Episode 4 of The Crown Season 5 depicts the Queen’s annus horribilis, in which she is faced with the deterioration of the marriages of three of her four children - Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew - as well as the fire at Windsor Castle. One of the bright spots of the episode named after the infamous year is the reunion between Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville) and her former flame, Group Captain Peter Townsend (Timothy Dalton), who contacts her for the first time since breaking off their engagement some 40 years before.
The episode shows the former lovers reuniting at a reception at London’s Caledonian Club, where Margaret dazzles in a scene-stealing hot pink gown and a glittering necklace from The Crown’s jewellery guru, Susan Caplan, who previously spoke to Tatler about sourcing the exquisite piece.
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Full of her signature joie de vivre, Margaret charms guests, smokes a long cigarette and dances with Townsend, whose status as a divorcé prevented them from marrying when they first fell in love (as shown in the earlier seasons of The Crown). As the night comes to a close, Townsend presents the princess, whose personal life had endured highs and lows in the years since their split, with the love letters she had written him.
In reality, Princess Margaret and Townsend also reunited in 1992, although it took place over lunch at Kensington Palace. Her relationship with Townsend was just one of several she enjoyed throughout her colourful life. Here, Tatler looks back at her lovers…
Born in 1914 in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar), Townsend was raised in Devon as one of seven children. In February 1940, the dashing war hero, who died in June 1995, became the first pilot to bring down an enemy aircraft on English soil, later commanding No. 85 Squadron from May 1940 to June 1941, during which he completed over 300 operational sorties. A year later, he assumed command of No. 605 Squadron, and later R.A.F. West Malling and the Free French Training Wing.
In 1944, Townsend was made equerry to King George VI and Comptroller to the Queen Mother’s household in 1953, with his royal appointments eventually sparking a ill-fated romance with the Queen’s only sibling, Princess Margaret.
The young Princess Margaret fell in love with her Group Captain Townsend, when she was just 22, and, despite her sister’s assertions to the contrary, she was finally barred from marrying him due to his status as a divorcé. The doomed love affair was portrayed in the first season of The Crown, showing how Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) developed feelings for Townsend (Ben Miles), who was 16 years her senior, shortly after the death of her father, King George VI. Their romance became public knowledge when Margaret was seen brushing lint off Townsend’s uniform at the Queen’s Coronation in 1953; the intimate act was a sign the pair were involved.
London-based, globally renowned jewellery expert Susan Caplan reveals the piece that was most difficult to source
Netflix showed the Queen telling her sister that she could marry Townsend, only to retract her blessing on the advice of the Government and Church of England leaders. Margaret gained worldwide sympathy in 1955 when she publicly renounced their plans to wed.
The Queen's younger sister had kept her relationship with the society snapper a secret until the announcement of their engagement on 27 February 1960. The then Anthony Armstrong-Jones had proposed with a ruby engagement ring designed to look like a rosebud - likely a reference to Margaret's middle name, Rose. Margaret had previously been linked to a number of eligible bachelors, but no one had caught wind of Tony as a suitor until it was revealed they were to be wed.
A few months later, and the pair were married at Westminster Abbey. After spending the night prior at Clarence House, Margaret arrived at the Abbey in the Glass Coach escorted by her brother-in-law, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was to accompany her down the aisle in place of her father, King George VI, who had died in 1952. Margaret wore a silk organza dress designed by Norman Hartnell, the royal couturier who had previously created the Queen's wedding dress some 13 years earlier. A relatively chic and simple design - with a v-neck and long sleeves - befitting Margaret's petite stature, the gown nevertheless still featured 30 metres of fabric to make the full skirt.
As is traditional for royal brides, she wore a tiara for the occasion, yet she did not choose one already in the Windsors' family collection. Instead, she wore the Poltimore Tiara, one she had bought at auction. It had been created for Lady Poltimore in the 1870s by the jewellers Garrard. She even wore it on a number of occasions prior to the wedding: a very avant garde move. The ceremony was attended by 2,000 people, including European royalty, politicians and the social set. Margaret had eight bridesmaids, including her niece, Princess Anne, her goddaughter, Marilyn Wills and Annabel Rhodes, a cousin from her mother's side of the family. Armstrong-Jones' best man was Dr. Roger Gilliatt, son of the Queen's gynaecologist.
The couple's honeymoon on board the royal yacht Brittania saw them travel around the Caribbean for six weeks. They welcomed two children together, David Armstrong-Jones (now the Earl of Snowdon) and Lady Sarah Chatto, who both enjoyed a close relationship with their late aunt, the Queen.
However by the 1970s, the couple had grown apart and both engaged in public love affairs. When her long-standing affair with Roddy Llewellyn, a landscape gardener 17 years her junior, was exposed in 1976, the princess faced public criticism. Her marriage came to an end two years later, marking the first divorce in the British Royal Family for 400 years.
The couple were introduced at the Café Royal in Edinburgh ahead of a party at Colin Tennant’s house by his wife, Lady Anne Glenconner, who was one of Princess Margaret’s ladies-in-waiting. At the time, Roddy was a 25-year-old aristocratic gardener, while Princess Margaret was 43, and married to Lord Snowdon. An unlikely couple to say the least, they hit it off, and soon entered into a secret relationship.
Two years into their romance, Margaret and Roddy both found themselves invited on the same holiday to Mustique (it was, after all, the island paradise owned by their friend Colin Tennant). Despite the usual privacy afforded the Caribbean island’s A-list guests, the News of the World were somehow able to get a hold of pictures of the twosome swimming in the sea and otherwise enjoying themselves. After the release of these pictures, Lord Snowdon reportedly told Princess Margaret’s press secretary the marriage was over.
The traditional dance dates back to when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert would throw a summer party for their staff, known in Gaelic as ‘ghillies’
Perhaps hoping to monopolise on his newfound fame, Roddy launched a pop career in 1978, with his eponymous album. Sadly, his career floundered after the media insisted on only asking him about his relationship, rather than his songs.
The relationship lasted almost a decade, but Roddy ultimately broke things off in 1981, when he married Tatiana Soskin. He and the Princess remained friends, and she even gave the wedding her blessing. Roddy has three daughters, Alexandra, Natasha and Rosie.
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