QUEEN Elizabeth II was the older sister of Princess Margaret.
The late Queen and Princess Margaret were very close throughout their lives until Margaret passed away in 2002.
Who was Princess Margaret?
Princess Margaret Rose was born on August 21, 1930, at Glamis Castle, Scotland.
She was the second daughter born to the then-Duke and Duchess of York.
Following the abdication of Edward VIII to marry American Wallis Simpson, her parents were crowned King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
She received her education at Buckingham Palace but moved to Windsor Castle upon the outbreak of World War II.
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Following the war, Margaret appeared in the public eye more frequently.
The glamorous young beauty developed a reputation as an independent spirit who enjoyed socialising late into the night.
But despite her party reputation, Princess Margaret was involved with more than 80 charities and organisations.
Margaret was extremely fond of her older sister Queen Elizabeth II.
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As they grew up they remained close, with Margaret acting as a bridesmaid at the royal wedding of Queen Elizabeth II to the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip in 1947.
When did Princess Margaret die?
Princess Margaret died on February 9, 2002.
She passed away at the age of 71, in the King Edward Ⅶ’s Hospital.
Tragically, just seven weeks after her daughter’s death, the Queen Mother died in her sleep at the age of 101.
Who did Princess Margaret marry?
Margaret grew close to Captain Peter Townsend, a war hero and royal equerry.
Their secret relationship was revealed at the coronation of her sister, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
However, as he was an older man and a recent divorcé, the relationship was said to be frowned upon by the Church and Parliament.
The Queen and Prime Minister Anthony Eden eventually reached an agreement in which Margaret could marry Townsend in exchange for forfeiting her rights to succession.
However, Margaret chose not to follow through with the arrangement, and she went on to announce her split from Townsend in October 1955.
Although she was heartbroken, she went on to marry Antony Armstrong Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon in 1960.
However, her marriage did not last and ended in 1978, after which she became involved with society gardener Roddy Llewellyn.
Did Princess Margaret have any children?
Princess Margaret and Armstrong Jones had two children together.
Their son, David Albert Charles, was born on November 3, 1961.
He became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon in 2017 on the death of his father.
Known as David Linley, he married Serena Alleyne Stanhope in 1993, and they have two children – Charles and Margarita.
Margaret and Antony also had a daughter together, Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth, born on May 14 1964.
Now known as Lady Sarah Chatto, she married Daniel Chatto in 1994, and they have two sons, Samuel and Arthur.
What was Princess Margaret’s cause of death?
Princess Margaret had three strokes between 1998 and 2001 and her later years of life were stricken by illness and disability.
She started smoking cigarettes in her late teens and continued to smoke heavily for a long time after.
In the 1970s, the princess had a nervous breakdown and was treated for depression.
She also suffered from migraines, laryngitis and bronchitis.
On January 5, 1985, she had part of her left lung removed, a similar procedure her father endured over 30 years prior.
In 1991 she quit smoking, however, continued to be a heavy drinker.
In January 1993, Margaret spent some time in hospital being treated for pneumonia.
She then suffered a mild stroke in February 1998 while away at her holiday home.
The stroke affected her mobility and her ability to swallow, as a result, she needed mobility aids to support her while moving.
The princess was hospitalised once more on January 10, 2001, after a further stroke.
By March 2001, the strokes had left her with loss of vision and paralysis on her left side.
In February 2002, it was announced that Margaret had suffered a stroke which was then followed by cardiac problems and she passed away soon after.
She died on February 9, 2002, after suffering her fourth stroke.
How did the late Queen react to Princess Margret’s death?
The late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret shared a close bond throughout their lives until Margaret passed away in 2002.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen, with great sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made immediately.
“Her beloved sister, Princess Margaret, died peacefully in her sleep this morning at 6.30 am, in The King Edward VII hospital.
“Her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto were at her side.”
During Margaret’s funeral, Queen Elizabeth openly cried, one of the rare occasions the monarch showed emotion in a public setting.
Faye De Silva
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