Catherine, Princess of Wales hosted her third Together at Christmas Carol Concert on Friday (December 8), and she got a strong showing of support.

Not only were her own family there to support, with mum, Carole Middleton, and sister, Pippa Middleton, getting the memo about all wearing pantsuits, Prince William’s royal relatives came out in force.

These included Duchess Sophie and his cousin, Zara Tindall, who both opted for a bit of statement dressing. Princess Beatrice also joined, bringing stepson Wolfie for an adorable festive night out.

There were also some royals who supported the concert who are less visible in the public eye, including Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester and Lady Sarah Chatto.

It was Lady Sarah whose outfit contained a subtle, moving tribute to a dearly departed royal – her mother, Princess Margaret.

Lady Sarah, who was joined by her son, Arthur, matched Kate Middleton’s colour palette with a wintry white coat.

However, it was the choice of accessory which connects Lady Sarah to her mother. She was wearing Princess Margaret’s star brooch – one the late Queen’s sister would wear regularly before her death in 2002.

A classic design of a six-pronged diamond star with small pearls, the brooch is of unknown provenance but was likely acquired by Princess Margaret herself – something she was prone to do, including when she broke tradition to buy the Poltimore tiara, her iconic wedding headpiece.

After Princess Margaret’s death in 2002, many of her jewels were sold by her children at the now legendary 2006 Christie’s Auction, the Pearl and Diamond Star Brooch was inherited by her only daughter, Lady Sarah, who first wore it a few months after her mother’s death, at a party to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Lady Sarah now regularly sports the star brooch for special occasions, having worn it to the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021.

Lady Sarah wore something else of her late mother’s for the Christmas carol concert.

To complement the star brooch, Lady Sarah added Princess Margaret’s matching antique Diamond Star Earrings.

Like the brooch, not much is known about where these sparkling pieces came from. The first appearance of the dazzling pair came in the mid-1950s, being worn with the grand Cartier Halo Tiara – a diadem so special only four people have ever worn it publicly - for a royal tour of the Caribbean in 1955.  

The Royal Family today aren't exactly shy of a scandal, but it's fair to say the likes of Kate Middleton and Duchess Sophie know how to put their best foot forward, from a PR angle. 

That hasn't always been the case with the royals, and no-one embodied this more than Princess Margaret. Often dubbed the rebel royal, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II was never afraid of insulting someone with a witty - but acerbic - comment, and she never shied away from the spoils of being royals (her decadent morning routine alone proves that).

Sassy, stylish and strong-willed, Princess Margaret's clothes often reflected her indominable presence. So let's revisit some of her iconic looks... 

34 of Princess Margaret's most iconic looks 

1. Princess Margaret's 1944 portrait

The teenaged Princess sat for a royal portrait from famed photographer Cecil Beaton in 1944, wearing a formal evening dress with sequined butterflies around the shoulder, and holding two pink roses. 

The picture of innocence and glamour, she paired the gown with pearls around her neck and her wrist.

2. Princess Margaret's avant garde feather hat, 1963

While Queen Elizabeth was renowned for a plethora of flamboyant hats, her younger sister wasn't far behind! 

This photo from 1963 proves that the Princess was ahead of her time when it came to adorning unusual accessories, sporting a feathery hat which looked both artistic and modern. 

3. Princess Margaret mingles with the stars, 1951

Proving that she could outshine Hollywood's brightest stars, the 21-year-old Princess looked utterly timeless in this glamorous gown and white fur stole as she attended the premiere of the film Captain Horatio Hornblower at the Warner Theatre in London's Leicester Square.

4. Princess Margaret's ivory suit and hat, 1964

Accompanying her husband, Lord Snowdon, to the Earl's Court Motor Show in 1964, Margaret cut a regal figure in this refined ivory suit with matching hat. Featuring an intricate pattern, Margaret added a touch of glamour with a subtle brooch and pearl earrings. 

5. Princess Margaret wearing a floral dress in Trinidad

The Princess took a royal tour of the West Indies in 1958, where she embraced the heat in this flirty, youthful floral dress. Mixing the young vibes with something classic, Margaret added an elegant element with a double string of pearls and white gloves. 

6. The Princess in pink polka dots

This look captures a Princess Margaret classic - mixing something modern with something traditional. For the re-opening of the Women's Resident Training college for elementary school teachers at Avery Hill, Eltham in 1949, she paired a playful pink and white polka dotted dress with a belt and a brooch. She added a touch of royal tradition with pair of white gloves, a white bag, hat, and pearls.

7. Princess Margaret's lace dress, 1949

In the same year the Princess wore the technicolour pink polka dot we saw before, she proved she could still cut a regal figure in this elegant long, lace gown. Receiving a bouquet of flowers, Margaret is also wearing a pair of long gloves for a look that is full of old world charm.

8. Princess Margaret in shades of blue, 1956

The Royal Family wear blue more than most other colours supposedly to send a message of trust. Beating the younger crop of royals to this love of the hue, Princess Margaret sparkled in a sea of blue shades while on her five week tour of Africa in 1956. 

9. Royalty channelling historic royalty

Princess Margaret embodied her royal ancestry when she donned a historic eighteenth Century ballgown and wig. Margaret wore the ensemble to the Georgian Ball, a charity event in aid of the Friends of St. John's at the Mansion House in London, in 1964.

10. Princess Margaret goes green for Ascot, 1990

An iconic look doesn't necessarily mean a good one... Princess Margaret went big and bold for Royal Ascot in 1990, wearing a huge furry green hat and matching suit. This is not a look just anyone could pull off, so (huge) hats off to the Princess for daring to stand out.

11. Princess Margaret's sleeveless floral dress, 1973

While subtle, this look from the Princess in 1973 proved she was always going to do things her way. It's not too often you see a royal without the top of their arms covered, so this sleeveless, structured floral dress definitely won the Princess style points among her contemporaries. 

And extra points for those spectacular earrings, made more noticeable thanks to the bouffant hair.

12. Princess Margaret's classic countryside look,

Sure, she loved hanging with artists or choosing a bright and bold outfit, but Princess Margaret was an English girl through and through. She often stole the show when dressing down with her mother and sister for various outdoor appearances, as she did with this 1973 badminton appearance, rocking an Hermes headscarf alongside a checker print coat. 

13. Feathers and florals, 1979

Looking fresh for the summery season, Princess Margaret attended the 1979 Royal Ascot Races in a floral patterned dress. Her accessories all stuck to the theme, looking bright and light with white strappy heels and a feathered white hat.

14. The Lotus Flower tiara and ballgown

In honour of her return from a tour of the West Indies in 1958, Princess Margaret was welcomed with a stunning reception at Mansion House. For the occasion, she proved her Princess credentials in the most gorgeous ballgown - but the real style highlight was one of the early appearances of her Lotus Flower tiara. 

Made from a necklace given as a wedding gift to the Queen Mother from her husband in 1923, the Lotus Flower Tiara was given by the Queen Mother to Princess Margaret in the late 1950s, becoming a favourite of hers for the rest of her life.

15. Princess Margaret's daisy chain hat

Flowers on hats is a common theme for members of the Royal Family - and millinery fashion in general -  but Princess Margaret took it that little step further (of course). Rather than featuring flowers, the entire hat appears to be made up of connecting daisies, for a fetching and unforgettable style moment. 

16. Princess Margaret pays respects to JFK

Princess Margaret and her husband Lord Snowdon attended a memorial service for President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963. A sombre occasion, Margaret proved she could look chic and stylish in all black. 

17. Jewels and ruffles, 1960

With huge teardrop earrings and a gorgeous cascading necklace, Princess Margaret's 1960 appearance for the premiere of The Alamo proved that she could still dazzle in something classic during the swinging 60s. 

18. Princess Margaret at the New York ballet

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones attended the Royal Ballet at the Met in New York City in 1974, and Margaret captured the whimsical romance of the ballet for the occasion. Her fine, sheer cape and embellished gown could've been plucked from a stage costume. 

19. Pretty in pale pink, 1949

For another official portrait in 1949 - again by Cecil Beaton - the Princess (who was aged 19 at the time) opted for an ornate pink gown, complete with ruffles and paired with several strings of pearls.

20. Princess Margaret's checked coat

In 1968, while supervising her son, nephew Prince Charles and niece Princess Anne, Margaret attended the Braemar Games in Scotland in 1968. Bringing a touch of American glamour to the highlands, she channelled Jackie Kennedy with a blue pillbox hat, paired with a checked print coat. 

21. Fur to the supermarket

There's something that feels so right about seeing Princess Margaret don a full fur coat to visit a supermarket opening. With sparkling diamond earrings to boot, Margaret most definitely gave fans a royal treat with this opulent outfit. 

22. Orange for Trooping the Colour, 1981

We love this simple yet standout look for Trooping the Colour in 1981. While the pastel orange coat is eye-catching, it's the subtle matching orange appliques embedded in the white pillbox hat's veil which tie the look together, for something that was classic Margaret. 

23. Margaret's peacock hat

We've said it many times, but there was never really any way Princess Margaret could ever be considered shy. So, it was very apt that she wore an attention-grabbing peacock feather hat in 1973.

24. Baby pink from head to toe

Later in her life, Princess Margaret often stuck to a theme when it came to her outfits - and that was dressing all in one colour. For the National Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, Margaret opted for a soft, baby pink.

25. Country chic

There's something so effortless and so effective about this look. From the matching headscarf and coat to the sunglasses, Princess Margaret proved she could still look powerful when dressed down for a day outside. 

26. Canary yellow

Princess Margaret's canary yellow look from 1962 has us singing a happy tune. While the hat could verge on looking a bit 'Big Bird from Sesame Street', the Princess pulled it off with aplomb when visiting Denbeigh in Jamaica.

27. A cheerful yellow and white print

Not quite polka dots but still evoking the playful print made popular throughout the 1960s, Margaret's bright yellow and white print dress is paired perfectly with a pair of standout gold earrings and her trademark strings of pearls. 

28. Princess Margaret's classic 60s ensemble, 1967

Big bows and bigger hair were very much the style of the time, and Margaret found a way to merge royalty with modernity. She wore a funky patterned dress and a blue hair bow while walking with her husband - the Earl of Snowdon - on a pontoon in the Bahamas in 1967. 

29. Princess Margaret's turquoise gown and necklace

A truly stunning style moment, Princess Margaret went full regal glamour in a caped blue gown to the London Palladium for the Queen Mother's 90th Birthday on July 19, 1990. It's very likely the shade of the dress was chosen to complement her choice of jewellery on the night - the turquoise necklace which belonged to the set that also included her Triumph of Love tiara. 

