WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're focusing 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.339 on a figure whose life wasn't just lived in public, 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:08.419 it was, well, almost performed in public. Princess 00:00:08.419 --> 00:00:10.919 Margaret. She was, of course, Queen Elizabeth 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:14.859 II's younger sister, her only sibling. But history 00:00:14.859 --> 00:00:18.460 seems to remember her more as the quintessential 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:23.280 royal rebel. Yeah, and her life was this dazzling, 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.000 but also... quite heartbreaking paradox. Margaret 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.239 really, you know, she encapsulated that moment 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.800 in the mid -20th century where that rigid idea 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.659 of royal duty just violently clashed with this 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:37.299 growing desire for personal freedom. Right. Self 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:39.659 -determination. Exactly. She was glamorous, sure, 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:42.159 but also highly controversial. And the media 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.520 watched her with this almost obsessive intensity. 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:46.359 She became internationally famous, one of the 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.859 world's most celebrated socialites. So our mission 00:00:48.859 --> 00:00:51.439 today really is to unpack that tension. We're 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.869 digging into the sources to trace her path. From 00:00:54.869 --> 00:00:56.869 that privileged childhood, which was completely 00:00:56.869 --> 00:00:58.890 turned upside down by the abdication through 00:00:58.890 --> 00:01:01.590 the huge constitutional crisis sparked by her 00:01:01.590 --> 00:01:04.730 first big romance. Then that really tumultuous, 00:01:04.730 --> 00:01:07.329 almost toxic marriage that followed. And finally, 00:01:07.370 --> 00:01:10.310 this unexpected, quite profound legacy she left 00:01:10.310 --> 00:01:13.189 regarding the royals and divorce. It's quite 00:01:13.189 --> 00:01:16.969 a journey. And we start with her birth, Margaret 00:01:16.969 --> 00:01:20.769 Rose. Born in 1930 at Glamis Castle in Scotland, 00:01:21.030 --> 00:01:22.609 which is, you know, a neat little historical 00:01:22.609 --> 00:01:25.069 footnote in itself. How so? Well, she was the 00:01:25.069 --> 00:01:27.090 first person in the direct line of succession 00:01:27.090 --> 00:01:30.650 born in Scotland since, gosh, the 1600s. But 00:01:30.650 --> 00:01:33.209 the real foundation of her life, the thing that 00:01:33.209 --> 00:01:35.069 changed everything, happened when she was just 00:01:35.069 --> 00:01:37.829 six years old. That was when her uncle, Edward 00:01:37.829 --> 00:01:40.310 VIII, abdicated. And that act, it didn't just 00:01:40.310 --> 00:01:42.209 make her father, Prince Albert, into King George 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:45.230 VI. It completely redefined Margaret herself, 00:01:45.430 --> 00:01:47.780 didn't it? Overnight. Absolutely. She went from 00:01:47.780 --> 00:01:50.340 being a relatively minor royal figure to suddenly 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:52.780 being second in line to the throne. Wow. That 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:55.500 huge shift really defined her early status. She 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:57.420 was now a child of the sovereign, the Princess 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:00.159 Margaret. So a privileged childhood, yes, but 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:02.859 as you said, completely transformed by her father 00:02:02.859 --> 00:02:04.799 becoming king. Let's talk about her name first, 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:07.459 Margaret Rose. The sources actually detail a 00:02:07.459 --> 00:02:09.280 bit of back and forth on that, right? Yeah, they 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.840 do. Apparently her mother, the queen mother, 00:02:12.039 --> 00:02:14.460 initially wanted Anne Margaret. She thought Anne 00:02:14.460 --> 00:02:16.439 of York sounded lovely and Elizabeth and Anne. 00:02:17.150 --> 00:02:18.870 Well, it sounded good together, but the king, 00:02:19.090 --> 00:02:22.909 George V, her grandfather, he wasn't keen, found 00:02:22.909 --> 00:02:26.129 Anne maybe a bit too plain, too common. So they 00:02:26.129 --> 00:02:28.189 compromised on Margaret Rose. It just shows, 00:02:28.310 --> 00:02:31.270 doesn't it? Every little detail, even a name. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.759 was subject to that kind of external approval. 00:02:34.939 --> 00:02:37.900 Absolutely. And speaking of external forces shaping 00:02:37.900 --> 00:02:40.099 their lives, let's look at their education. She 00:02:40.099 --> 00:02:42.379 and Elizabeth, they were taught together by Marion 00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:44.680 Crawford, the Scottish governess, Crawfee. Right. 00:02:44.780 --> 00:02:48.319 But the education itself was, well. incredibly 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.580 limited it was structured entirely around their 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:52.840 mother's very traditional beliefs which were 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.120 well it was a very specific philosophy the queen 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:58.740 mother famously believed that governesses you 00:02:58.740 --> 00:03:00.740 know they basically produced nicely behaved young 00:03:00.740 --> 00:03:03.939 ladies equipped really only to marry well yeah 00:03:03.939 --> 00:03:06.840 she even quipped something like after all i and 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.280 my sisters only had governesses and we all married 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.300 well one of us very well the whole focus was 00:03:12.300 --> 00:03:15.460 on deportment conversation finding a suitable 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:19.150 husband Not much else. That attitude, looking 00:03:19.150 --> 00:03:22.009 back, it's deeply frustrating, isn't it? And 00:03:22.009 --> 00:03:24.280 Margaret apparently felt that later on. Oh, definitely. 00:03:24.539 --> 00:03:27.219 The sources say she expressed real resentment 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:30.300 about this very restricted education. She felt 00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:32.080 it kind of hampered her intellectual development. 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:34.199 And she sometimes criticized her mother for, 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:37.020 you know, prioritizing those superficial aspects 00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:40.939 of being a nicely behaved royal over proper academic 00:03:40.939 --> 00:03:43.240 learning. So you get this tension building early 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:46.479 on. She's being bred for a role she kind of resents, 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:48.620 but she also understands its limits perfectly. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:51.819 Exactly. And that upbringing gets interrupted 00:03:51.819 --> 00:03:54.120 by World War II. When the war started, the two 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.240 princesses were moved to Windsor Castle for safety. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:58.800 There was pressure, apparently, from politicians, 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:02.060 the press, to send them to Canada. But they stayed. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:04.819 And that led to that very famous quote from the 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:07.620 Queen Mother, defining the family's wartime stance. 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.280 That's the one. The children won't go without 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.939 me. I won't leave without the king. And the king 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:15.939 will never leave. Real determination there. Yeah. 00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:18.339 So during the war, Elizabeth, she eventually 00:04:18.339 --> 00:04:20.540 got to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:23.459 But Margaret was too young for any formal duties. 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:27.000 And that kind of left a vacuum. It did. And it 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:30.060 allowed her personality to really blossom and, 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:33.019 frankly, to be indulged. Her father, King George 00:04:33.019 --> 00:04:36.579 VI, he was particularly taken with her. He famously 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:39.699 called Elizabeth his pride and Margaret his joy. 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:42.350 And that indulgence, it became pretty obvious, 00:04:42.449 --> 00:04:44.009 didn't it? People thought she was quite spoiled. 00:04:44.389 --> 00:04:46.569 Significantly spoiled, according to contemporaries. 00:04:46.949 --> 00:04:49.990 And the sources give us some concrete examples 00:04:49.990 --> 00:04:52.389 of this favoritism. She got really good at music 00:04:52.389 --> 00:04:54.750 piano, singing show tunes, channeling that sort 00:04:54.750 --> 00:04:56.910 of theatrical energy she had. And the big one. 00:04:57.009 --> 00:04:59.709 Yeah. The sign of her special status. Being allowed 00:04:59.709 --> 00:05:01.930 to stay up for dinner with the adults at age 00:05:01.930 --> 00:05:05.810 13. Wow. In that kind of strictly regimented 00:05:05.810 --> 00:05:09.939 royal household, that was a big deal. Huge. Croffey, 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:12.100 the governess, she apparently worried about all 00:05:12.100 --> 00:05:14.759 the attention Margaret drew. But Elizabeth, the 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:16.540 heir, she didn't seem to mind. She apparently 00:05:16.540 --> 00:05:18.180 just said, oh, it's so much easier when Margaret's 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:19.879 there. Everybody laughs at what Margaret says. 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:23.300 Huh. So that dynamic was set early on. Margaret, 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:26.040 the charismatic entertainer. Elizabeth, the dutiful 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.360 center. Exactly. And it defined their relationship 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:31.720 for decades. So Margaret enters the post -war 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:34.740 world already armed with that theatrical flair, 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.959 that quick wit, and this charisma that could, 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:40.060 you know. charm pretty much anyone. That little 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:43.120 bit of freedom her parents gave her. It really 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:45.680 hints at the explosion of personality that was 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.240 about to hit London society. Precisely. Once 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.500 the war ended in 1945 and the sort of wartime 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:54.699 restrictions lifted, Margaret, now in her late 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:57.220 teens, early 20s, she didn't hold back. She almost 00:05:57.220 --> 00:05:59.300 immediately became known as the unconventional 00:05:59.300 --> 00:06:02.040 royal. celebrated for her energy, her vivacity, 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:04.980 and this really glamorous fashion sense. Those 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:07.240 striking, vivid blue eyes were always mentioned, 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.399 too. And she became a real fixture on the post 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:12.819 -war social scene, didn't she? This wasn't just, 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:16.060 like, polite mingling. She was actively out there 00:06:16.060 --> 00:06:19.500 socializing with high society, young aristocrats, 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:22.180 even celebrities like Danny Kaye. Yes, these 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:24.660 were the friends who got famously dubbed the 00:06:24.660 --> 00:06:27.339 Margaret set. Margaret set, right. And this set... 00:06:27.470 --> 00:06:29.970 It was a definite departure from the sort of 00:06:29.970 --> 00:06:33.250 stuffy traditional royal circles. They were fashionable, 00:06:33.490 --> 00:06:35.790 sometimes a bit bohemian. They went to all the 00:06:35.790 --> 00:06:39.370 talked about spots in London, the 400 Club, the 00:06:39.370 --> 00:06:41.970 Café de Paris, the Mirabelle restaurant. Basically 00:06:41.970 --> 00:06:43.889 chasing the bright lights of the late 40s and 00:06:43.889 --> 00:06:46.110 50s. Absolutely. And because Princess Margaret 00:06:46.110 --> 00:06:48.850 was involved, the media followed every single 00:06:48.850 --> 00:06:51.600 move they made. That press frenzy seems inevitable, 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:54.519 looking back. And Margaret's own actions really 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:57.180 helped cement that early reputation. Not just 00:06:57.180 --> 00:06:59.540 glamorous, but a bit of a rebel. There's that 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:02.500 famous story from 1949, the fancy dress ball. 00:07:02.699 --> 00:07:05.680 Oh, yes. At the U .S. Ambassador's Place, Margaret 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:08.100 got up on stage and performed the can -can, accompanied 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:10.000 by the ambassador's daughter, Charmaine Douglas. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.439 The can -can. Yeah. That must have caused a stir. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:15.319 Explosive reaction, dancing the can -can, you 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:17.560 know, that notoriously scandalous high -kicking 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:20.889 dance. It was seen as highly improper for a senior 00:07:20.889 --> 00:07:23.629 royal. So the press went mad. Completely wild. 00:07:23.810 --> 00:07:26.410 It really cemented her image as someone pushing 00:07:26.410 --> 00:07:29.449 against royal decorum. Poor Danny Kaye even had 00:07:29.449 --> 00:07:31.470 to issue a statement denying he taught her the 00:07:31.470 --> 00:07:34.170 routine. She was basically broadcasting her desire 00:07:34.170 --> 00:07:37.089 for a more modern, freer life. And society was 00:07:37.089 --> 00:07:40.250 either scandalized or, frankly, completely charmed. 00:07:40.290 --> 00:07:42.250 And it seems charm won out, at least initially. 00:07:42.629 --> 00:07:45.110 The press called her the world's most eligible 00:07:45.110 --> 00:07:48.230 bachelor girl. And there was constant... speculation 00:07:48.230 --> 00:07:50.230 about who she might marry. Oh, intense speculation. 00:07:50.670 --> 00:07:53.170 The sources mention over 30 potential suitors 00:07:53.170 --> 00:07:55.550 titled guys like Lord Blanford, Lord Dalkeith, 00:07:55.689 --> 00:07:58.269 even interestingly, the future Canadian prime 00:07:58.269 --> 00:08:00.790 minister, John Turner. So no shortage of options. 00:08:00.949 --> 00:08:02.709 But the pressure must have been huge to choose 00:08:02.709 --> 00:08:06.810 someone. Immense pressure titled wealthy, stable. 00:08:07.209 --> 00:08:10.129 That was the ideal. The family apparently hoped 00:08:10.129 --> 00:08:13.009 for Lord Dalkeith, but he was maybe a bit too 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:16.040 outdoorsy for her. Her most regular date in the 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.120 mid -50s was reportedly Billy Wallace, heir to 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.959 a massive fortune, 2 .8 million pounds back then. 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:24.680 But she didn't settle down quickly. Yeah. And 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:26.899 as she got into her late 20s, still unmarried, 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:29.480 the press coverage started to shift, didn't it? 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:31.680 Dramatically. It went from excitement, who might 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.179 she choose, to this sort of underlying concern 00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:36.779 that maybe she'd remain a spinster. And this 00:08:36.779 --> 00:08:39.440 rising pressure combined with her father's death 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:41.679 and probably a need for some emotional stability, 00:08:41.980 --> 00:08:45.399 it created the perfect agonizing backdrop for 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:47.500 the romance that would absolutely define her 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:50.450 public life. Peter Townsend. Right. Peter Townsend. 00:08:50.570 --> 00:08:52.730 This wasn't just a personal love story. It blew 00:08:52.730 --> 00:08:55.649 up into a full blown constitutional crisis. It 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:57.649 really forced Britain to confront its attitudes 00:08:57.649 --> 00:09:00.009 towards divorce and the monarchy's place in a 00:09:00.009 --> 00:09:02.450 world that was changing fast. Exactly. Peter 00:09:02.450 --> 00:09:05.389 Townsend. He was a highly decorated RAF officer, 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:08.009 a genuine battle Britain hero. He was also one 00:09:08.009 --> 00:09:10.909 of her father's equerries. And crucially. Crucially, 00:09:10.970 --> 00:09:13.830 he was 15 years older than Margaret and he was 00:09:13.830 --> 00:09:16.549 married with two children when they first met 00:09:16.549 --> 00:09:20.600 back in 1944. Margaret herself said her feelings 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.480 for him really developed during that 1947 state 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:25.279 tour of South Africa, is that right? That's what 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:28.440 she claimed, yes. Their bond deepened privately 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:30.620 over the years, especially after King George 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:34.940 VI died so suddenly in February 1952. Townsend 00:09:34.940 --> 00:09:38.090 finalized his own divorce in December 1952. And 00:09:38.090 --> 00:09:40.350 he proposed to Margaret shortly after, probably 00:09:40.350 --> 00:09:42.950 early 1953. And that's when the constitutional 00:09:42.950 --> 00:09:45.210 hammer came down. The Royal Marriages Act of 00:09:45.210 --> 00:09:48.429 1772. That was the big legal barrier. Since Margaret 00:09:48.429 --> 00:09:50.730 was under 25 at the time, the Queen's consent 00:09:50.730 --> 00:09:53.529 was absolutely mandatory. But the real problem 00:09:53.529 --> 00:09:56.519 was Elizabeth II's tricky dual role. she was 00:09:56.519 --> 00:09:58.720 the sovereign head of state but also the supreme 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:00.940 governor of the church of england exactly and 00:10:00.940 --> 00:10:02.820 the church of england at that time was completely 00:10:02.820 --> 00:10:05.460 uncompromising it refused to countenance the 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:08.039 remarriage of any divorced person whose former 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:11.059 spouse was still living the archbishop of canterbury 00:10:11.059 --> 00:10:13.539 made it very clear he would not approve so the 00:10:13.539 --> 00:10:16.200 queen was stuck in this impossible position completely 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:19.519 caught her primary duty was to the church to 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:21.899 the stability of the crown her sister's personal 00:10:21.899 --> 00:10:24.720 happiness Well, it had to come second to that 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:26.820 structure. So she asked Margaret and Townsend 00:10:26.820 --> 00:10:29.740 to wait just one year until after her coronation 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:32.519 and her big Commonwealth tour were done. Trying 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:35.620 to buy time, basically. But that attempt at keeping 00:10:35.620 --> 00:10:38.700 it quiet? That didn't last long, did it? Failed 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:41.139 almost immediately. The whole romance burst into 00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:43.679 public knowledge during the 1953 coronation. 