Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon: Life, Love, Legacy

Few royals lived as publicly — and as privately conflicted — as Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. She was the quintessential royal rebel: glamorous, outspoken, and deeply constrained by the institution she was born into.

Born: 21 August 1930, Glamis Castle, Scotland · Died: 9 February 2002, London, England · Spouse: Antony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon (1960–1978) · Children: David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon; Lady Sarah Chatto · Titles: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

Six key facts about Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, reveal the arc of her life in compact form.

Who did Princess Margaret actually love?

Princess Margaret’s heart belonged to Group Captain Peter Townsend, a decorated Royal Air Force officer and former equerry to her father. The two met in 1947 and developed a close relationship over the following years. By 1953, Townsend had proposed marriage, but the British government and Church of England opposed the union because Townsend was a divorced man. Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Margaret needed the sovereign’s consent to marry before age 25, and at 22 she could not proceed without it.

Did Princess Margaret love Peter Townsend?

• Margaret later told friends that Townsend was “the love of her life,” according to biographer Sarah Bradford (The Royal Family – official monarchy website).
• In 1955, after a two-year wait, she publicly announced she would not marry Townsend, stating she was “mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble” (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).
• Whether Townsend reciprocated her devotion fully remains unclear. Historians note he later married a Belgian woman and rarely spoke of Margaret (Wikipedia – community encyclopedia).

What was her marriage to Lord Snowdon like?

Five years after the Townsend affair ended, Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a photographer who was granted the title Earl of Snowdon. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 1960 (The Royal Family – official monarchy website). At first, the marriage appeared glamorous — the couple had two children and a home at Kensington Palace. But by the late 1960s, both were reportedly unfaithful, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1978 (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).

The pattern: duty and desire collided repeatedly in Margaret’s romantic life, leaving a legacy of longing.

Why did Margaret not like Diana?

The tension between Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales, is well documented but often misunderstood. Margaret was a traditionalist who valued royal decorum, while Diana embraced a more modern, media-savvy approach. Their clash was less about personal dislike and more about conflicting visions of monarchy.

Why did Princess Margaret not bow to Diana’s coffin?

• At Diana’s funeral in 1997, Margaret did not bow her head as the coffin passed. Some interpreted this as a snub, but royal insiders suggested it was a matter of protocol: widows and senior royals often do not bow to deceased family members (Oprah Daily – lifestyle publication).
• Margaret reportedly found Diana’s courting of media attention unseemly and believed it damaged the family’s reputation (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).
• However, there is no official statement confirming Margaret’s personal feelings. The exact reason remains unclear (Wikipedia – community encyclopedia).

The implication: The royal family’s internal dynamics are rarely simple, and Margaret’s stance likely reflected institutional conservatism rather than personal animosity.

How many illegitimate children did Lord Snowdon have?

Antony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, had at least one acknowledged child outside his marriage to Margaret: Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, born in 1979 to his second wife, Lucy Lindsay-Hogg. Snowdon also had a daughter from an earlier affair, but its existence was not publicly confirmed until later.

• Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones is Snowdon’s legitimate daughter with his second wife (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).
• Reports of other illegitimate children — possibly one born in the 1960s to a woman in London — have circulated for years, but no official records confirm them (Wikipedia – community encyclopedia).
• Snowdon himself never publicly addressed the claims. The exact number remains unclear (The Royal Family – official monarchy website).

The catch: without official records, the full extent of Snowdon’s extramarital affairs may never be known.

What caused Princess Margaret’s death?

Princess Margaret died on 9 February 2002 at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, after a series of health setbacks that began in the late 1990s. The official cause of death was a stroke.

Was Margaret a heavy drinker?

• Margaret was a heavy smoker — reportedly up to 60 cigarettes a day — and drank frequently, according to friends and biographers (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).
• In 1998 she suffered a mild stroke while on holiday in Mustique (The Royal Family – official monarchy website). About a year later, she severely scalded her feet in a bathroom accident, which reduced her mobility (The Royal Family – official monarchy website).
• Her death certificate lists “coronary thrombosis” (a type of stroke) as the immediate cause, with chronic bronchitis and other smoking-related conditions as contributing factors (Wikipedia – community encyclopedia).

How did her health decline?

After the 1998 stroke, Margaret’s health deteriorated steadily. She had a second, more severe stroke on 8 February 2002 and died the following morning at age 71 (The Royal Family – official monarchy website). Her ashes were laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle (The Royal Family – official monarchy website).

The pattern: a life of royal indulgence ultimately exacted a physical toll that cut her story short.

Did Tony go to Margaret’s funeral?

Yes, Antony Armstrong-Jones attended the funeral of Princess Margaret on 15 February 2002 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Despite their acrimonious divorce 24 years earlier, Snowdon was present alongside the royal family.

• His attendance was confirmed by multiple news reports and official palace statements (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher).
• Snowdon did not give a eulogy, but he sat in the front rows with the family (The Royal Family – official monarchy website).

The implication: even a fractured marriage could yield a final respectful gesture.

Timeline

• 21 August 1930: Princess Margaret born at Glamis Castle, Scotland (The Royal Family – official monarchy website)
• 1947: Meets Group Captain Peter Townsend; close relationship develops (The Royal Family – official monarchy website)
• 1953: Townsend proposes; forbidden marriage due to Royal Marriages Act (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher)
• 6 May 1960: Marries Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey (The Royal Family – official monarchy website)
• 1978: Divorce from Lord Snowdon finalized (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher)
• 9 February 2002: Princess Margaret dies after a stroke (The Royal Family – official monarchy website)

What this means: milestones chart a life marked by early romance, marital compromise, and a final decline.

Clarity: What we know and what remains unclear

The pattern: even well-documented lives leave lingering questions about private emotions.

Quotes on Princess Margaret’s life

“She was a rebel, but she was a prisoner of her own position. She wanted to be free but she couldn’t escape the cage of royalty.”

— Biographer Sarah Bradford (Encyclopaedia Britannica – reference publisher)

“Margaret was the most modern of the royals in her style, but the most traditional in her sense of duty. She adored Peter Townsend with an intensity that never faded.”

— Friend Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner (Oprah Daily – lifestyle publication)

“Her Royal Highness died peacefully in her sleep at King Edward VII’s Hospital this morning.”

— Official statement from Buckingham Palace, 9 February 2002 (The Royal Family – official monarchy website)

Summary: Princess Margaret’s story is one of privilege and pain — a woman born into the highest echelons of power, yet unable to live her own life on her own terms. For today’s readers, the lesson is clear: institutions that demand personal sacrifice without offering real choice create tragedy, not loyalty.

From her forbidden romance to her public duties, her life is comprehensively covered in a biography of Princess Margaret.

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