30. Princess Margaret's amber tones

Princess Margaret wore this warm, golden toned orange and yellow dress while meeting with the Aga Khan at his vacation resort in 1967.  The sun-kissed look was made perfect with her oversized hoop earrings. 

31. A plume of red

In 1991, Princess Margaret attended an opening at Kew Gardens in this fiery red ensemble. It's hard to identify the standout piece of the look - from the huge feathery red hat to the enchanting ruby earrings or her iconic Diamond and Ruby flower brooch. 

32. Princess Margaret's leopard print look, 1957

Once again showcasing a skill to incorporate something more modern and daring than traditional royal fashion, Princess Margaret was rocking leopard print decades before the likes of Shania Twain. 

Her added red handbag is a great pop of colour which works perfectly with the leopard coat. 

33. Bold yellow for Trooping the Colour, 1993

On the one hand, this yellow suit with distinct white lapels might scream Jim Carrey's The Mask. But, thanks to Princess Margaret's panache, it feels emblematic of the defiant royal. Sticking to vibrant hues and streamlined silhouettes well into the 1990s, they defied trends and stuck to looks that stick in the memory. 

34. Princess Margaret's wedding look, 1960

On May 6, 1960, Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey. It made history as the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television, with an estimated 300 million viewers tuning in around the world - and they all wanted to see what the Queen's vibrant young sister would wear. 

And she delivered. Margaret wore a silk organza wedding dress designed by Norman Hartnell, the royal couturier who had created the Queen's bridal gown 13 years before. It was reportedly dubbed "the simplest royal wedding gown in history" - but it still required over 30 metres of fabric and cathedral length veil. 

The Poltimore Tiara also broke with convention on the day, as the rebellious Princess had paid for it herself - eschewing the tradition of borrowing something from the vaults. 

Princess Margaret’s son reportedly had the most royal first word ever - and it’s so unusual it’s impossible for fans to guess. 

• The late Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret allegedly once revealed to Laurence Olivier and his wife what her son David Armstrong-Jones’ first word was.
• According to a royal expert, she claimed that the now-Earl of Snowdon’s first word was inspired by something seen often in royal palaces.
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne’s checked coat with cherry-red detailing and classic black accessories was a bold autumnal look we're now obsessed with! 

Throughout her life the late Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret was known for being a royal rebel and someone who enjoyed a glamorously extravagant lifestyle. From Princess Margaret’s decadent morning routine to her fashion, she was a Royal Family icon. So it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that Princess Margaret’s son reportedly had the most royal first word imaginable. Impossible to guess, David Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon’s first word was apparently revealed by his mother during a conversation with Laurence Olivier and his wife.

As reported by Tatler, Gyles Brandreth, royal author and royal expert, opened up about this during an episode of his new podcast, Rosebud. He claimed that Princess Margaret had lunch with the British actor and his wife Joan, Baroness Olivier and that the couple had supposedly been “excited” that their son had just said his own first word.

“Lady Olivier said to Princess Margaret, ‘We are very excited because Richard has spoken his first word. And it’s such a relief because it was ‘Dada’ and Larry is so happy’,” Gyles alleged, before going on to reveal Princess Margaret’s hilarious supposed response.

The royal expert apparently claimed that the royal replied, “Well as it happens, David has just spoken his first word too... David’s first word was ‘chandelier’.”

According to Gyles, Princess Margaret’s son was inspired to utter “chandelier” as his first word for a typically royal reason. Hanging above his crib at Kensington Palace there was supposedly a chandelier that he saw and then apparently one day repeated “chandelier” back to a nanny.

There are plenty of chandeliers in the Royal Family’s many historic residences, with many of them appearing in pictures taken at Buckingham Palace in particular. The Earl of Snowdon’s reported first word couldn’t be more royal and unique to his position as a member of the Royal Family. 

It’s also a far cry from one of Prince Louis’ first words, despite the Wales family also living in the same apartment at Kensington Palace for much of his childhood. The Princess of Wales previously revealed one of his first words during an appearance on A Berry Royal Christmas with Dame Mary Berry, acclaimed baker and former judge on The Great British Bake-Off.

"One of Louis' first words was 'Mary' because right at his height are all my cooking books in the kitchen bookshelf,” the future Queen Consort told Dame Mary. “And children are really fascinated by faces, and your faces are all over your cooking books and he would say 'That's Mary Berry’.”

It’s not known what Prince George or Princess Charlotte’s first words were - or what Princess Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto’s first word was. But the suggestion that her son uttered the word “chandelier” first is brilliantly regal and iconic.  

King Charles made a surprise appearance on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death alongside Princess Margaret’s grandsons.  

• His Majesty was previously confirmed to be spending the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death “quietly and privately”.
• Whilst some might’ve thought he wouldn’t appear in public, King Charles was joined by Princess Margaret’s family for a special private service.
• This royal news comes as Prince Harry paid poignant tribute to Queen Elizabeth II marking the anniversary of her death with a special remark about her final day. 

It was previously confirmed that King Charles would be honouring the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing “quietly and privately” having made the major decision for Prince William and the Princess of Wales to lead public tributes. His choice mirrors Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of spending the anniversary of her father King George VI’s death privately.

However, whilst some might have expected this to mean His Majesty wouldn’t be glimpsed in public on 8th September, this hasn’t turned out to be the case. Stepping out close to Balmoral Castle, King Charles made a surprise appearance when he was pictured arriving for and leaving a private service at Crathie Kirk.  

When the Royal Family stay in Scotland this church is their traditional place of worship and His Majesty has already attended several services here in recent weeks during his summer break.

So it perhaps makes sense that if he was going to be seen publicly anywhere on this poignant day it would be there. King Charles was accompanied on this outing by Queen Camilla as well as his first cousin Lady Sarah Chatto and reportedly also David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon. 

They are the children of Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret and Lady Sarah’s sons, Arthur and Samuel, also joined the monarch at church in remembrance of their great-aunt. Arthur was even seen laying flowers outside the Balmoral Estate alongside many other floral tributes to Her Majesty.

Queen Elizabeth was understood to have been close to her niece and nephew Lady Sarah and David and Arthur Chatto was a Page of Honour to her until 2015. Their presence is likely a source of comfort to the monarch on this emotional day and King Charles’ surprise appearance comes after he’d already shared a touching tribute to his mother on social media. 

In it, King Charles declared that people recall “with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us”. He went on to express gratitude for the “love and support” that he and Queen Camilla have received and reiterated that they continue to do their “utmost to be of service”.

His heartfelt words likely resonate with many and King Charles and Queen Camilla were seen greeting estate employees and well-wishers who’d gathered outside Crathie Kirk to show their support. Although he’s now been seen publicly, though, this is most likely the only time King Charles will be seen on this anniversary. 

In line with his decision to spend it “quietly and privately”, the service itself was private. Afterwards he possibly headed back to Balmoral Castle or Birkhall to spend the rest of the day entirely away from the public eye, perhaps reflecting on his mother’s extraordinary life and legacy. Princess Margaret’s children and grandsons could potentially spend more time with him today too if they have stayed in Scotland. 

Princess Margaret was told off by Queen Elizabeth for leaving a childhood friend “terrified” by a royal rumour during a Scottish holiday. 

• The late Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister Princess Margaret apparently once scared her future Lady-in-Waiting with a terrifying ghost story.
• Telling tales of the “tongueless woman” Princess Margaret reportedly got told off by the Queen - and it wasn’t the only time!
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne’s “frosty” response and “sense of exclusion” with Queen Camilla as she took the “slow-thaw route” was revealed. 

Princess Margaret might have grown up surrounded by royal tradition and protocol but she wasn’t afraid to be a royal rebel. From Princess Margaret’s secret romance to her ruthless response to her divorce news, the senior royal loved life and often spoke her mind. This is something that apparently started in childhood, although sometimes it led to friction between her and Queen Elizabeth. Now her former Lady-in-Waiting has described the occasion Princess Margaret was told off by Queen Elizabeth after she was left “terrified” during a summer holiday.

Lady Glenconner, whose wedding prompted Princess Margaret’s “absolutely livid” response, has shared childhood memories with Queen Elizabeth and Margaret with OK!. And according to her, during a particular holiday at Glamis Castle in Scotland Princess Margaret tried to “scare her” with rumours of a “tongueless woman”.

Anne claimed, “Margaret was trying to be naughty and scare [her] by saying, ‘Oh, there’s ghosts here at Glamis – there’s a tongueless woman who dances on the lawn.’"

It seemed to work as the Lady-in-Waiting confirmed that the cheeky prank left her “absolutely terrified”. However, Queen Elizabeth reportedly stepped in and said, “Margaret, don’t frighten Anne. You know we haven’t seen the tongueless woman, it’s only something that we’ve heard about.’”

Despite the suggestion that Princess Margaret was told off by her older sister for scaring her, Anne also explained that she’d wanted to become friends with the Princess as she shared her “naughty” personality. 

“I was three years old when they used to come to Holkham [Holkham Hall, Lady Glenconner’s ancestral home], which is only 10 miles from Sandringham,” she shared. “The Queen Mother would bring Elizabeth and Margaret to visit. The first time I saw them I hoped that Margaret would become my friend because she was quite naughty, and so was I.”

Describing Queen Elizabeth as “more serious”, Lady Glenconner said “she always had an eye out for her younger sister”. And the moment Princess Margaret was told off for telling the “tongueless woman” royal ghost story wasn’t the only time the rebellious royal was scolded. 

Anne disclosed, “Margaret and I both had tricycles which we weren’t allowed to ride in the marble hall at Holkham, but of course that was the one thing we wanted to do. There was one time when we were tricycling around the hall and the Queen came down the steps and saw us both, and she said, ‘What are you doing, Margaret? That is very, very naughty.’”

“[W]e burst into giggles and went once more around the hall for good measure and then out through a door!” she declared.

Whilst she might have been scared by the “tongueless woman” ghost story, it seems as though Princess Margaret’s cheekiness added to Lady Glenconner’s friendship with her and that they enjoyed plenty of these fun moments together in childhood.

A rare image of Princess Margaret showcased Her Royal Highness's softer side as the Princess posed for a sweet photograph with her lifelong friend, Lady Glenconner. 

• A rare image of Princess Margaret has been published by Queen Camilla.
• The post revealed a kind gesture from the Princess as she supported her childhood friend, Lady Glenconner. 
• In other royal news, Prince Harry's latest outings showcase major shift as he flips from ‘adult’ to ‘child’ states.