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:46.279 Reporters saw Margaret standing on the balcony 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:49.179 just casually picking a piece of fluff off Townsend's 00:10:49.179 --> 00:10:52.159 coat. Such a tiny, intimate gesture. Seemingly 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:54.759 innocent, yes. But as Townsend himself later 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:57.929 said, after that the storm broke. The People 00:10:57.929 --> 00:11:00.389 newspaper ran the first story about the scandalous 00:11:00.389 --> 00:11:03.250 rumors and the crisis just exploded. The big 00:11:03.250 --> 00:11:05.169 fear in the establishment, you see, was that 00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:07.950 this was 1936 all over again. The abdication 00:11:07.950 --> 00:11:10.269 crisis. Right, where a royal choice of spouse 00:11:10.269 --> 00:11:12.789 had led to an abdication and irrevocably shaken 00:11:12.789 --> 00:11:15.129 public trust in the monarchy. They couldn't risk 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:17.769 that again. Let's really focus on the weight 00:11:17.769 --> 00:11:20.789 of the pressure they put on Margaret. If she 00:11:20.789 --> 00:11:24.029 chose to marry Townsend, the government, the 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:26.610 Commonwealth prime ministers, They were all against 00:11:26.610 --> 00:11:28.950 it unless she formally renounced her rights to 00:11:28.950 --> 00:11:31.870 the throne. What did that actually mean in practice? 00:11:32.149 --> 00:11:34.470 Well, it meant losing her position as a counselor 00:11:34.470 --> 00:11:36.649 of state. That's a significant role she could 00:11:36.649 --> 00:11:39.309 act on the monarch's behalf, sign documents if 00:11:39.309 --> 00:11:42.429 the queen was abroad or ill. So a real tangible 00:11:42.429 --> 00:11:44.909 function. Definitely. And she'd also lose her 00:11:44.909 --> 00:11:47.659 financial independence. Her civil list allowance, 00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:51.720 £6 ,000 a year, plus this extra £15 ,000 allowance, 00:11:52.179 --> 00:11:54.440 Parliament had specifically set aside for her 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:56.360 to make a suitable marriage. She'd essentially 00:11:56.360 --> 00:11:59.240 become a royal outcast, financially cut off. 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:02.019 So the stakes were incredibly high, way beyond 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:04.639 just personal happiness. It was financial, functional, 00:12:04.860 --> 00:12:07.139 tied to her whole official identity. Absolutely. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:09.120 And to sort of break things up immediately, Winston 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.179 Churchill arranged for Townsend to be sent away, 00:12:11.299 --> 00:12:14.559 a sudden exile, basically. July 1953, he was 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:17.059 posted as an heir attaché in Brussels. Just like 00:12:17.059 --> 00:12:20.039 that. Separated. Just like that. And for the 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:22.480 next two years, while they were apart, the whole 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:25.000 nation debated it. Opinion polls showed this 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.799 huge gap between the establishment view and what 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.019 the public thought. Yeah, I read that something 00:12:30.019 --> 00:12:33.340 like 97 % of Daily Mirror readers approved of 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:35.659 the marriage. Incredible, isn't it? The public 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:38.320 clearly backed her personal choice, her happiness. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:41.379 It shows how fast attitudes towards divorce were 00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:43.759 actually changing in society. But the establishment 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.379 wasn't budging. Not an inch. The Times ran this 00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:49.120 really stern editorial warning that marrying 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:52.159 a divorced man would irrevocably disqualify her 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:54.639 from her royal duties. And the church was blunt, 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:56.519 too, telling her she might not even be able to 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:59.580 receive communion if she went ahead. Wow. But 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:03.000 then there's this twist, isn't there? This aha 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.559 moment from the sources that kind of reframes 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:07.840 the whole thing. There is. And it's truly profound. 00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:11.220 Documents released much later in 2004 revealed 00:13:11.220 --> 00:13:13.879 that the constitutional brick wall, well, it 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:15.600 wasn't quite as solid as everyone thought at 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:18.019 the time. The queen and the prime minister then, 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:20.820 Anthony Eden, had actually worked out a secret 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:24.580 plan. A secret plan to let her marry him. Essentially, 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:28.279 yes, to amend the 1772 Act. Wait, so there was 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:30.860 a way they weren't just leaving her to make this 00:13:30.860 --> 00:13:33.539 impossible choice alone? Apparently not. Eden, 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:35.740 who was actually divorced and remarried himself, 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:38.299 so he was sympathetic, he worked with the queen 00:13:38.299 --> 00:13:40.720 to find a compromise, something that would avoid 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:44.299 the trauma of 1936, but still respect Margaret's 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:47.980 feelings. The plan was Margaret could marry Townsend. 00:13:48.220 --> 00:13:50.720 Okay, so what were the conditions? What would 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.610 she have lost under this plan? Under Eden's plan, 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:55.509 she would have been removed from the line of 00:13:55.509 --> 00:13:58.129 succession. That was the key political safeguard. 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:00.830 But, and this is crucial, she would keep her 00:14:00.830 --> 00:14:04.269 royal title, HRH. She'd keep her civilist allowance, 00:14:04.610 --> 00:14:06.549 she could stay in the country, and she could 00:14:06.549 --> 00:14:09.110 even continue doing public duties. That's completely 00:14:09.110 --> 00:14:10.830 different from the narrative we usually hear. 00:14:11.009 --> 00:14:13.830 It really is. Eden wrote that the queen didn't 00:14:13.830 --> 00:14:15.649 want to stand in the way of her sister's happiness. 00:14:16.330 --> 00:14:18.470 It shows there was immense political effort behind 00:14:18.470 --> 00:14:21.509 the scenes to find a middle way. So if the monarchy 00:14:21.509 --> 00:14:23.809 and the government had actually found a potential 00:14:23.809 --> 00:14:27.230 path, then the final decision really did rest 00:14:27.230 --> 00:14:30.149 entirely with Margaret herself. Was it her faith 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:33.029 in the end? Or protecting the monarchy's image? 00:14:33.350 --> 00:14:35.970 It seems it was the latter, framed by the former. 