
They attended a fashion show
to promote British clothing.
It's not often you see models curtsying on the catwalk.
Fashion was very close to Margaret's heart.
She traveled to America with 79 suitcases
of British made garments.
The couple was soon mingling with the stars
at Universal studios.
Joining actors Paul Newman and Julie Andrews
on set with legendary director Alfred Hitchcock.
(jazz music)
(camera shutter)
A, "Welcome to Hollywood" bash was thrown for them,
including guests such as Bob Hope,
Frank Sinatra,
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Legendary "Wizard of Oz" star Judy Garland
was also in attendance.
And Margaret couldn't resist asking for a song.
- Music.
- Royal protocol requires no one to leave a party
before any royal in attendance.
Not ideal when you're a film star with an early start
and your royal guest is a party animal.
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow managed to sneak out
discreetly through the kitchen.
But they were reportedly granted approval
from Margaret before hand.
The late nights soon took their toll on Margaret
who lost her voice with laryngitis.
(airplane whooshing)
The next leg of the tour saw an unwell Margaret and Tony
head to Arizona for a little rest and relaxation.
(coughs)
The experience was very unusual for the royals
and provided some rather peculiar photo opportunities.
(jazz music)
But at least Tony got to play a cowboy.
More late nights led to a series of canceled engagements
blamed by the press on royal hangovers.
- (exhales) I look hideous.
- You look a bit tired,
it's only to be expected after your
heroics.
And now you must sleep.
(kiss sound)
- With the tour at the halfway mark,
off the exhausted couple flew to Washington.
A tour of various landmarks followed,
including the Lincoln Memorial.
But the tour took a turn for the worse,
as a New York Times publish a story
accusing the royal party
of leaving a trail of unpaid bills behind in Arizona.
The British embassy reportedly stepped in to settle up
and avoid further embarrassment.
Attention turned to the White House dinner
with President Johnson.
- Your royal highness.
- President Johnson.
(jazz music)
- The event went down a treat
(camera shutter)
as the couples hit it off and danced long into the night.
(jazz music)
(people laughing and chatting)
And so the couple moved on to the final leg of the tour
in New York.
(jazz music)
The adoring crowds were still out in force
with 1,500 fans turning up to see the Snowdon's
visit the Empire State Building.
New york engagements included a visit
to the United Nations headquarters,
a trip to The Museum of Modern Art,
and an evening charity ball
for the Winston Churchill Memorial Fund.
The royal family,
the ultimate dance floor filler.
With the tour drawing to a close
a farewell supper and dance was held for Margaret and Tony
on Tuesday the 23rd of November,
at the prestigious Four Seasons Restaurant, in Manhattan.
Margaret was still going strong at 3:00 a.m
when she ordered a full cooked breakfast.
Spare a thought for those who were unable to leave,
because of the royal protocol.
And so after 21 days of late nights
the royal party departed.
Margaret had won lesion of new admirers in the U.S,
and the couple have patriotically championed
British industry and interest while in town.
The fashion critics were less than impressed.
In an article widely circulated,
Women's Wear Daily called Margaret's style
a schizophrenic mixture of chic and sheer fashion disaster.
Ouch.
The royal party boarded another commercial flight
and were hit with a excess baggage fee of 5,000 pounds,
that's over 95,000 pounds in today's money.
- It is my burden.
(jazz music)
(airplane whooshes)
- Extravagant expenditure aside,
the couple returned as darlings of the United States.
But while bridges were built abroad,
the cracks continue to widen
between Margaret and Tony at home.
(jazz music dramatically ends)