The Queen consort has a popular Instagram page titled the Queen's Reading Room, where Her Majesty shares books and stories and expresses her love of literature with her royal fans. The Queen has now used this platform to promote Lady Glenconner's new book, 'Lady in Waiting' about her time with the Royal Family.

On Monday, September 4, 2023, the Queen's Instagram account posted an old photograph of the Princess sitting with Lady Glenconner and her sons while they were in a relaxed holiday setting away from the public eye. In this image, the Princess looked far from her typical regal self as she dressed down in a multicoloured patterned shirt, with what looked like a red and white polka dot bikini top poking out from underneath and a cigarette in her hand.

The caption of the post revealed that the image was provided by Lady Glenconner, Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting and close confidant. Explaining the context of the image, the caption revealed that those was a photo of the Princess, Lady Glenconner, and her sons - both of whom died in the 90s.

The caption revealed the Princess's unwavering loyalty to Lady Glenconner and how she supported her second eldest child as he suffered from AIDS. It was explained that in those days, due to lack of information about the disease, many people suffering from AIDS became pariahs, but the Princess continued 'hugging Henry, despite his illness.' 

The caption read, "When Lady Glenconner’s second son, Henry, was very ill with AIDS, many of Anne and Colin’s friends avoided the family. The disease was in its infancy and people were petrified. Princess Margaret was one of the few people that stayed loyal to Anne; coming to stay with her in Norfolk and hugging Henry, despite his illness. Henry eventually died of AIDS in 1990 and his brother Charlie from Hepatitis C in 1996. Loyal and unafraid, Princess Margaret has supported her childhood friend through the most difficult times imaginable."

Lady Glenconner and Princess Margaret remained close throughout their lives and has spoken on many occasions about her close relationship with the Princess and how they were bonded by a shared 'naughty streak'. 

Lady Glenconner was three years old when she first met Princess Margaret and joked that the Queen - who was then known as Princess Elizabeth - was far more sensible and didn't approve of the cheeky duo when they were young. Of course in later life, Lady Glenconner was close with both of the royal women and had a lifelong bond.

It has been revealed that Princess Margaret received a very sweet nickname from her nephew, King Charles when he was just a little boy.

• From Cabbage to Lou-Bug, the Royal Family often use nicknames for one another.
• A sweet story about one of Princess Margaret's nicknames has a charming story attached which stems from a very young Prince Charles.
• In other royal news, The weird British word this royal was forbidden from saying on television.

Back in the August 1953 edition of woman&home magazine, an article from Marguerite D. Peacocke, the author of The Pictorial History of Windsor Castle, revealed a charming story about the nickname young King Charles had invented for his aunt, Princess Margaret, who was just 18 when her nephew was born.

The royal commentator wrote, "Princess Anne has always been accustomed to meeting young people of all ages, Princess Margaret, for instance, was such an extremely young aunt when Prince Charles was born that he was never taught to call her 'Auntie'. It was taken for granted that he would use her Christian name." So because of her youth, she was accidentally given a sweet nickname - that's actually an entirely different name!

As he was just a young boy, Charles found it difficult to pronounce 'Margaret' and instead called her 'Margot'. The article explained, "But like most children just beginning to talk he found 'r's' rather a problem and therefore invented his own private version which was interpreted as 'Margot'." So Margot became her new nickname - and it stuck!

This charming nickname stuck and according to letters written between 1949 and 1950 from Princess Margaret to an American socialite and daughter of the then US ambassador to the Royal Court, Sharman Douglas, the Princess was extremely fond of her nephew.

In the letters obtained by the Daily Mail, the Princess wrote about Charles and called him 'heavenly'. "In that last fleeting moment in the 400 (the 400 Club in Leicester Square) you said you'd like to come and see my heavenly nephew. I don't know quite when you stop work but...I would adore to show him to you," she said.

Royal Family nicknames are common within the family, and 'Margo' became a go-to name for the Princess. So much so that Prince Harry and Prince William reportedly called her 'Great Aunt Margo'. In the Duke of Sussex's autobiography, Spare, the Prince spoke about 'Margo' and the bizarre gift she once gave him for Christmas.

"Standing before my pile, I chose to open the smallest present first," the autobiography read. "The tag said: 'From Aunt Margo.' I looked over, called out: 'Thank you, Aunt Margo!'" The Princess responded, "I do hope you liked it, Harry." The Duke was surprised to unwrap a biro, "But it wasn’t just any biro, she pointed out. It had a tiny rubber fish wrapped around it. I said: ‘Oh. A fish biro! OK.' I told myself: That is cold-blooded."

Later he also used her nickname as he talked about how they were both 'Spares'. Harry said, "It struck me that Aunt Margo and I should’ve been friends. We had so much in common. Two Spares."

"Her relationship with Granny wasn’t an exact analogue of mine with Willy, but pretty close,” he wrote. "The simmering rivalry, the intense competition (driven largely by the older sibling), it all looked familiar."

In honour of Princess Margaret's birthday, we're taking a look back at one of her best fashion moments, which included a pair of these really massive, aline-like white sunglasses - which are surprisingly still on-trend today.

Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, was a fashion inspiration to many while she was still alive - and her legacy still continues even over a decade after she passed. The Queen's sister, who was born on August 21, left a huge impact in many facets, but in honour of her birthday that just passed, we're taking a look back at one of her most iconic fashion looks. And, as is typical for many royal fashion ensembles of the days of yore, it still holds up as being quite en vogue in 2023.

In August of 1967, while on holiday in Sardinia, Italy on the Aga Khan's yacht, she sported a pair of super futuristic-looking sunglasses while basking in the sun - and they almost look akin to the type of sunnies a high fashion brand like Bottega Veneta would sell today.

These really futuristic sunnies certainly did the job of protection Margaret from the sun's strong rays in the Italian summer - and this pair specifically was quite ahead of the time, only further proving just how much of a fashion influence the royals, but specifically Princess Margaret, had on sartorial culture. 

With her large, alien-like sunnies, she also has on what appears to be a sleeveless, floral shirt. 

Aside from Princess Margaret's ahead-of-her-time taste in fashion, she also was quite the rebel, especially when compared to her sister, Queen Elizabeth. Margaret had quite the extravagant lifestyle. Her honeymoon, for example, lasted six whole weeks on the Queen’s Royal Yacht Britannia after she married Antony Armstrong-Jones.

She and Lord Snowdon visited Antigua, Trinidad and Mustique on the Royal Yacht Britannia - the same vessel that the Queen used throughout her reign, including for her Commonwealth Tour with Prince Philip in 1953-1954.

Also, back in 1970, The New York Times reported that Princess Margaret sometimes would request to be escorted by motorcycle - or even a helicopter - for a relatively quick journey. Oh, to be Princess Margaret. 

Although some had raised an eyebrow at the Princess' opulent lifestyle, others regarded her as a breath of fresh air, admiring her party-loving and fun outlook on life. 

In fact, one of the Princess' most well-known and rather hilarious facts is that she had quite the decadent morning routine, which consisted of "breakfast in bed, followed by two hours in bed listening to the radio, reading the newspapers ('which she invariably left scattered over the floor') and chain-smoking," according to Craig Brown's book, Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret.

This is one of the most iconic royal tiaras ever but only four people have ever worn it publicly - and Queen Elizabeth wasn’t one of them! 

• There’s one particularly memorable royal tiara that only four members of the British Royal Family have been seen wearing over the years.
• The late Queen Elizabeth received it as a birthday present in 1944 and yet she never wore it publicly since it became part of her collection.
• This royal news comes as we revealed Kate regularly snubs this flattering fruit-themed colour but it was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourites.  

Over the years the royals have worn some breath-taking earrings and necklaces but it’s hard to beat the magnificence of the tiaras. Many have been Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras, including the Emerald Greville Kokoshnik Tiara worn by Princess Eugenie for her wedding. Certain tiaras have been more regularly worn than others and arguably one of the most iconic royal tiaras of all has only ever been worn publicly by four royals. And Queen Elizabeth wasn’t one of them - even though it was her present!    

The Cartier Halo Tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth as an 18th birthday present in 1944 but it previously belonged to the Queen Mother. As per The Royal Collection Trust, the tiara, which is formed of 16 graduated scrolls, is set with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baton diamonds.

According to reports the tiara was a gift to the Queen Mother from King George VI, before being passed down to their eldest daughter. However, whilst it might have belonged to her, Queen Elizabeth is understood to have never worn it publicly throughout her 70-year reign. 

The reason for this isn’t entirely clear, though it’s been speculated that it could’ve either been viewed as too much in Second World War-era Britain when rationing was still ongoing, or that it wasn’t quite grand enough for the heir to the throne. 

Whatever the reason, Queen Elizabeth was never seen publicly wearing one of the most iconic royal tiaras in her collection. Her sister Princess Margaret wore it on several occasions, including to Her Majesty’s coronation in 1953. 

The Queen’s daughter Princess Anne then became the third royal to wear this gorgeous piece. She was photographed wearing it on various high-profile occasions too - including during a visit to New Zealand in 1970 and for the State Opening of Parliament in 1967. Although the Cartier Halo Tiara has always been a beautiful piece of jewellery, it perhaps became one of the most iconic tiaras after it was worn by the fourth British royal to ever be seen in it.

For Prince William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, the Princess of Wales wore the tiara and it marked the first time it had been seen for a while. It’s believed Queen Elizabeth loaned it to her and it looked stunning paired with her Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen lace-sleeved gown.

The tiara sat atop her loose brunette waves and was secured underneath the veil when Kate walked down the aisle, before being seen in its full glory when the veil was thrown back. This was the only time we’ve seen the future Queen Consort wearing this special tiara.

In recent years she’s opted for the Lotus Flower Tiara or Lover’s Knot Tiara whenever an occasion has called for one but since the Cartier Halo Tiara remains intrinsically linked with the Princess of Wales in the minds of many it seems likely that if anyone is going to wear it again it would be her. 

The Princess of Wales was once given a nickname previously used for Princess Margaret due to her and Prince William's favourite location for a romantic, sun soaked getaway. 

• Travelling for work is a huge part of the Prince and Princess of Wales's lifestyles, with the future King and Queen Consort having been all over the world with one another for official engagements.
• But Kate and William need time to relax and enjoy a holiday too and are thought to be regulars in the Caribbean island of Mustique - reportedly earning Kate a nickname once given to Princess Margaret. 
• In other royal news,  this was the £1.5million gift the Queen once gave to two of her grandkids that they didn't even get to use.