00:14:36.269 --> 00:14:40.009 On October 31st, 1955, she released that famous 00:14:40.009 --> 00:14:42.899 statement. But mindful of the church's teachings 00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:45.659 that Christian marriage is indissoluble and conscious 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:48.100 of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:50.759 to put these considerations before others. Such 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:53.500 a formal duty bound statement, despite what must 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:55.639 have been personal devastation. And the statement 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.139 itself, apparently they wrote it together. She 00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:00.159 and Townsend drafted it. Townsend later recalled 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.980 they both felt this. unimaginable relief at being 00:15:02.980 --> 00:15:05.639 liberated at last from this monstrous problem. 00:15:05.860 --> 00:15:09.039 But that relief definitely didn't last. The emotional 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:12.059 cost was huge. And the sources reveal the bitterness 00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:15.000 that came later. When Townsend announced in 1959 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.159 that he was marrying someone else, a young Belgian 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:19.539 woman who apparently looked quite a bit like 00:15:19.539 --> 00:15:21.700 Margaret, Margaret was reportedly devastated. 00:15:22.490 --> 00:15:25.549 She wrote to him, basically accusing him of betraying 00:15:25.549 --> 00:15:27.990 this pact they supposedly had not to marry anyone 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:31.289 else. And she demanded he destroy all her love 00:15:31.289 --> 00:15:33.830 letters, the sacrifice she'd made for the institution. 00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:37.830 It must have felt incredibly personal and ultimately 00:15:37.830 --> 00:15:40.570 unreciprocated in that moment. Yeah, the sources 00:15:40.570 --> 00:15:43.110 really suggest she was deeply wounded by Townsend 00:15:43.110 --> 00:15:45.070 getting married again. She had tried to move 00:15:45.070 --> 00:15:46.970 on herself, hadn't she? She'd accepted a proposal 00:15:46.970 --> 00:15:50.509 from Billy Wallace in 1956. She had, but that 00:15:50.509 --> 00:15:52.789 engagement ended very quickly when Wallace apparently 00:15:52.789 --> 00:15:54.870 admitted to having an affair while she was away, 00:15:54.950 --> 00:15:57.870 so more heartbreak piled on. And then came Anthony 00:15:57.870 --> 00:16:00.490 Armstrong Jones, the photographer. Yes, they 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:03.470 met in 1958. And the sources suggest Margaret 00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:06.889 accepted his proposal in October 1959, and this 00:16:06.889 --> 00:16:08.769 is the key bit, reportedly the day after she 00:16:08.769 --> 00:16:10.929 heard Townsend was getting married. Oof, that 00:16:10.929 --> 00:16:13.590 timing. It suggests it might have been a bit 00:16:13.590 --> 00:16:16.149 of a rebound, or maybe even a bit of revenge. 00:16:16.570 --> 00:16:18.850 It certainly suggests a need for swift action, 00:16:19.029 --> 00:16:21.309 for stability, whatever the driving emotion was. 00:16:21.490 --> 00:16:23.509 Their engagement announcement in February 1960 00:16:23.509 --> 00:16:26.529 was a huge shock to the public. Why? Because 00:16:26.529 --> 00:16:29.419 he was a commoner. Partly, but mainly because 00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:31.320 they'd managed to keep the whole romance completely 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:33.259 secret from the press, who were watching her 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:35.240 like hawks. That's quite an achievement. It really 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:38.659 was. And the wedding itself in May 1960 was groundbreaking. 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:42.580 The first royal wedding on TV. Ever. Huge audience 00:16:42.580 --> 00:16:46.120 estimated 300 million viewers worldwide. It was 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:48.980 a massive PR win for the monarchy, projecting 00:16:48.980 --> 00:16:52.100 this image of modernization. Her husband was 00:16:52.100 --> 00:16:54.990 made Earl of Snowdom. And they became this instant 00:16:54.990 --> 00:16:57.049 symbol, didn't they, the swinging 60s couple? 00:16:57.309 --> 00:16:59.929 Absolutely. Lord Snowden, being a commoner, an 00:16:59.929 --> 00:17:02.990 artist, he brought this genuinely bohemian sort 00:17:02.990 --> 00:17:06.109 of working class circle of friends into the royal 00:17:06.109 --> 00:17:08.950 orbit. And initially the press loved it, saw 00:17:08.950 --> 00:17:11.470 it as the monarchy finally breaking down those 00:17:11.470 --> 00:17:14.549 rigid British class barriers, embracing the modern 00:17:14.549 --> 00:17:16.809 age. They certainly looked the part, experimenting 00:17:16.809 --> 00:17:19.630 with 60s fashion, projecting this cool dynamic 00:17:19.630 --> 00:17:22.650 image, very different from the Queen's steady 00:17:22.650 --> 00:17:24.839 tradition. Completely. They had two children, 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:27.319 David and Sarah, both born by cesarean section, 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:30.140 apparently at Margaret's request. But that glamorous 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:33.759 veneer didn't last long, did it? The marriage 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.200 started to unravel pretty quickly. Very quickly. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.900 It descended into this really intense toxicity 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:42.720 and infidelity on both sides. Snowden was known 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:45.319 for having numerous affairs. The sources are 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:47.579 quite blunt. If something moved, he likely chased 00:17:47.579 --> 00:17:50.220 it. And Margaret. Margaret also had affairs, 00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:52.700 including with Anthony Barton, who was actually 00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:55.859 her daughter's godfather, and a brief liaison 00:17:55.859 --> 00:17:58.529 with Robin Douglas' home. But it sounds like 00:17:58.529 --> 00:18:01.470 it went beyond just affairs. There was real cruelty 00:18:01.470 --> 00:18:04.069 involved, particularly from Snowden. Far beyond 00:18:04.069 --> 00:18:06.869 infidelity, yes. The sources describe this pattern 00:18:06.869 --> 00:18:09.569 of really cruel psychological behavior from Snowden. 00:18:09.710 --> 00:18:12.369 He apparently used these tactics designed specifically 00:18:12.369 --> 00:18:15.069 to wound her, leaving nasty little notes. Notes? 00:18:15.170 --> 00:18:17.450 What kind of notes? Scathing notes listing things 00:18:17.450 --> 00:18:20.150 I hate about you, hidden in her books, under 00:18:20.150 --> 00:18:22.329 her pillow, places where she'd find them unexpectedly. 00:18:22.869 --> 00:18:25.289 That's chilling. That detail about the notes, 00:18:25.329 --> 00:18:27.210 it just shows the darkness beneath that glass. 