A lady who grew up among the shadows of the royal court.
A princess who would have dearly loved to sit upon the throne of England.
But her unique view of life and ultimate destiny was far from her elder sister.
Her role became the ever-decreasing circle,
one of minor importance and one that led to the realisation
that a life of royal responsibility was outside her grasp.
It all appeared to be emotional and, at times,
a physical solitude that she would never be able to rescue.
join me now as we look back on the tumultuous life of Princess Margaret.
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Since the war, Margaret had spent almost all her birthdays at Balmoral,
dubbed the "dear paradise" by Queen Victoria.
Margaret came into the world at 22 minutes past 9 in the evening at Glamis,
the tragic scene of Duncan's murder in Macbeth.
With dark hair and blue eyes, she was said to have taken after her father, Bertie,
the Duke of York, who had married lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon.
Margaret Rose was four years younger than her sister Elizabeth.
Although the Yorks were close to the throne, they were never groomed
for power and had little inclination at the time to move in that direction.
However, due to momentous events, when the king died in 1936,
and the Prince of Wales became King Edward VIII, a problem arose
when a woman called Mrs Simpson loomed ever more prominent.
The king's infatuation with this new woman in his life
caused a crisis so explosive it would end with his abdication.
It was pretty unbelievable that Bertie would have to step up.
Accepting the heavy burden, the family moved swiftly to Buckingham palace.
Elizabeth would begin her grooming to one day become queen.
As for Margaret, she said privately, "now
that papa is king, I am nothing."
Margaret entranced her father, unlike Elizabeth,
who showed signs of duty and devotion even at this early stage.
Margaret's pranks and sense of fun appealed to many,
and the lighter side of her nature would soothe and entertain
those held in the everyday tedious nature of the court.
The sisters were on different
courses, although together, they were just like any other.
Elizabeth was possibly the easiest to handle, whereas Margaret
had her own thought process about discipline.
Elizabeth teased Margaret when swimming, saying to her, "you
look like an aeroplane about to conk out."
But overall, they had very different styles of childhood.
As time passed, Elizabeth noticed boys, one in particular, Prince
Philip of Greece.
He was five years older than Elizabeth, but she never took her
eyes off him after their first encounter.
The gap between the two princesses widened; Elizabeth was now of age
and her thoughts more mature, Margaret was still at that awkward age,
neither a child nor grown up, and her position seemed more complex.
When Peter Townsend arrived on the scene, it became a moment
when Margaret seemed to be drawn into new feelings.
He had been brought to the king's attention and initially placed
as equerry for an initial three-month period.
At the time, the king didn't realise Margaret's growing feelings towards
Townsend, but he sensed her loneliness since her youthful sister's marriage.
Margaret, however, was falling in love, and although he wasn't
the only man in her life at this time, but without doubt, he was the oldest,
with nearly 16 years separating the couple.
The king pushed gently for other wealthy suitors, but Margaret stood her ground.
Although the press were robbed of gossip about Elizabeth
they upped their game and quickly latched on to the news story,
relating to the newly formed "Margaret set."
Margaret enjoyed the social lifestyle; she was in her element,
and her reputation for vivacity and wit proceeded her.
Her associations were just as glamorous, and this group would often
be seen and featured at balls and nightclubs.
The press had a field day conjuring up stories of how and if Margaret
was courting a certain someone, but it was more conjecture than anything solid.
Margaret had few limits on what she could do and where she could go.
She was indulged and led an increasingly spoiled life.
It was hoped that Margaret would one day marry an aristocrat, a suitable figure
to which she could devote her life to children and family.
But as time passed, neither the king nor queen
saw any curtailment in Margaret's youthful urges.
Elizabeth had given birth to a son,
making Margaret's claim to succession even more aimless.
Her goal now was simply to enjoy her life.
She quickly became a member of clubs in London
400 being her main evening out.
Although she lived in a rarified state of privilege,
Margaret was, in fact, sophisticated beyond her years.
Although volatile, she was generous in her praise
and appreciation of the less fortunate.
Townsend, who was now no longer in love with his wife, said of Margaret,"
what ultimately made her so attractive and lovable was behind the dazzling
facade, her self assurance and a rare softness and sincerity."
but Townsend needed to remove himself from his marriage
if anything was to become of himself and the princess.
The cards were on the table; consent would now be required from her
sister and queen Elizabeth.
The long-time friendship of Peter and Margaret had started
some nine years earlier,
when she had grown from a schoolgirl into a young woman whose beauty,
charm and talent had attracted many suitors and close friends.
Yet none had had the impact of Peter,
a man on whom Margaret had clearly made up her mind.
What came next would be her destiny.