From Australia, New Zealand and Canada to Singapore, Pakistan and Bhutan, the Prince and Princess of Wales have travelled all around the globe to fulfil their royal duties and embark upon official tours. 

And while Catherine and William have plenty of lavish space to enjoy in their home nation, what with the Wales family having access to Adelaide Cottage, Kensington Palace and Amner Hall, the future King and Queen Consort are partial to an overseas trip for pleasure instead of business every once in a while. 

Kate and William are known to have travelled to the likes of Jordan, the South of France and the snowy ski slopes of The Alps with their children and were spotted enjoying romantic ski trips before they were married. 

But there's one particular luxurious location that Kate and William reportedly loved holidaying in frequently when they were young lovers - and it earned Kate a nickname in the press that was previously given to Princess Margaret. 

Mustique is a private island near St. Vincent and the Grenadines, boasting white-sand beaches and idyllic blue waters and was a regular vacation spot for Catherine and William before they got married.

Writing in her 2010 book William and Harry, royal expert Katie Nicholl explained, "If [Kate] was not with William at Balmoral then the couple were skiing or holidaying on Mustique.

"Kate was there so often the press dubbed her 'Queen of Mustique', a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret."

Princess Margaret had a home on the island - a villa called Les Jolies Eaux, which boasts a rental price of a whopping $47,000 per week now. 

Margaret, who was the late Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, famously jetted off to Mustique in 1976 with her beau Roddy Llewellyn, who was a gardener 17 years younger than her, while she was still married to Lord Snowdon. 

Princess Margaret’s “absolutely livid” reaction to her loyal Lady-in-Waiting marrying was revealed and it seems she even “dressed down” for the wedding. 

• The late Queen’s sister was reportedly not a fan of her close confidantes getting married as she “liked them all to be with her” instead.
• According to her former Lady-in-Waiting Lady Anne Glenconner, Princess Margaret was “furious” when she got engaged and got married.
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne is set for a special day though it’s unlikely fans will get a glimpse of what’s to come. 

She might’ve been the Queen’s sister but Princess Margaret, the Countess of Snowdon is often thought of as somewhat of a royal rebel. From Princess Margaret’s affair with a gardener 17 years younger than her to Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle with her six-week honeymoon, she’s known for leaving royal protocol behind and enjoying life to the fullest. However, when it comes to her inner circle tying the knot it’s been suggested that the Countess of Snowdon wasn’t always the life and soul of the wedding celebrations. 

Instead, she apparently found it difficult to watch her inner circle marrying. So much so that her long-time Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Anne Glenconner once detailed Princess Margaret’s “absolutely livid” reaction to her wedding. 

Getting candid about Princess Margaret’s views on her “set” marrying in Part 1 of the 2018 BBC documentary, Princess Margaret: The Royal Rebel, Lady Glenconner claimed that it didn’t go down well. 

“Princess Margaret never liked any of her set marrying. She liked them all to be with her,” Lady Glenconner explained. “She wanted to keep…She loved this set and she liked being at the center of it.”

Lady Glenconner went on to recall Princess Margaret being “furious” when she became engaged to her late husband Colin Tennant, the future Lord Glenconner and how she apparently couldn’t disguise her less-than-impressed reaction on their 1956 wedding day.

The former Lady-in-Waiting declared, “She was absolutely furious when Colin got engaged to me. But, of course, she sort of *had* to come to our wedding, she and the Queen Mother came to our wedding at Holkham.”

The historic Holkham Hall in Norfolk is the ancestral home of the Earls of Leicester, Lady Glenconner’s family. Her and Lord Glenconner’s high-profile society wedding took place on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday in 1956 and Princess Margaret reportedly “dressed down” for the occasion. 

“Princess Margaret, actually, was what I call dressed down; she wasn’t very jolly,” Lady Glenconner said, before comparing her to the Queen Mother who she dubbed “lovely”. 

“The way [the Queen Mother] was smiling and everybody waving. And Princess Margaret standing there beside her looking absolutely livid,” Lady Glenconner claimed.

The thought of the ever-glamorous Princess Margaret arriving “dressed down” and “livid” at the wedding of her close confidante might come as a surprise to plenty of royal fans. But despite her reported reaction as she attended the Glenconner’s wedding, it was here that (whether she noticed him or not) Princess Margaret seems to have met her own future husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones.

Affectionately referred to as ‘Tony’, the Lady-In-Waiting explained that Antony took the photographs at the Glenconners’ wedding. Though according to her, Princess Margaret “wasn’t introduced” to Antony at the event or if she was, it likely didn’t resonate with her at the time. Four years later Princess Margaret and Antony announced their engagement and married three months afterwards. 

Princess Margaret’s trips to a romantic warehouse “hideaway” with her future husband Antony Armstrong-Jones has been revealed - and you won't believe how she got there. 

• The late Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret reportedly used to travel to a romantic “hideaway” with Antony Armstrong-Jones.
• She and her future husband enjoyed time together there in the early days of their romance and traveled there secretly via motorbike.
• This royal news comes as Queen Camilla paid touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with an epic diamond brooch and a unique umbrella.   

From Princess Margaret’s affair with a gardener 17 years her junior to Princess Margaret's lavish way of paying for things, the Queen’s sister’s glamorous and freeing approach to royal life consistently attracted a lot of attention. But it seems that in the early days of her romance with photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Lord Snowdon) whom she married in 1960, attention was the very last thing either of them wanted. 

To avoid the limelight Princess Margaret’s trips to spend time with him at a romantic “hideaway” were incredibly low-key - though you’ll likely never have guessed her mode of transport! 

First aired in 2018, the BBC’s two-part documentary, Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal, delved into the shocking details that even long-time fans might not have known. Lord Snowdon’s biographer Anne De Courcy explained in Part 1 of the enlightening documentary that Antony had a room in a warehouse in Rotherhithe in South East London.  

“Once they started getting interested in each other they wanted to keep it secret. They did not want to be dogged by the press the entire time,” Anne told viewers. “He’d got this room in Rotherhithe. It was a room in an old warehouse and he painted it and he had a little tiny stove and a little sink.”

Very appropriately given that traditionally the monarch owns all the swans in UK waters, Anne shared that Princess Margaret and her future husband could see “swans floating past” via the “big window” of Tony’s room. 

“It was a very romantic hideaway really,” Lord Snowdon’s biographer reflected, before disclosing how Princess Margaret would be taken down to the Rotherhithe room via a surprising mode of transport that helped conceal her identity from any prying eyes…

Surprising as it might seem to think of the Queen’s glamorous sister traveling in leathers and a helmet rather than in the luxury of a private car, Princess Margaret apparently went under-the-radar by traveling on the back of a motorbike. 

Instead, rather like how Prince Philip was “often unrecognized” using a taxi to get to London engagements in later years, Princess Margaret looked like “just a girl on the back of a man’s motorbike” at these moments. Whilst it might shock some, Princess Margaret’s trips via motorbike to the warehouse room helped keep her romance with Antony private from the press.

Princess Margaret and Antony were married for eighteen years and had two children together, David, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto.

Princess Margaret’s divorce came in 1978 and according to her private secretary Lord Nigel Napier her response was quite surprising when he told her Lord Snowdon wished to proceed with the divorce. 

“Thank you, Nigel. I think that’s the best news you’ve ever given me,” she reportedly declared. 

King Charles won’t face the Royal Family during the coronation service as it “emphasizes” an important aspect.  

• His Majesty will be sitting in the centuries-old Coronation Chair on May 6 and he’s set to face away from the congregation.
• Instead the Chair will be played facing the High Altar of Westminster Abbey to “emphasize” a certain aspect of the service.   
• This royal news comes as a new book claimed Kate Middleton and Prince William's marriage is “not all sweetness” and they have “terrible rows” and “throw things at each other”. 

King Charles’ coronation day is drawing ever closer and many details like Queen Camilla’s coronation crown and the planned procession to Buckingham Palace have been confirmed. Although the Palace has previously declared the service will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”, there will also be plenty of traditions upheld too. One of these focuses on the Coronation Chair and taking to social media, Westminster Abbey gave fans a unique insight into its centuries-old history, from its elaborate original decorations to its symbolism. 

Curator Dr Susan Jenkins also revealed that King Charles won’t face the Royal Family during the coronation service on May 6 as the two-meter high chair will be positioned the other way! 

“During the service itself the chair is placed on the Cosmati Pavement, facing the High Altar,” she explained. “The monarch sits with their back to the congregation. This emphasizes the religious nature of the coronation service.” 

So it seems King Charles won’t face the Royal Family or any other attendees during this part of his coronation day. In pictures taken at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation she appears sitting on the Coronation Chair facing the altar with the guests behind her. 

To her right were her Maids of Honor and in banks of seats higher up above them look to be where the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and 4-year-old King Charles sat. Even they weren’t in her immediate eye-line during this part of the day. 

The chair is made of Baltic Oak and was originally decorated with gold and colored glass, with some bird and foliage designs still visible. On the back is a painting of a King which is all that many members of the congregation see during the service. 

It seems incredibly likely that this tradition will be upheld at King Charles’ coronation service too, especially as he is Head of the Church of England, taking religious services incredibly seriously. Just which immediate and extended Royal Family members will be left looking at King Charles’ back or side profile during this part of the coronation remains a matter of intense speculation. 

Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s coronation invite has been confirmed their answer remains unknown. Even if they do attend, it’s been claimed recently that Meghan and Prince Harry’s children aren’t invited.  

Meanwhile, it’s expected that the Prince and Princess of Wales will be there and that Prince George, who is second in the royal line of succession, could play a role. 

Speaking to True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, The Sunday Times’ Royal Editor Roya Nikkhah explained that his education could limit this role to being more “low-key”, though. 

"They are very keen, but if George does have an official role, it will be quite low-key. They are very conscious that he will return to school on the Tuesday, and they do not want him to be overwhelmed by the attention.”

There’s a special reason why the coronation could see Princess Charlotte following in Princess Anne’s footsteps rather than Kate Middleton’s. 

• If Princess Charlotte attends King Charles’ coronation she could potentially wear a crown for the first time ever. 
• Royal women typically wear a crown for the first time on their wedding day, though Princess Anne was an exception and often wore tiaras before her marriage.
• This royal news comes as King Charles and Queen Camilla gazed into each other's eyes as they cut a cake during a romantic moment on a royal outing.   