00:18:27.210 --> 00:18:29.470 glamorous surface. Absolutely. One of the worst 00:18:29.470 --> 00:18:31.930 notes mentioned reportedly read, you look like 00:18:31.930 --> 00:18:34.650 a Jewish manicurist and I hate you. Wow. That 00:18:34.650 --> 00:18:38.269 level of malice aimed at his wife, the queen's 00:18:38.269 --> 00:18:41.150 sister. It's astounding. It really confirms that 00:18:41.150 --> 00:18:43.390 maybe the class difference, their fundamental 00:18:43.390 --> 00:18:46.490 incompatibility, it was just too vast. It led 00:18:46.490 --> 00:18:49.769 to this mutual resentment and cruelty. By 1973, 00:18:50.170 --> 00:18:51.990 Margaret was clearly looking for some kind of 00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:55.049 emotional escape and she met Roddy Llewellyn. 00:18:55.170 --> 00:18:57.839 Roddy Llewellyn. 17 years younger than her. Yes. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:00.579 She began what she described as a loving friendship 00:19:00.579 --> 00:19:03.160 with him. And that relationship is what finally 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:05.180 brought the marriage breakdown crashing into 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:08.460 the public eye, wasn't it? In 1976. Violently 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:10.440 into the public eye, the tabloids got hold of 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.480 photos, front page stuff of Margaret and Llewellyn 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:15.019 in swimsuits, holidaying together on her private 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:17.599 estate in Moustique Le Joliot. And the reaction? 00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:20.740 Immediate. Ferocious. The separation was officially 00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:24.019 announced in March 1976, and some Labour MPs 00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:26.059 actually denounced her in Parliament, called 00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:29.039 her a royal parasite and a floozy. Vicious. The 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.259 public scrutiny was relentless, and much, much 00:19:32.259 --> 00:19:34.180 harsher than anything directed at her husband 00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:36.799 for his own well -known affairs. So all this 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:39.480 public drama, it leads to the watershed moment, 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:44.900 the divorce, finalized in July 1978. The first 00:19:44.900 --> 00:19:47.119 divorce of a senior member of the British royal 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:51.180 family since 1901, a huge moment. And Margaret's 00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:53.799 reaction? She was reportedly devastated by the 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.359 whole process, and she never remarried. Though 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:58.599 interestingly, she and Snowden managed to maintain 00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:01.299 a surprisingly civil, even friendly relationship 00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:03.519 right up until her death. But that difficult 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.460 journey she went through. It inadvertently cracked 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:08.859 open the door for the monarchy, didn't it? The 00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:12.160 very decision she made back in 55 to uphold tradition. 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:14.900 Ironically, it was undone by her own need for 00:20:14.900 --> 00:20:17.480 liberation in 78. It's important to remember, 00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:19.779 though, despite all that private turmoil, Princess 00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:22.200 Margaret was still a working senior royal. She 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:24.339 carried out quite a lot of public service, especially 00:20:24.339 --> 00:20:26.839 representing the Crown overseas. She did. She 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:29.160 started early, launching the ocean liner Edinburgh 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:32.400 Castle in Belfast back in 1947, often accompanied 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.579 her parents on tours. And her own tours made 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:37.779 quite an impact. Immense impact overseas. That 00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:40.779 1955 tour of the Caribbean, for example, created 00:20:40.779 --> 00:20:44.160 a huge sensation. Local musicians wrote calypsos 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.779 dedicated to her. It shows that unique international 00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:49.779 charm she had. And as the Commonwealth changed, 00:20:50.119 --> 00:20:52.619 she was often the one sent to represent the crown 00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:54.799 at those really crucial independence ceremonies. 00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:59.759 Jamaica in 62, later Tuvalu and Dominica in 78. 00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:02.960 She was often tasked with handling those significant, 00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:05.730 sometimes delicate transitions. And back home, 00:21:05.789 --> 00:21:07.690 her focus was mainly on the arts and charities. 00:21:07.970 --> 00:21:10.750 Heavily on arts and welfare, yes. She was president 00:21:10.750 --> 00:21:13.549 of the NSPCC, the National Society for the Prevention 00:21:13.549 --> 00:21:16.289 of Cruelty to Children, and grand president of 00:21:16.289 --> 00:21:18.509 the St. John Ambulance Brigade, important roles. 00:21:18.829 --> 00:21:20.630 And she used her position for things she cared 00:21:20.630 --> 00:21:22.869 about, like the arts. Very effectively, especially 00:21:22.869 --> 00:21:25.170 for ballet and music, which were real passions. 00:21:25.529 --> 00:21:28.170 The sources detail how she was instrumental in 00:21:28.170 --> 00:21:30.730 setting up a fund for Dame Margot Fontaine, the 00:21:30.730 --> 00:21:33.609 great ballerina, when Fontaine faced serious 00:21:33.609 --> 00:21:35.710 money... troubles later in life. That wasn't 00:21:35.710 --> 00:21:38.049 just passive patronage. It was active support. 00:21:38.369 --> 00:21:40.470 You mentioned her intelligence earlier, the writer 00:21:40.470 --> 00:21:43.650 Gore Vidal, saying she was far too intelligent 00:21:43.650 --> 00:21:47.210 for her station in life. She must have been acutely 00:21:47.210 --> 00:21:50.390 aware of her public image, the role she played 00:21:50.390 --> 00:21:52.710 in the whole royal story. Oh, absolutely aware. 00:21:52.950 --> 00:21:55.490 She reportedly even referred to that sort of 00:21:55.490 --> 00:21:58.569 dichotomy herself, claiming that if her sister, 00:21:58.710 --> 00:22:01.029 the queen, had to be the source of honor, the 00:22:01.029 --> 00:22:04.690 stable center, then she Margaret, must be the 00:22:04.690 --> 00:22:07.009 focus of the most creative malice, the evil sister. 