A British socialite and member of the aristocracy.
She was known for her beauty, style, and high-profile marriage
to the Duke of Argyll, Ian Campbell in 1951, and more so for her divorce case,
which was the subject of much media attention and scandal in the 1960s.
The Duke and Duchess were known for their lavish lifestyle
and were frequently featured in the newspapers and magazines.
However, the marriage was tumultuous, and in 1963, the Duchess filed for divorce.
The divorce case was highly publicized and became known as the “Argyll Divorce,”
as it was one of the most high-profile divorce cases of the time.
So join me now as we look back on the Scandalous life
of Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll.
And please like the video and consider subscribing for more historical stories.
Margaret Whigham was born in
London, England, on November 17, 1912.
She was the daughter of Charles Drysdale Whigham, a wealthy
Scottish merchant, and his wife, Dorothy.
Margaret was educated at a finishing school in Paris
and made her social debut at 18.
She quickly became known for her beauty and charm and was a popular figure
in the social scene in London and New York.
Before her marriages, Margaret was known for her socialite lifestyle
and was frequently featured in the society pages.
But in 1928, while on vacation in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight,
the then-18-year-old David Niven allegedly had sex with the 15-year-old Margaret.
Her father’s disappointment was compounded by the fact that she became pregnant.
An abortion was performed on her in secret at a London nursing home.
Elizabeth Duckworth once cooked for her family and recalled that
“all hell broke loose.” Margaret didn’t write about the incident
in her 1975 memoirs but remained
Niven’s most prominent fan until his death.
At his memorial service in London, she was a guest of honour. When
things settled again, Margaret became the “debutante
of the year” in 1930 when she was presented at Court in London.
Not long after, she became engaged to Charles Greville, the 7th Earl of Warwick;
But instead she married American Charles Francis Sweeny.
Yet, he wasn’t the only man in her life, as one of her many
early loves was the future Duke of Kent, Prince George.
Margaret though was eventually married to Sweeny, he’d
initally been accepted at Yale university but chose Wadham college in oxford.
add to that his friendship with the prince of wales,
and everything was looking up for Margaret,
and this man who would constitute a great attraction.
The couple had 3 children, the first a daughter was sadly
stillborn in 1933, but Frances Helen in 1937
and Brian was born in 1940.
Sadly in 1947, Margaret’s marriage to Sweeny ended in divorce.
But life went on as normal for Margaret who swiftly moved to her next man
when she was briefly engaged to a banker at Lehman Brothers
but the engagement was dissolved when he fell in love with another lady.
Theodore Rousseau, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
who she described as “very bright, funny, and self-confident
to the point of arrogance,” was also another love of her life.
Although The mother of two children “feared that Ted was not stepfather
material,’” so the couple broke up without forming a formal relationship.
Despite this, she reflected in her memoirs that “We continued to visit one another.”
Margaret became Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argylls, third wife on
March 22, 1951.
The Duke and Duchess were known for their partying and lavish lifestyle.
However, the marriage was tumultuous, and in 1963,
the Duchess filed for divorce.
It was to be the court case of the decade,
a was highly publicized event that became known as the “Argyll Divorce,”
It was a field day for the press and attracted widespread media attention.
The high-profile event was marked by allegations of infidelity,
fraud, and extortion on both sides.
It was one of the most scandalous and publicized divorces of the time.
The Duchess cited her
husband’s infidelity and cruelty as the reasons for the marriage breakdown.
During the divorce proceedings, several allegations
were made against the Duke and the Duchess, including accusations
of extramarital affairs and financial fraud.
At least 88 men were identified as potential affairs of the Duke’s wife.
At least two cabinet officials
and three members of the British royal family are rumoured to be on the list.
The judge said the Duchess had engaged in
“disgusting sexual acts.”
In one moment an
image appeared with a male torso but no head,
who was this man in the picture taken by Margaret.
As part of the government’s effort to identify the “headless man,”
Lord Denning, also known as Alfred Thompson Denning, was a British lawyer
and judge He was known for his civil and criminal law work
and was respected in the legal community.
He examined the handwriting of five “suspects” (Duncan Sandys,
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., John Cohane, an American businessman,
Peter Combe, a former publicity officer at the Savoy Hotel,
and Sigismund von Braun, brother of the German scientist Wernher von Braun)
They say this examination revealed it was Fairbanks, in the picture.
Fairbanks has always rejected the claim that he was the “headless man,”
and the Duchess has never confirmed his existence.
However, Lady Colin Campbell, the 11th duke’s daughter-in-law, a british
socialite and author claimed in 2013 that the “headless man”
was an individual by the name of Bill Lyons, an American executive.
At the time it was also said that many of her men were homosexual.
Since homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom
when the Duchess was accused of having these affairs,
she reluctantly failed to disclose or to discuss the allegations.
Eventually the
ongoing saga ended and the divorce was granted
but not before the judge finally summed up.
The duchess wore a sassy red-feather hat to lunch with her pals in Paris
because she was confident she would win her divorce battle.
Then a reporter called and said, “I’m afraid you‘ve lost,
and the court has clobbered you.” Margarets’ reaction
to this was, “I realised I was listening to my world implode.”
She had been the shining star of society,
but now she was shunned by everyone.
Because the Duchess “was a thoroughly promiscuous lady
whose sexual hunger could only be fulfilled with a variety of men,”
as stated by the presiding judge, Lord Wheatley.
He then elaborated further, “Her perspective on marriage
was what progressives today would call enlightened,
but which in plain English was absolutely immoral.”
With the divorce now finalized in 1963,
the Duchess was awarded a settlement of £500,000.
Although after the trial, Margaret, remained a prominent figure in society
and was known for her philanthropic work.
As for the duke
he once again walked down the aisle for his fourth and final wedding.
This time to Matilda Mortimer she was the granddaughter of a New York
banker William Costner on 15 June 1963.
The marriage lasted ten years as the duke died in 1973.
In her later years, the Duchess lived in a luxury apartment in London
and was a regular presence at society events and charitable functions.
She was known for her style and elegance and continued
to be a well-respected member of the aristocracy.
The Duchess died on July 25, 1993, at 80.
She was survived by her two children.
Her funeral was attended by many high-profile
figures, including members of the royal family,
and she was remembered for her beauty, style, and charitable work.
She was buried alongside her first husband, Charles Sweeny, who had died
only four months earlier, in Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, Surrey.
When Margaret died,
the obituaries rehashed all the juicy details of her divorce case.
But, after all, that was what she was famous for.
“Interviewer” Now, you mention in the book the only man
you describe as a dear love of your heart, who your late husband
could have properly mentioned in divorce proceedings.
You name him as Bill.
Are you still in touch with Bill?
No. I think he's died.
Who was he?
I'm not prepared to say,
because he was married then.
But you admit in the book
to an adulterous relationship with him?
Well, you don't have to keep repeating it.
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