With King Charles’ coronation approaching many fans might be wondering which of the late Queen’s great-grandchildren might make an appearance. Perhaps the most likely to be at the ceremony are the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Not only are they high in the royal line of succession, but last year they all made prominent appearances at another huge national event - the Jubilee celebrations. 

And if they are there then the coronation could see Princess Charlotte following in Princess Anne’s footsteps when it comes to royal crowns. 

Traditionally royal women wear a crown for the first time on their wedding day and many like Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Princess Beatrice have stepped out in one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras for their big days. However, this might not be the case for seven-year-old Princess Charlotte if she does attend the coronation. 

During the ceremony, peers of the realm and royals alike are expected to put on their coronets once the King and Queen Consort are crowned. These feature specific designs denoting a certain rank such as Marquess or Duke, or in the case of what’s expected to be Prince William’s coronation crown - the Prince of Wales coronet. As his daughter it’s possible that Princess Charlotte could be seen wearing a coronet if she’s at the coronation. 

Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret both appeared to be wearing coronets on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at King George VI’s coronation and Princess Margaret was also seven at the time, again suggesting that it’s possible.

This would mark her first time wearing a royal crown of any description and would be a stand-out occasion for Princess Charlotte. It would also mean that she would be wearing a crown far earlier in life than many of her royal relatives, including her mom the Princess of Wales. Kate wowed in the Cartier Halo Tiara on her wedding day but never wore a crown prior to this.

There are some exceptions to this apparent royal rule, however, so Princess Charlotte wouldn’t be the first to wear some kind of crown so early. The coronation could see Princess Charlotte following in Princess Anne’s footsteps as her great-aunt was often pictured wearing tiaras before her first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips.

It’s also been suggested over the years that Princess Charlotte could potentially one day wear Princess Diana’s Spencer tiara. As per Hello!, the tiara went on display in 2022 and the description allegedly stated, “The tiara was most recently worn by Celia McCorquodale - niece of the 10th Earl Spencer Charles - at her wedding in the Spring of 2018. The Spencer Tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte."

Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen but fans would likely be excited to see Princess Charlotte following in Princess Anne’s footsteps if she does wear a crown at the coronation. 

Prince Edward's ex-girlfriend once revealed that the late Princess Diana and Princess Margaret encouraged her to sing for the Queen when she was rather intoxicated. 

• Prince Edward previously dated English actress and musical theatre star, Ruthie Henshall.
• The star once revealed a wholesome incident when she got a little bit tiddly while in the presence of the Queen.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took Queen and Prince Philip’s pioneering move to the next level with major royal change. 

Ruthie Henshall surprised viewers of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here during her stint on the show in 2020 when she revealed a funny anecdote that featured a few members of the Royal Family. 

The actress revealed that the King (or Prince Charles as he was known at the time) gave her a couple of strong martinis and she was encouraged to sing by his wife and aunt. "I met (Diana) a couple of times and one of my favourite, favourite times – we were at Balmoral, Diana, the Queen, (Princess) Margaret, the Queen Mother, Edward, myself," began Ruthie. "She was lovely. I don't remember an awful lot because Charles gave me my first martini so I was fairly... I had two of them and I was like 'Woah'."

Ruthie revealed that Princess Margaret and the Queen were singing a classic hymn, but Diana interrupted their tune to insist that she sang them something from the theatre production she was in. Princess Margaret then jumped on board and joined Diana in begging the musical theatre star to sing them something.

"The Queen and Margaret start singing a hymn and Diana goes, 'Sing us a song!' Margaret then goes, 'Yes sing us a song from that show you're in'," said Ruthie.

The actress then revealed that she managed to give the Queen a performance of a legendary theatre song, but unfortunately she believes it was somewhat lacking due to the fact that she was somewhat intoxicated. 

"I was in Les Miserables at the time and I sang I Dreamed a Dream and I must've changed key three times because I was so p*ssed on martinis," said Ruthie.

Ruthie dated Prince Edward for about six years on and off after they met in 1987. Ruthie was 20 when she met the 23-year-old Prince and still remains great friends with him today. She was in attendance at Prince Edward's wedding to the COutness of Wessex, or as she was formerly known, Sophie Rhys-Jones.

The former couple has even been in contact as recently as 2020. Following her Jungle appearance, the star told the Daily Mail that the Prince has 'been in contact.' Although Ruthie implied that this was only in support, she was slightly embarrassed about a few things she said about him during the show.

"When I was having my exit interview, Ant and Dec played my best bits, and out of the ether I could hear myself saying: 'I've shagged in the Palace.' I think that was the comment I made, something awfully crass like that,' she said. "I was quite shocked. You say things in there and you forget you are on a show 24/7."

"'I think if I had been talking about deepest, darkest secrets, or negativity, possibly it might have been a very different thing, but I don't have anything negative to say about any of the family,' she added. "I'm not busting any secrets that aren't mine to talk about, but also they're not really secret - it's just a part of my history and I'm completely up for embracing that."

Out of all of the royal family’s illustrious jewelry collection, there’s only been one turquoise diadem, and that was last worn by Princess Margaret. Often dubbed the Triumph of Love tiara, the origin of the crown comes from Princess Margaret’s grandmother, Queen Mary. Queen Mary bought a parure of jewels set with diamonds and rare Persian turquoises, including the tiara, a necklace, a brooch, and earrings, from the House of Garrard. Mary passed it down to her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who in turn passed it down to Princess Margaret.

• Princess Margaret was always something of a royal rebel, so it makes sense she wore the only turquoise diadem in the royal vault, the Triumph of Love tiara
• Representing love and protection, the rare Persian turquoise stones may have been given to Margaret instead of the Queen because of her well-known adoration for an unsuitable partner
• In other royal news, why the 2023 BAFTAs will be an emotional night for Prince William and Kate Middleton

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was gifted the Triumph of Love as part of a stunning parure of turquoise jewelry which included a necklace, brooch, and earrings by King George V when she married his son, the then Duke of York, in 1923.

Of course, historic events would remember these people more as King George VI and the Queen Mother, but at the time, they never expected to be King and Queen.

The gifts were fitting of someone who wasn’t expecting to come into ownership of the entire royal vault of jewelry – the Persian turquoise being more modern than some of the diadems expected to be worn by the monarch.

Which could be the reason they eventually ended up handed down to another royal who needed something glamorous, but nothing too regal and serious. Princess Margaret.

Receiving the gift on her 21st birthday, Margaret took to the turquoise set more than her mother ever did, wearing them regularly at glamorous white tie events.

After the Poltimore tiara, the Persian tiara was the largest piece in Margaret’s collection.

The diadem features a gold and platinum structure covered in delicate diamonds, completed with the addition of the rare Persian turquoise stones, known for their high quality and symbolism.

In Persian culture, the stone represents victory, love, triumph, and prosperity.

The tiara gets its name – Triumph of Love – from the combination of the stones and the detailing of the shapes, such as lover’s knots and laurel wreaths, woven into the design.

It’s estimated to feature around 80 carats of diamonds and be worth anywhere up to $300,000.

The fact that the tiara was given to Princess Margaret – a woman who followed her heart into some controversial territories – does suggest some subtle meaning behind her mother gifting it to her.

As a young woman, Margaret was in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend, something which many members of her family were more than well aware of.

While reports vary, many biographers have written that Margaret was in love with Peter since the age of 17. In her 2008 book Snowdon: The Biography, which unpacks the life of Margaret's ex-husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, journalist Anne de Courcy wrote that Margaret told a confidante that during a royal tour of South Africa in 1947, "We rode together every morning in that wonderful country, with marvellous weather. That's when I really fell in love with him."

However, since he was a divorcee, Margaret would need the permission of the monarch to marry Peter.

Their famous love story has played out in the likes of The Crown, but ultimately, Margaret had to put duties first, publicly announcing she would not marry the man many believe was her one true love.

Love didn’t triumph for Princess Margaret, but was the Triumph of Love tiara a symbol of hope that she’d find another love one day?  

Princess Margaret had an eight-year romance with a gardener 17 years younger than her, following the breakdown of her marriage to the Earl of Snowdon, Anthony Armstrong-Jones.

• Princess Margaret and gardener Roddy Llewellyn dated for around eight years, despite their 17 year age gap. 
• Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon announced their separation in 1976, shortly after she was photographed on a romantic vacation with Roddy. 
• In other royal news, Princess Margaret's decadent morning routine is the stuff of high-class dreams.

After her relationship with Peter Townsend ended in heartbreak when the Queen would not grant her permission to marry the divorced royal equerry, Princess Margaret, who is said to have had a fabulously lavish way of paying for Harrods trips, found love again with Anthony Armstrong-Jones and tied the knot in 1960. 

But when their marriage began to hit the rocks, Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister began a fling with gardener Roddy Llewellyn and went on to date him for eight years after, with her marriage to Anthony ending in divorce in 1978. 

Roddy was 25-years-old when he and Margaret began their love story, with images of the couple making headlines when they jetted off on a sun-soaked getaway together.

The pair were spotted taking a dip in the ocean together during a romantic trip to Mustique while Princess Margaret was still married to Lord Snowdown, seemingly confirming that Margaret and Roddy were more than just a secret extramarital fling. 

Shortly after the photographs hit the papers, a statement was shared by Kensington Palace to confirm that Margaret and Anthony had parted ways, with Margaret reportedly having had a ruthless response to the news he was divorcing her two years later. 

"Her royal highness, the Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart," the statement read.

"The Princess will carry out her public duties and functions unaccompanied by Lord Snowdon. There are no plans for divorce proceedings," the announcement continued. 

Meanwhile, Roddy issued his own statement to apologize to Her Majesty the Queen for any upset caused by the paparazzi shots. 

"I much regret any embarrassment caused to Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family, for whom I wish to express the greatest respect, admiration and loyalty," he said. 

Roddy added, "Could we please be permitted by the media, who have besieged us, to carry on with our work and private lives without further interference."

While Princess Margaret and Roddy's relationship didn't stand the test of time, they did remain together for almost a decade before parting ways, with Roddy going on to marry Tatiana Soskin and welcome three daughters. 

Years after their romance, he opened up about his experience with Margaret in a chat with the Telegraph, admitting he was "following his heart" at the time. 

He confessed, "I didn't think about the consequences of such a high-profile affair."

"If we all had crystal balls, we'd all know which horse to back, wouldn't we? I was just following my heart."

Princess Margaret inspired a TV character who epitomizes doing all things excess, without giving a damn what anybody thinks. We'll give you a clue - she's rather posh and Absolutely Fabulous. Not guessed it yet? It's the one and only Patsy Stone from the iconic female-led comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.