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:10.210 Wow. Embracing the narrative. Almost a self -fulfilling 00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:12.490 prophecy, wasn't it? Embracing the role the media 00:22:12.490 --> 00:22:14.990 and perhaps the system itself had kind of created 00:22:14.990 --> 00:22:18.829 for her. But that pressure, that lifestyle, it 00:22:18.829 --> 00:22:20.750 eventually took a really severe physical toll, 00:22:20.890 --> 00:22:23.269 didn't it? It did. For most of her adult life, 00:22:23.329 --> 00:22:25.849 she was a heavy smoker and drinker. Chesterfield 00:22:25.849 --> 00:22:28.150 cigarettes and famous grouse whiskey were her 00:22:28.150 --> 00:22:31.210 particular preferences. Many saw it as, you know, 00:22:31.230 --> 00:22:33.349 a coping mechanism for the stresses and constraints 00:22:33.349 --> 00:22:35.630 of her life. And that caught up with her in 1985. 00:22:36.230 --> 00:22:40.329 Yes. In 1985, she had part of her left lung removed, 00:22:40.490 --> 00:22:43.970 an operation that sadly, eerily mirrored the 00:22:43.970 --> 00:22:46.869 lung operation her own father had undergone 34 00:22:46.869 --> 00:22:49.589 years earlier, the illness that ultimately led 00:22:49.589 --> 00:22:51.650 to his early death. Did she quit smoking then? 00:22:51.849 --> 00:22:55.009 Officially, yes. Though some sources, like servants, 00:22:55.230 --> 00:22:57.150 claim they still occasionally smelled cigarette 00:22:57.150 --> 00:22:59.329 smoke in her apartment afterwards. Make of that 00:22:59.329 --> 00:23:02.210 what you will. And the decline continued later 00:23:02.210 --> 00:23:05.970 on. It did, sadly. In the late 1990s, she suffered 00:23:05.970 --> 00:23:09.349 a series of strokes. Three between 1998 and 2001. 00:23:09.650 --> 00:23:12.009 And the effects were quite severe. Yes. They 00:23:12.009 --> 00:23:14.109 left her with partial vision and paralysis on 00:23:14.109 --> 00:23:16.549 her left side. Towards the end, she often needed 00:23:16.549 --> 00:23:18.890 a wheelchair. It was a very visible sign of her 00:23:18.890 --> 00:23:21.650 failing health. She died in 2002. In her sleep, 00:23:21.670 --> 00:23:25.630 yes. February 9th, 2002, at the age of 71. At 00:23:25.630 --> 00:23:34.369 slow crematorium, of all places. Why cremation? 00:23:34.470 --> 00:23:36.690 That's very unusual for senior royals. Her lady 00:23:36.690 --> 00:23:38.869 -in -waiting explained it. Apparently Margaret 00:23:38.869 --> 00:23:41.089 found the traditional royal burial ground at 00:23:41.089 --> 00:23:44.579 Frogmore very gloomy. Huh. So in the end, her 00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:47.140 ashes were interred alongside her parents, King 00:23:47.140 --> 00:23:49.559 George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, 00:23:49.700 --> 00:23:52.759 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor. 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:55.819 A final act of rebellion, perhaps, followed by 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:57.940 a return to the man who always called her his 00:23:57.940 --> 00:24:00.269 joy. It's easy, isn't it, to get caught up in 00:24:00.269 --> 00:24:02.730 the drama and the tragedy. But Margaret left 00:24:02.730 --> 00:24:04.910 a really significant mark in other areas, too, 00:24:05.009 --> 00:24:07.509 like style. Oh, definitely. She was a recognized 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:10.470 fashion icon, known for the Margaret look. And 00:24:10.470 --> 00:24:12.289 it was quite purposefully constructed, you know, 00:24:12.309 --> 00:24:14.450 to contrast with her sister's much more stable 00:24:14.450 --> 00:24:17.150 traditional appearance. How so? What defined 00:24:17.150 --> 00:24:20.109 the Margaret look? Well, she embraced trends. 00:24:20.890 --> 00:24:23.750 Mod accessories, those dramatic sunglasses she 00:24:23.750 --> 00:24:27.190 favored, magnificent hats. She was a real trend 00:24:27.190 --> 00:24:29.250 follower in a way the queen simply couldn't be. 00:24:29.410 --> 00:24:31.509 And she had a connection with designers. A very 00:24:31.509 --> 00:24:34.210 close lifelong relationship with Christian Dior 00:24:34.210 --> 00:24:37.269 particularly. That famous cream gown he designed 00:24:37.269 --> 00:24:40.750 for her 21st birthday in 1950. It's still cited 00:24:40.750 --> 00:24:43.509 as one of the truly iconic royal fashion moments. 00:24:43.690 --> 00:24:46.339 Yeah, I can picture it. British Vogue noted her 00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:49.480 style really hit her stride in the mid 60s, put 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.779 her right up there alongside icons like the Beatles. 00:24:52.099 --> 00:24:55.000 She embodied this kind of royal glamour that 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.140 felt maybe a bit more accessible, relatable, 00:24:57.420 --> 00:25:00.539 yet still completely aspirational. OK, let's 00:25:00.539 --> 00:25:03.039 shift gears a bit to finance. What do we know 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:05.460 about her wealth? Well, during her lifetime, 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:07.819 her fortune was estimated at around 20 million 00:25:07.819 --> 00:25:10.519 pounds, mostly inherited from her father and 00:25:10.519 --> 00:25:13.599 various valuable items passed down from her grandmother, 00:25:13.859 --> 00:25:17.339 Queen Mary. And after her death? Her estate was 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:20.519 valued at 7 .6 million. But after inheritance 00:25:20.519 --> 00:25:23.180 tax was paid, that came down to about $4 .5 million. 00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:25.779 And paying that tax bill, plus providing for 00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:28.380 her grandchildren, led to that quite controversial 00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:30.980 decision to auction off a lot of her personal 00:25:30.980 --> 00:25:32.880 belongings, didn't it, through Christie's in 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:35.880 2006? Very controversial, yes, because many people 00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:38.519 felt these were significant historical royal 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:40.299 items, things that really should have stayed 00:25:40.299 --> 00:25:42.460 within the main royal collection. But the auction 00:25:42.460 --> 00:25:45.500 went ahead, and the results were pretty astonishing. 00:25:46.339 --> 00:25:48.279 Staggering results. They speak volumes about 00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:50.180 the value of the public, or at least collectors, 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:52.440 placed on objects that had been touched by her 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:55.680 life, her story. The wholesale totaled over 13 00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:59.099 .6 million. That was nearly double the pre -sale 00:25:59.099 --> 00:26:01.619 estimate. Wow. So the provenance, the Margaret 00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:04.160 Connection. It was key. Absolutely key. Items 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:07.119 consistently smashed records. There was a Fabergé 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:10.859 clock, for instance. It sold for $1 .24 million, 00:26:11.099 --> 00:26:13.539 a world record price for a Fabergé clock at auction 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:15.940 at that time. Incredible. And the most famous 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:18.880 item? Probably the Baltimore tiara, the one she 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.259 wore at her wedding. That sold for 926 ,400 pounds. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:25.980 To a private bidder. Yes. And that tiara being 00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:28.039 sold off like that, it almost became a symbol 00:26:28.039 --> 00:26:30.740 of the, well, the cost of her turbulent life, 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:33.140 the financial need driving the sale, sort of 00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:35.299 underlined this idea that even in death, her 00:26:35.299 --> 00:26:37.740 life involved this very visible public expense. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:40.619 But beyond the fashion and the finance, the deepest 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:43.519 legacy, surely, is the impact she had on the 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:46.480 monarchy and divorce. That freedom she inadvertently 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:49.500 secured. Without a doubt, despite her very conscious 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:52.480 choice for duty back in 1955, the independent 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.019 newspaper later called that whole town's an affair, 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:57.740 a watershed in the nation's attitude towards 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:00.480 divorce. Because her own later struggles changed 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:03.859 everything. Exactly. Her painful public struggle 00:27:03.859 --> 00:27:07.940 and eventual divorce in 1978, that provided the 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:11.019 absolutely critical precedent. When her nephews 00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:13.619 and niece, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess 00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:15.400 Anne, when their marriages broke down in the 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:18.740 1990s, the public outcry, while still there, 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:21.440 was dramatically less intense compared to the 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:23.240 fury that was directed at Margaret back in the 00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:25.759 50s and again in the 70s. It's like she walked 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:28.099 that incredibly difficult, painful path first 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:30.420 so they could follow on a slightly smoother one. 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:32.839 So when we try to pull it all together, Princess 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:34.980 Margaret's life, we're left with this really 00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:37.480 stark, maybe even beautiful paradox, aren't we? 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:40.700 Completely. She was the royal who, back in 1955, 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:44.180 chose faith and duty, stated publicly that Christian 00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:47.160 marriage was indissoluble. Only to become, just 00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:49.640 two decades later, the absolute symbol of the 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:52.559 royal divorce watershed. She was trapped, really, 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:55.660 by the very rigid, duty -bound system she had 00:27:55.660 --> 00:27:58.440 chosen to protect back then. Her cousin, Lord 00:27:58.440 --> 00:28:00.960 Litchfield, described her life towards the end 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.759 as feeling unfulfilled. She seemed to spend her 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:06.319 whole life searching for a stability, a happiness, 00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:08.859 that the crown or the constraints of her role 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:12.440 often seemed to deny her. And her private? Often 00:28:12.440 --> 00:28:15.259 controversial actions, the affairs, that tumultuous 00:28:15.259 --> 00:28:17.900 marriage, the divorce itself, they created the 00:28:17.900 --> 00:28:20.779 very public precedent that her earlier adherence 00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:23.559 to tradition had tried so hard to prevent. Exactly. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:26.200 The rebel royal, just by following her own difficult 00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:28.720 path, actually ended up forcing the monarchy 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:31.759 to modernize, didn't she? To adapt, however slowly, 00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:34.660 to a changing society. If her father, King George 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.960 VI, saw Elizabeth as his pride and Margaret as 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:40.849 his joy, What does it ultimately mean that Margaret's 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:43.710 own pursuit of joy, of personal freedom, came 00:28:43.710 --> 00:28:46.430 at such an immense public cost to the very system 00:28:46.430 --> 00:28:49.130 she was born to uphold? Her life was just defined 00:28:49.130 --> 00:28:51.609 by that struggle. It really was. It leaves us 00:28:51.609 --> 00:28:53.329 with a final thought maybe for you, the listener, 00:28:53.450 --> 00:28:55.950 to consider. If Margaret had chosen love over 00:28:55.950 --> 00:29:00.259 duty back in 1955 and married Townsend, She likely 00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:02.740 would have been exiled, possibly forgotten. And 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:05.099 maybe the constitutional pass for divorced royals 00:29:05.099 --> 00:29:07.859 would have remained firmly shut. A different 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:10.259 timeline entirely. So by choosing duty then, 00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:13.039 but later being unable or unwilling to maintain 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:15.839 that duty in her own life, did her own great 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:18.640 personal sacrifice inadvertently secure greater 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:21.599 emotional, maybe even marital liberty for all 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:24.039 the royals who came after her? Perhaps that life 00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:26.019 described as unfulfilled was actually the greatest, 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:28.160 most complicated gift she gave to the monarchy's 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:28.440 future.