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“Princess Margaret was often regarded as the outcast of her generation of royals. The Princess Margaret’s obituary in the New York Times says that she did not always find this reputation to be a problem.
She once reportedly told French poet and director Jean Cocteau: “Disobedience is my joy,” according to her biographer, Theo Aronson. The younger sister of the queen, who lived for 71 years and had a complicated personality, seemed to live by this phrase.
She smoked, drank, and had a relationship with a man who was 17 years younger than her. As a result, there are lots of interesting anecdotes about Princess Margaret.
When the princess died in 2002, the British monarchy lost a little bit of its vibrancy. A whole new generation of royal watchers has been enthralled by the (although fabricated) stories of her outrageousness, such as the time she posed with a tiara in a bathtub, as well as her tragic moments: who can forget about her fatal relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend?
Princess Margaret’s life facts are still renowned today, so in her honor, we’ve gathered 10 bizarre tales about her
#1. She used “Margaret” as her check signature. No heading. Not a last name. Margaret alone.
#2. She had an elaborate (and absurd) morning routine. According to Craig Brown’s book, Ma’am Darling, it began with breakfast in bed at 9:00 a.m., “followed by two hours in bed listening to the radio, reading the newspapers (which she inevitably left scattered over the floor), and chain-smoking.” Then, it was time for a vodka pick-me-up at 12:30.
#3. She and her husband, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon, would play the bread game to pass the time at dinner gatherings. Margaret or Anthony would rip off a slice of bread and place it in the center of the table after every cliché was spoken. Whoever had torn the most bread would win at the end of the night.
#4. Margaret’s personal secretary, Lord Nigel Napier, was tasked with breaking the news to Armstrong-Jones that he wanted a divorce from his already estranged wife over the phone. The princess then retorted, “Thank you, Nigel.” In my opinion, that’s the best news you’ve ever told me.
#5. Due to the possibility that Princess Margaret would be incredibly late, it was against royal custom for dinner to begin before she arrived. The following story is from Love From Nancy: The Letters of Nancy Mitford, a compendium of the late British aristocrat’s letters: We waited for hours while he created a hideous coiffure because dinner was at 8:30 and Princess Margaret’s hairdresser arrived at 8:30.
#6. The princess detested squirrels. So much so that she approached the woman who was feeding them in a public park and started whacking them with an umbrella.
#7. Her wit was legendary and occasionally downright vicious. This apparently occurred when Princess Margaret and Twiggy met at a dinner gathering. “Who are you?” she asked. I’m Lesley Hornby, ma’am, but people call me Twiggy, the supermodel retorted.
#8. Did Mick Jagger and Princess Margaret share a relationship? That is still debatable. But it’s astonishing that there are even rumors of one. The rumors that Picasso yearned to wed her are also true.
#9. She led a lavish lifestyle; for instance, her 1960 six-week honeymoon on the royal yacht Britannia cost $115,000. She traveled to the US for a week in 1995, packing $10,000 worth of clothes. She once insisted on being driven from Kensington Palace to Waterloo Station on a motorcycle.
#10. She wore her own Poltimore tiara on her wedding day rather than one from the crown’s collection. She paid about $7,700 for it herself at an auction, which was a quite autonomous decision at the time.
Tragic Things About Princess Margaret
Source: Wikipedia, Vogue | All the information & photo credit goes to respective authorities. DM for removal please.
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