• Princess Margaret inspired Dame Joanna Lumley's unforgettable Patsy Stone.
• Joanna opened up about the inspiration, behind her much loved character, back in 2021 while promoting her book about Queen Elizabeth II - A Queen For All Seasons.
• In other royal news, The royal bride ‘frightened’ at fairytale wedding amid nerves - and the Queen Consort might relate.

It's no secret that the Queen's only sister enjoyed a fairly fabulous lifestyle. Princess Margaret's decadent morning routine is so ridiculous it sounds almost made up, all booze and cigarettes and luxury. Tales of Princess Margaret's romances with rock stars and artists would make anyone blush - just like the love life of a certain Miss Stone.

Even with the firm knowledge that the late royal lived life to the full, it's still surprising that Princess Margaret inspired a TV character quite so raucous. 

Interestingly enough, the inspiration didn't come from headlines in red-top newspapers. It actually came from a personal experience that Joanna had with the late Princess.

The experience in question happened back in 1986, when Joanna was starring as Elvira in Blithe Spirit at the Vaudeville Theatre. After the show, there was a drinks reception that Princess Margaret was expected to attend. 

Before the booze loving royal even got to the event, things were already a little strange. “At this moment in strange royal life, everybody said, ‘Princess Margaret is not allowed to drink at the moment," said Joanna, per the Mirror. "Do not have any drink in the theatre, and don’t offer her any drink.'"

“I thought, ‘You can’t have a reception with Princess Margaret and not offer any drink. This is insane,'" added the actor. "She was looking pretty bored by the time I arrived.”

We all know that Princess Margaret would keep guests waiting for hours and it appears that she didn't care very much that this party had been waiting for her. The Absolutely Fabulous star revealed that the royal decided to leave the party, via a private box, bringing Joanna and her lady-in-waiting along.

“She left the party, opened her bag, got out a small bottle of whisky and a packet of cigarettes, lit up, cigarette holder, and sat there smoking. She was a kind of prototype Patsy," revealed Joanna.

"There was something so fabulous about her," she added. "So fabulous and so funny.”

Interestingly enough, more stars of the hit series had their own experiences with Her Royal Highness, including a regular guest on the show - Twiggy. Infamously, Princess Margaret snubbed fashion icon Twiggy in a hilariously awkward moment that she's never forgotten.

Joanna, or should we say Dame Joanna, has developed a close personal relationship with the Royal Family throughout the years. Previously, Joanna Lumley revealed her 'down to earth' moments with the Queen and it's well known that she's close friends with Camilla Queen Consort too.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's wedding rings share a special hidden connection.

• Prince Harry's Spare memoir details how Kate and Meghan's wedding bands are connected in a touching yet subtle way. 
• The long-awaited memoir confirms that the pair's rings are made from the same piece of Welsh gold. 
• In other royal news, the reason the Queen was 'furious' at William and Kate's wedding has been revealed. 

Prince Harry's long-awaited Spare memoir details the sweet connection Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's wedding rings share. 

In a passage in the book, Prince Harry recalled his and Meghan Markle's wedding day, with the couple having tied the knot in May 2018 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. 

He explained that Meghan Markle's wedding band was made from the same Welsh gold that created Kate Middleton's for her wedding to Prince William in April 2011, with the future King and Queen Consort saying their vows at Westminster Abbey.

Harry wrote that Meghan's ring came from "the same hunk of Welsh gold that had provided Kate's", revealing that the late Queen Elizabeth II had given the last of the precious gold to be put to use making the ring. 

"Granny told me that this was nearly the last of it," Harry wrote, adding, "Last of the gold. That was how I felt about Meg."

The special gold used for the Princess of Wales' ring and the Duchess of Sussex's ring is thought to come from the Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales, with Welsh gold holding sentimental and historical value for royal wedding rings. 

Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, Princess Diana, Sophie Wessex and the Queen's younger sister, Princess Margaret, all wore the rare and expensive Welsh gold wedding rings, too. 

Of course, Meghan and Kate's rings are also presents from the late monarch, who passed away in September 2022 at Balmoral Castle. 

Charlotte Leigh, ring expert and jeweler, told The Express, "The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex were also both gifted wedding rings from Queen Elizabeth II, made from Welsh gold, which has become a royal tradition started by King George VI."

A St James's Palace statement was shared ahead of Kate and William's wedding, detailing the news that her ring would be made from the iconic gold. 

"The wedding ring that Catherine Middleton will wear will be made of Welsh gold. The gold was given to Prince William by the Queen shortly after the couple were engaged," it read. 

The statement highlighted the royal family importance of the precious metal, adding, "It has been in the family's possession for some years and has been in the care of the royal jewellers."

It was later confirmed in another statement that Meghan's ring would also be given the Welsh gold treatment, with Kensington Palace confirming the news. 

Prince Harry made a lot of odd revelations in his memoir Spare - but this one about a "cold-blooded" Christmas gift from his great-aunt Princess Margaret might be the weirdest of all. 

• Harry once received a pen with a rubber fish wrapped around it.
• The royal remembers the present being the smallest one in his pile that year.
• This royal news comes as we revealed Kate Middleton and Prince William's awkward upset over “no Easter presents” from Harry and Meghan.  

It seems like people still can’t get enough of Harry’s much-talked about memoir Spare, which was officially released last month. 

In a new round of commentary, readers point to a detail that might have been overlooked at first glance: a Christmas anecdote recalled by the prince. 

Although not specifying the year this happened, Harry mentions that his great-aunt Princess Margaret once gave him a "biro" (that would be a pen) with a rubber fish wrapped around it. Remembering it being the smallest present in his pile that season, Harry refers to the token as "cold-blooded" in the book.

Specifically, the bizarre story kicks off at Sandringham, where all family members reunited one year to celebrate the holidays. After describing his surprise at the gift, the Duke of Sussex also writes that Margaret, the former Queen's sister, "didn't have much of an opinion" of him and that he, too, "felt nothing" towards her and actually tried to stay away from her. 

Although also describing her as a woman who "could kill a houseplant with one scowl," the author eventually acknowledged that "now and then, as I grew older, it struck me that Aunt Margo and I should be friends." 

In fact, as readers may have noted, Margaret and Harry had lots in common as she also was the "spare" to a previous heir.

Speaking of: Prince Harry's heartbreaking inspiration behind Spare title also applies to his late aunt. 

As The Guardian first reported when obtaining a passage from the book before its official release, Harry claimed that his father hailed him the 'spare' to Prince William as the 'heir' after Princess Diana gave birth to him.

"Wonderful! Now you've given me an heir and a spare - my work is done," King Charles reportedly said to his then-wife Princess Diana the day Harry was born. 

Folks around the world have been shocked to read about a ton of other allegations in Harry's memoir, including claims that the author was physically attacked by his brother William in 2019 in his home in London. 

According to the Duke of Sussex, William called his sister in law Meghan Markle "difficult," "rude" and "abrasive." Harry supposedly started insulting his brother who then told him he was just trying to help.

"Are you serious?," Harry then responded. "Help me? Sorry - is that what you call this? Helping me?"

The argument then escalated into a physical one. 

"He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor," Harry wrote. "I landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out."

William reportedly apologized later - but the emotional damage was obviously already made. 

Although Spare has been out for quite some time already, we wouldn’t be surprised to read new reports about previously unnoticed shocking details. 

Princess Margaret's secret romance with Peter Townsend is said to have been revealed to the world because of a piece of fluff on his jacket.

• Princess Margaret's ill-fated love affair with royal equerry Peter Townsend was depicted in the first season of The Crown on Netflix, with Queen Elizabeth II famously not allowing her sister to marry her lover. 
• It's claimed that Princess Margaret's romance with Peter was seemingly confirmed in front of the world when she picked a small piece of fluff from his jacket at the Queen's coronation. 
• In other royal news, the heartbreaking reason Princess Margaret broke longstanding tradition when it came to her burial has been revealed. 

Princess Margaret's love affair with divorced royal equerry, Peter Townsend, began when she was just 22-years-old, shortly after her father, King George VI, died in 1952.

While Princess Margaret was known for her fun nature and lavish lifestyle, reportedly having a fabulous way of paying for Harrods trips and a rather extravagant morning routine, her love life wasn't plain sailing. 

Despite Peter Townsend being 16 years Margaret's senior, the pair fell in love and had a passionate, whirlwind romance - but a life together wasn't to be. 

As Peter was a divorced man, the Queen was unable to allow her sister to marry him, as the match would have been firmly frowned upon by the Church of England, of which the monarch is the head. 

Before the heartbreak of being denied the joy of marrying, Princess Margaret and Peter's quiet romance was exposed to the world, with rumors of their love seemingly being confirmed when she picked a piece of fluff from his suit jacket at the Queen's coronation in 1953.

Detailing the moment a royal reporter spotted the gesture at Westminster Abbey, Dickie Arbiter, who was the Queen's press secretary from 1988 to 2000, said, "An eagle-eyed reporter saw Margaret brush a bit of fluff off Group Captain Peter Townsend’s RAF tunic."

Appearing on Channel 5's Scandals at the Palace documentary, Dickie continued, "Royals don’t brush fluff off the hired help’s tunic. So [the reporter] thought 'Aha! there’s something here'."

"It was out in the open, they couldn’t disguise it," he added.

Royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams has explained that the public move was "unwise" of Princess Margaret, with news of their secret romance spreading around the world afterwards. 

"That gesture of the bit of fluff went right around the world and was in fact major story which led unquestionably to a crisis. 

"This was a public display of affection which was very unwise," he said during the documentary. 

Princess Margaret was forced to face the reality that she would not be able to marry Peter and the pair's relationship came to an end, with the Queen's sister releasing a statement in 1955 that read, "Mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have decided to put these considerations before any others."

Margaret went on to find new love with Anthony Armstrong-Jones, who became her husband in 1960 - and her ex husband in 1978, with the Princess allegedly having a ruthless response to the news he was divorcing her. 

The duo welcomed daughter Sarah Chatto and son David Armstrong-Jones during their marriage and despite having an 18-year-long marriage, they separated in 1976 amid rumors that Margaret had found romance with gardener Roddy Llewellyn.

A statement shared by Buckingham Palace at the time said, "HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart. The Princess will carry out her public duties and functions unaccompanied by Lord Snowdon. There are no plans for divorce proceedings."

Princess Margaret's burial broke a tradition that has been held for centuries, and the reason behind this is as sad as it is sweet.