But Margaret and Peter struggled; although they had been given some notice
that a wedding could occur, it always seemed to be put off by the powers
that be.
Margaret said that if she had known that a further year would have to pass before
the two could become one, she would have called the whole thing off and moved on.
Yet they both patiently waited only to discover
that the whole process was hopeless.
Margaret said, "it seems frightfully stupid to have gone all this time,
but it was also wicked to have given us false hopes."
Prince Philip said to Margaret on Peter's demise, "don't worry,
it will be alright; he was on our side, a real chum." But distraught by all this,
Margaret couldn't let go and remained in contact by phone or letter
and became reliant on her women friends for news.
But as time
passed, the Peter Townsend drama was slowly dying down.
The "Margaret set" included a newly acquired friend Sharman Douglas
the daughter of the american ambassador and jet setting party girl.
The royal family aides believed it was safer for the princess to indulge
in a relationship with a woman rather than risk being with a man.
Maybe she was just the sort of person Margaret now
needed to boost her spirits.
With the agony
of her separation, it was in 1954 that Margaret started to show
another side, one the public had not seen before
but one that made her defiant around many onlookers.
Smoking was considered a dull pastime and considered quite tactless,
yet her tortoiseshell holder soon became her trademark.
She continued to be the centre of attention;
parties, dances and weekends away were the norm.
She'd still manage to bring along some old flames as escorts
and kept her set together with events at some of the best London nightclubs.
If she missed Townsend, it wasn't shown now, and that part of her life
had been securely locked away in which possibly only two people had the keys.
But Townsend didn't go away,
speculation was again on the rise, and the press of the day
were getting ready with what they thought was a breaking news story.
The Daily Mirror showed
a photo of Margaret's left hand with the headline "no ring yet"
the only problem for Margaret was if she married Townsend,
she might have to leave the line of succession.
Only the queen could amend the current state of events.
And especially the act of 1772, allowing for such a union.
The whole saga caused so much fuss it was decided the couple would not marry.
Margaret said it may have been possible for her to have a civil wedding,
but mindful of the church's teachings, I have reached
this final decision alone.
Margaret's matrimonial cupboard was laid bare;
long gone were the suitors once a part of her set.
Single life was becoming a real possibility.
How could the princess find true love?
The late '50s saw many changes.
Musically, Margaret was an avid collector of records;
she had moved with the times and took solace from her music.
Her royal duties also continued, giving her a brief respite
from the mundane world of Clarance house.
In 1958 Margaret met another man at a small dinner party in London
held by lady Elizabeth Cavendish at her Chelsea home.
Antony Armstrong Jones had graduated from taking party pictures
to ones for the likes of Tattler magazine
and specialised in theatre photography.
For Margaret, she was immediately struck by this man's playful smile.
But Margaret began to learn more, she knew she was only five months
younger than him, and as time passed their companionship increased.
It wouldn't be long before he showed her around his studio at 20 Pimlico Road.
Margaret began to enjoy his company
more and told friends she felt "daring" when with him.
The couple would marry despite reservations about Tony's
suitability, however, both the queen and queen's mother gave their blessing.
Just before Christmas, Tony gave Margaret an engagement ring,
a ruby set in gold surrounded by diamonds and in the shape of a flower.
Margaret's sister and mother were very aware of how Margaret's
previous attempt at happiness had been snatched away;
this time, they were determined not to stand in her way.
As this could possibly be her last opportunity.
The engagement was released
to the press on 26 February 1960, and it came as a big surprise
as Margaret had managed to conceal their plans of romance.
It would be the first royal wedding to be broadcast on TV,
so at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, Margaret married Armstrong Jones.
It was a perfect late spring day, and thousands had stayed overnight
to reserve the best positions along the route.
Margaret travelled to the Abbey in a glass coach, and
the crowds cheered every inch
of the way and back to the reception at Buckingham Palace.
The couple decided not to start a family immediately,
although both looked forward to having children.
Yet, for Tony, it soon became apparent that there would be
an inevitable anticlimax after the initial excitement.
He once said, "I'm not royal; I'm just married to one."
Although Margaret was out and about doing the royal thing,
Tony struggled to come to terms with just what was his role.
This man had transcended from a top photographer
to now one of royal escort.
One of his friends commented, "he had gone through a terrible period
after his immediate marriage." Margaret certainly had the upper hand,
and he had literally no say and no answers.
But the freshly painted walls at Kensington palace were already starting to crack.
When Margaret gave birth to her first child, David on 3 November 1961,
mutterings were plentiful about what to do with Tony.
Otherwise, this child would be the fifth in line to succession;
however, it would also be the firstborn into the royal family as a commoner.
Rifts reported that Margaret wanted her husband to become a duke,
but in reality, she made no demands.