• Princess Margaret was Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister who died in 2002.
• The Princess died 20 years before her younger sister, but the pair are now buried together in the Royal Vault.
• In other royal news, Why Lady Louise Windsor and her brother could mirror Prince William and Prince Harry.

Following the Queen's funeral in 2022, the Queen was buried next to her husband, Prince Philip in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen was also placed with her father, George VI, her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret.

However, in order for Margaret to stay with her parents, the former King and Queen, and her sister, the Queen, she had to make a decision about her final resting place.

While it is tradition for the members of the Royal Family to be buried, Princess Margaret made the decision to be cremated. Princess Margaret was the first royal to be cremated in decades and it is thought that the last member of the Royal Family to be cremated was Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, who was the daughter of Queen Victoria, and died in 1939.

This decision was made so she could share her final burial place with her parents and sister, which would have been impossible if she had been buried in a coffin.

Lady Glenconner, a former lady-in-waiting to the Princess, told The Scotsman, "I think she’d like to be with the late King, which she will now be. There’s room I think for her to be with him now. She just said she was going to be cremated." 

Following her death at the age of 71 in 2002, the Princess' ashes were placed in the Royal Vault next to former monarchs, including her parents and her sister. As of 2022, the family of four has been reunited in their burial place, along with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Princess was cremated in Slough crematorium for a standard fee, plus a surcharge because she was not a local resident. Her former lady-in-waiting added that cremation and being laid to rest with her family was a better option than the alternative in Margaret's eyes."She told me that she found Frogmore very gloomy," said Lady Glenconner. 

The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore is a larger burial place for members of the Royal Family and the final resting place of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. 

The Mausoleum is located near Frogmore House and Frogmore Cottage which is the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and is just half a mile from the Queen's former home, Windsor Castle.

Princess Margaret’s grandson Arthur Chatto is a royal lookalike to the Queen’s grandson, though they’re rarely seen together. 

• Princess Margaret’s grandson Arthur Chatto and the Queen’s youngest grandchild, James, Viscount Severn, couldn’t have looked more similar at certain ages.
• The two royals aren’t glimpsed in public often though they have both accompanied their close family to major occasions in recent years. 
• This royal news comes as Prince Harry's weird sweetie habit as a boy was revealed. 

Although Princess Margaret’s granddaughter has become more prominent in recent years, including making an appearance at Tatler’s Little Black Book Party in 2022, one of her grandsons also often attracts fan’s attention when he’s glimpsed at royal events. The youngest son of Lady Sarah Chatto, Arthur Chatto, made royal history when he became the first royal ever to join the Royal Marines after leaving his former profession as a personal trainer. Princess Margaret’s rarely-seen grandson is now 24 and was one of the members of the extended Royal Family wearing military uniform as he paid his respects at the late Queen’s funeral last year. 

But as a teenager in more low-key clothes, he couldn’t have looked more like Queen Elizabeth’s grandson. Sixteen-year-old James, Viscount Severn is the youngest of the Queen’s grandchildren and the only son of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.

Despite the eight year age difference and how different the adult Arthur currently looks to James, the resemblance between them at this stage in their lives is clearly seen at around their early teenage years. With similar haircuts and serious expressions when caught on camera, Arthur at 13 and James from about 9-years-old and even up to now look incredibly alike. 

However, it’s perhaps unlikely that fans might’ve noticed that Princess Margaret’s grandson and Queen Elizabeth’s grandson look so similar as they’re rarely seen in public. Both attended a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip and another for the Queen’s Jubilee last year, as well as the Queen’s funeral service. 

Despite this, as James, Viscount Severn is part of the immediate Royal Family and Arthur a more distant relative, the two aren’t often seated close enough to each other for the resemblance to become hugely noticeable. 

For huge royal occasions, different family groups also tend to arrive together and the Wessexes and the Chattos often arrive separately, perhaps in line with James’ family members being higher up in the royal line of succession. 

James, Viscount Severn is also just 16 and is still at school, whilst Arthur is a busy officer in the Royal Marines and so unless it’s a major royal event, the pair are generally not glimpsed often in public at the same time. So sadly, the distant cousins aren’t often seen in each other's presence though Princess Margaret’s grandson’s startling resemblance to James might continue as the teenager gets older.

Both have a high level of privacy and Sophie Wessex has previously spoken about how she and Prince Edward have tried to make it clear that James and his sister Lady Louise will also have to earn their own living. 

“We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living,” she told The Sunday Times. “Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.” 

Prince William twins with his kid, his one and only precious daughter Princess Charlotte in a side-by-side photo that left him shaken. In fact, the Prince of Wales can barely tell the difference between himself and the little Princess!

• Prince William twins with his kid Princess Charlotte in an image printed on rather unlikely location - a cupcake.
• The incident left the Prince totally bewildered - especially as many comment on the royal resemblance between Charlotte and her mother Princess Kate.
• In other royal news, We stumbled across Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin and quite frankly we’re astounded!

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s major social media change came alongside a snap of Princess Kate as a baby with her father Michael Middleton. Many royal fans were quick to comment on the resemblance between Kate and her only daughter at the time. However, this shot of Prince William and the young Princess shows it might be a 50/50 split!

During a visit to Bradford in the North of England, back in 2020, the Wales visited, "a number of projects which support the community and promote cohesion within it." It was on one of these visits that a spectacular baked creation, designed and made by Bradford baker Siama Ali, astounded the royal couple.

A magnificent cake and cupcake selection, which told the story of both of their lives to date through edible pictures, left them utterly amazed - especially Prince William. After seeing photos printed on the sweet treats HELLO! reports he turned to his wife and said, "is that me? Doesn't it look like Charlotte?" 

"It looks so much like Charlotte," agreed Kate. No surprise there as it's often pointed out that Princess Charlotte's cheeky like Prince William in old photos.

Remembering the special moment, two years later, baker Samia said in an Instagram post, "Still can’t get over that I met our future King/Queen...their feedback & invitation to the Buckingham Garden Tea Party was something I could only dream of & can’t wait for that time to come thanks to a special someone❤️."

Interestingly enough, it's not only her parents that she shares a resemblance with as some have remarked that Princess Charlotte and Lady Chatto could be twins! Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, is a mirror image of her first cousin twice removed.

There's no denying that the two look rather alike and it's very clear that they share a special father-daughter bond. This may well be down to the 'Middleton model' of parenting, which is what the Prince and Princess reportedly follow. Perhaps this is why it's believed that Princess Charlotte won't struggle as a 'spare' like her uncle Prince Harry.

Though it's unclear at this stage if the youngster will become a working royal in her adult years or not, it's believed that Princess Charlotte will receive this title when Prince William is King - ensuring that she won't feel left out.

We’ve stumbled across a photo of Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin and quite frankly we’re astounded as the late monarch showcased her love of acting.

• We’ve found a throwback snap of the late Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin for a Windsor Castle pantomime. 
• These performances apparently raised money during the war and the Queen went on to showcase her passion for acting later in her life.
• This royal news comes as we revealed Kate Middleton and Prince William's healthy takeout food they “love”. 

The late Queen Elizabeth’s sense of style was utterly iconic, from her passion for matching hats and dresses to her love of vibrant colors and, of course, her practical handbags. For major state occasions fans also got to see rare glimpses of Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras as she donned full-length gowns and clothes. Though it seems that Her Majesty also wasn’t afraid to step out in more elaborate costumes if the occasion called for it. We’ve just come across a throwback snap of Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin and we can hardly believe it as she showcased her flair for acting even in her teenage years. 

According to the Getty caption, the sweet snap was taken in December 1943 when the then-Princess Elizabeth was dressed up ready for her role as Aladdin in a Windsor Castle pantomime.

A quintessentially British form of theatrical entertainment, pantomimes are often based on fairy tales and stories and are very popular during the festive season. 

Pictured alongside her older sister in other photos from the special royal occasion, Princess Margaret played Princess Roxana in the production. They also went on to act in another wartime pantomime, Old Mother Red Riding Boots a year later. 

As per Daily Mail, the Windsor Castle pantomimes were held to help raise money for the Royal Household Wool Fund. This reportedly provided wool to make comforters for members of the Armed Forces who were fighting on the frontline. The pantomimes are understood to have been written by Hubert Tannar, the Headmaster of the Royal School in Windsor Great Park.

Whilst Queen Elizabeth dressed as Aladdin might be a far cry from the regal dresses and gowns we’ve seen her wear over the years, it was for a good cause and she looked like she was eager to get on stage. 

In the decades that followed her becoming monarch in 1952, the Queen took on a life of duty and immense responsibilities. However, she still found ways to explore her acting skills further and few could forget her iconic James Bond sketch appearance in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. 

Her involvement in the video was one of the Queen facts that will go down in history forever. Then the Queen’s Paddington video mirrored her James Bond sketch during her Jubilee year when it was reported that she wanted to keep this equally secret from her family as a surprise.  

Featuring Britain’s longest-reigning monarch alongside beloved children’s character Paddington Bear, the 2022 sketch paid tribute to her milestone Jubilee. It included the Queen cheekily revealing she had one of Paddington’s favorite snacks, marmalade sandwiches, when she said, “I keep mine in here”, indicating her handbag.

“Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humor, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch,” a palace spokesman previously said. “There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.”

Princess Margaret’s rarely-seen grandson celebrates a special day after achieving a royal first that “pleased” the late Queen Elizabeth.  

• The youngest son of Princess Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto turned 24 years old on February 5.
• Arthur Chatto’s special day comes after he made a huge decision to pursue a career that’s a royal first.  
• This royal news comes as we revealed Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence's Valentine's Day plans - and it's not particularly romantic. 

Although he’s perhaps not the most recognizable member of the extended Royal Family, Princess Margaret’s grandson Arthur Chatto has nevertheless been glimpsed at multiple royal occasions in recent years. The son of Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto, Arthur joined them and his older brother Samuel to pay his respects at his great-aunt Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service in September 2022. 

He also honored her prestigious milestone at her Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving and attended the Easter Service with royals including King Charles last year. Now Princess Margaret’s rarely-seen grandson has celebrated a very special day after he made a life-changing decision to embark on a journey to achieve a royal first. 

On February 5, Arthur Chatto - who is 29th in the royal line of succession - celebrated his 24th birthday. Whilst he didn’t receive a public birthday post on social media from the King and Queen Consort, they might well have sent him a private message to mark his big day. As Princess Margaret’s grandson he is a close family member who's spent time with them. 