Margret and Tony wanted their children
to reflect their birth right, but the queen had none of it.
Tony had rejected an ennoblement on his marriage,
preferring to be respected in his own right and not lay himself open
to accusations of social climbing.
Margaret was proud of his decision, but now a baby
loomed, and things would have to change.
There has always been speculation of splits within the royal family,
newspapers and magazines providing the meat on the bones.
For Margaret and Tony, the press ramped this
up, news of servant problems, words the couple were hard to please,
and a lifestyle of parties and galas with their well-heeled friends
didn't stop the scurrilous reports from leaving their privacy.
But on 1 May 1964,
the couple had a daughter Sarah Frances Elizabeth.
The one thing everyone agreed on about Margaret
was she was, in fact, a marvellous mother.
Despite having a nanny, she would attend to her children
personally by changing nappies and bottles in the middle of the night.
Margaret was certainly available to enjoy her
children, and their love for her reflected this.
The swinging sixties gained momentum
and shape, and Margaret and Tony became total achievers.
They were mixing with anyone and everyone who was
trendy—the likes of Mary Quant, Vidal Sassoon
and they even gave royal recognition to the Beatles.
The couple had certainly moved with the times.
Tony eventually got his push up the ladder when he was announced
as the earl of Snowden, a title that came into being in 1961.
But none of this seemed to matter anymore.
Margaret saw herself as the model wife and mother, and by marrying later in life,
she thought that both she and Tony would have the experience to make it work.
But Tony had been difficult to live with, and as every woman knows, they all need
an occasional reassurance, more so about her attractive qualities.
Although Tony seemed wrapped up in the relationship, maybe it was Margaret
feeling a little on edge about where things were going.
Petty and quite inane quarrels occurred.
The newspapers picked up a scent of scandal,
and once they collated all the clues, it seemed the couple sought a separation
or even a more permanent solution.
But it wasn't just Tony who seemed to be looking around;
Margaret also had one or two favourites around the time.
Her first extramarital affair was said to have happened in 1966
with Anthony Barton, a Bordeaux wine producer.
A year later, Robin Douglas Home became involved with the princess.
Although this latest affair was said to be a mere friendship,
her letters, later released were actually intimate.
Eventually, Margaret and Tony came to an arrangement
that would require both their sophistication and verve
if it was to work correctly as long as the children were not harmed
or the public didn't discover their dealings.
In private hours, they were free to do whatever they wanted
while keeping a united front at public appearances.
Yet behind the scenes many knew the end was indeed nigh.
By the early '70s, Margaret and Tony were now miles apart.
A new man called Roddy Llewellyn came into Margaret's life;
he was 17 years younger than the princess, but that didn't matter,
and the couple had a loving relationship.
For Margaret, this new affair brought changes;
she slimmed down, found a fresh zest for life
and most importantly, immersed herself in Roddy.
Although Margaret seemed to be spiralling out of control, her relationships,
her broken marriage and just life, in general, were eating away at her.
She took an overdose of sleeping tablets, and although she recovered,
her distressing lifestyle continued, and happiness
was now a far-off requisite to any future developments.
Llewellyn was now the flavour of the month for Margaret,
and the couple were inseparable.
In 1976 photographs emerged of the couple in Mustique.
The tabloids once again had a field day announcing her new man
as a "toy boy" it was enough for Llewellyn to issue a public statement apologising
for any embarrassment to her majesty, the queen and the royal family.
This did nothing for Margaret;
she was chastised and described as a royal parasite and floosie.
By 1976 Margaret and Tony announced their marriage had ended;
two years later, the divorce came through.
In 1978 Tony remarried,
but it's said that he and Margaret remained good friends.
As for Llewellyn he would also now leave Margaret
for another.
We can look back on Margaret's life as one of highbrow, a woman capable
of cutting remarks and a determination to enjoy life to the fullest.
She never had her sister's expectations,
and once the succession was removed from her grasp,
she permeated into the proverbial party girl.
Yet Margaret was a great mother, and she doted on her children.
However, her mood swings left many divided on their opinions.
Impulsive, bright, and frivolous are all words that describe a woman
in the tabloids, but the public always saw a much different side
to what was secretly going on behind closed doors.
Her marriages and affairs were part of Margaret's make-up;
she aligned herself with the stars and came through the whole experience
to be seen as nothing more than a royal rebel.
Princess Margaret died at King
Edward VII's hospital on 9 February
2002, aged just 71.
Her funeral was held on 15 February
the 50th anniversary of her father's death.
A close friend of Margaret once said, "she
wants someone to look after her and she's confident she will find him.
and this time, she's going to live happily ever after,
just like a princess is supposed to."