He’s also understood to have had the support of both the late Queen and the youngest of the Queen’s children, Prince Edward, for pursuing a royal first. Aside from his Easter appearance in 2022, Arthur Chatto opted to wear uniform for recent royal events. The Queen’s great-nephew enrolled in the Royal Marines in 2021 and is understood to have previously been a personal trainer. 

He’s shown he’s not afraid of a challenge and once opened up about the grueling training he did to complete an epic rowing expedition. Arthur’s journey to become a qualified Royal Marine is something that apparently “pleased” his great-aunt Queen Elizabeth as he’s made it his mission to become the first royal to join the Royal Marines.  

According to The Sun, he told the Queen of his plans at the time and even used to train at Balmoral, her beloved Scottish home. 

“Arthur Chatto has been accepted to train as an officer in the Royal Marines. He told the Queen all about it and she’s pleased and proud. Prince Edward has been very supportive,” an insider claimed to the publication. 

They continued, “Arthur has even been going off into the wilds at Balmoral with all his kit and camping out as he prepares for the commando training. He has gone straight into the officer training in this year’s intake and is very keen and up for it. It’s a dead cert he’ll get a lot further than Prince Edward ever did.”

Prince Edward enrolled in the Royal Marines in 1986 but left his training in January 1987. It seems that he and the Queen were thrilled to hear that Princess Margaret’s rarely-seen grandson Arthur would be pursuing this career. 

Although it’s not known how he spent his recent birthday, hard-working Arthur is said to now be a serving Royal Marine and certainly deserves some relaxing time to spend with his family. 

Princess Margaret developed a clever trick to hide her biggest insecurity after a cruel comment from a royal relative, Helena Bonham Carter CBE has revealed. 

• Princess Margaret had a clever trick to conceal her height in public, it has been revealed.
• Helena Bonham Carter, who played Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister in The Crown, said that the iconic royal was left 'scarred' after an older relative criticized her small stature. 
• In other royal news, the heartbreaking reason Kate Middleton reunited with her closest loved ones last week revealed.
  

Helena Bonham Carter has revealed that Princess Margaret had a major 'complex' about her height – so much so, that she developed a clever trick to appear taller at public events. 

In her latest interview, the British actor shared the lesser-known snippet about the late Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister. Bonham Carter famously played Princess Margaret in Season 3 and Season 4 of Netflix's The Crown and would go on to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her incredible portrayal of the iconic royal. 

When asked what was 'key' to getting into the character, the 56-year-old explained that she needed to understand Margaret's insecurities. 

"The real Margaret didn’t mind about being number two, but she did mind being really short," Bonham Carter told the Guardian on Sunday, adding, "She was just 5ft, so there was something in her posture to maximise every little millimetre." 

According to The King's Speech star, Princess Margaret even had adjustments made to her vehicles to create the illusion of a taller frame.  

"She had her car seat elevated so she could be seen," Bonham Carter explained, before speculating that the princess's "need not to be overlooked" was "probably prompted by her great-grandmother." It has previously been reported that it was Princess Margaret's grandmother, Queen Mary, who had once made a cruel remark about her height. 

"The old Queen was supposed to have commented tartly on the fact that Margaret was not only spoilt but vertically challenged," royal author, Tim Heald, wrote in his 2022 biography, Princess Margaret, A Life Unravelled. 

According to Bonham Carter, the alleged insult left Margaret "scarred." 

"It’s funny what we carry – a complex that can govern all our behaviour," she added. 

Princess Margaret's insecurity about her short stature also affected her outfits, which always included details that would add height. In a previous interview with Town & Country in 2020, Bonham Carter revealed that even the tiara at her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones was selected for its towering design. 

"That’s why she wore the Poltimore Tiara, which was at least four inches tall, at her wedding," the Oscar-nominated actor said. "The risk that she might be literally overlooked was the problem, not the fact that she was her sister’s younger sister." 

The late Queen Elizabeth II seemingly rebelled against a decision made by her grandparents when Princess Anne was born.

• When naming her first and only daughter, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II rebelled against a decision that her grandfather, King George V, had made decades before. 
• When Princess Margaret was born, King George is said to have vetoed the name 'Ann' for her. 
• In other royal news, Princess Margaret's hilariously ruthless response to being told her husband was divorcing her has been revealed. 

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, however it seems that the late monarch rebelled a little when it came to choosing her name. 

On August 15th 1950, when her mother was still Princess Elizabeth, Anne was born at Clarence House in London, where her parents lived with one-year-old Prince Charles at the time. 

And when it came to naming her daughter, Queen Elizabeth chose a name that her father had rejected for Princess Margaret back in 1930.

When King George VI and the Queen Mother welcomed Princess Margaret, they were keen to name her Ann, but the name was rejected when King George V and Queen Mary were consulted. 

Margaret's parents, who were the Duke and Duchess of York at the time, asked for advice on their name choices, with her mother penning a letter to the King and Queen. 

William Shawcross, who wrote the The Official Biography Of The Queen Mother, says that the letter read, "I think Ann of York sounds so pretty and Elizabeth and Ann go so well together. I wonder what you think?"

However, the pair weren't keen on the name and persisted that the new royal baby should be named after Margaret of Scotland - and so she was christened Margaret Rose. 

However, it seems that Queen Elizabeth chose to honor her parents' hopes to have their chosen name in the family, naming her own daughter Anne. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip welcomed four children over the course of their 73-year marriage. 

After marrying in 1947, Elizabeth and Philip welcomed King Charles the following year with Princess Anne coming along shortly after. 

The couple added two more sons to their brood several years later, with Prince Andrew being born in 1960 and the youngest Windsor, Prince Edward, completing the family in 1964. 

Princess Margaret had a hilariously ruthless reply when she was told that Anthony Armstrong-Jones was divorcing her. 

• Princess Margaret married the Earl of Snowdon, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, in 1960. 
• The couple had two children together, Lady Sarah Chatto and Second Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, and divorced in 1978, with Margaret having a rather funny reply to finding out that the marriage was ending. 
• In other royal news, Princess Margaret’s lookalike granddaughter's sweet link to the grandmother she never met has been revealed. 

Despite being married for 18 years, Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones had been separated for several years before they officially divorced. 

Having begun a new romantic relationship with gardener Roddy Llewellyn, who was 17 years younger than her, Princess Margaret confirmed the news that she and the Earl of Snowdon had separated in March of 1976. 

A statement shared by Buckingham Palace at the time said, "HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart. The Princess will carry out her public duties and functions unaccompanied by Lord Snowdon. There are no plans for divorce proceedings."

However, when her husband called for the marriage to end entirely in 1978, Princess Margaret was told the news by her private secretary, Lord Nigel Napier, and she had a rather great response. 

After Lord Napier shared the update with Princess Margaret, she reportedly replied, "Thank you, Nigel. I think that’s the best news you’ve ever given me."

Princess Margaret, who passed away in 2002 aged 71, was known for her fabulous character and lavish lifestyle, reportedly signing checks with just her first name when she went on Harrods trips and beauty salon appointments in her limousine.

Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister is also said to have had quite the morning routine, involving lots of lying in bed and plenty of cigarettes. 

According to royal biography Ma'am Darling by Craig Brown, Princess Margaret's mornings were particularly decadent and relaxed. 

The book says that Princess Margaret would wake at around 9am for "breakfast in bed, followed by two hours in bed listening to the radio, reading the newspapers (which she invariably left scattered over the floor) and chain-smoking."

At around 11am, Margaret would soak in a bath drawn by one of her maids before making herself look glamorous.

"An hour in the bath [would be] followed by hair and make-up at her dressing table, [putting] on some clean clothes - as one would imagine of a princess, she never wore any of her clothes more than once without having them cleaned," the book continues.

Princess Margaret’s lookalike granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones has a sweet link to the royal grandmother she never met.   

• The late Countess of Snowdon passed away two months before her only granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones was born. 
• Though the two royals tragically never met, Lady Margarita has a heartfelt link to her royal grandmother you might not have noticed.  
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne borrowed outfit tips from Meghan Markle as she re-wore a stylish coat and silk scarf combo.  

The late Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister is known for being somewhat of a royal rebel and there are plenty of Princess Margaret facts about her extraordinary life and routines that might astound royal fans. From Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle featuring a six-week honeymoon to the reports of Princess Margaret’s go-to dinner party game, she was an iconic member of the Royal Family. Very sadly there are several significant royals who never got to meet her, including Princess Margaret’s lookalike granddaughter, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones.

Though Lady Margarita does have a special link to her late grandmother that some might not have noticed. And whilst she might never have met Princess Margaret in person, this link could be seen to honor her in several ways. 

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones is the daughter of Princess Margaret’s son David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon and is the only granddaughter amongst her four grandchildren. She was born in May 2002, just three months after Princess Margaret passed away and intentionally or not her name is a sweet nod to her grandmother. 

As revealed by BehindTheName, Margarita is not only the Spanish term for the ‘Daisy’ flower, but is also apparently a “Latinate form” of the female given name, Margaret. According to the name site, Margaret itself is derived from Margarita which in turn reportedly comes from the Greek word for ‘Pearl’, which could've been borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language.

And although Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras and brooches often stole the show, Princess Margaret was no stranger to wearing some pretty fabulous jewelry pieces herself. This includes pearls which are still a royal favorite and the late Countess of Snowdon was frequently pictured wearing them over the years.  

So in calling their daughter Margarita it seems that David Armstrong-Jones and his wife Serena chose a name that not only is linked to her grandmother’s name, but where the meaning celebrates something that the glamorous royal was incredibly fond of. One of her middle names, Rose, was also Princess Margaret’s middle name, adding another layer of subtle significance.

As a member of the extended Royal Family, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones has been glimpsed several times in recent months. She paid her respects at the funeral of her great-aunt Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and attended a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip last year too. Princess Margaret’s lookalike granddaughter was also a bridesmaid at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011 and attended a special Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in 2012.

It’s not known when fans might see Lady Margarita alongside the rest of the Royal Family again, though it’s perhaps likely it could be at King Charles’ coronation in May. 

While Prince Harry and King Charles’ strained father-son relationship dominates the headlines recently, it might be reassuring for the pair to remember they aren’t the first parent-child to have a turbulent relationship, and they won’t be the last. In fact, in their own family, Princess Margaret (Charles’ aunt) and her mother (Charles’ grandmother) had a choppy relationship, as documented in books by former aides and close sources.

• It’s not just Charles, Harry and Camilla who have tough dynamics, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother had a “strained relationship”
• While Margaret was extremely close to her sister, her clashes with her mother meant she only visited her home ONCE as adults
• In other royal news, how Sophie Wessex’s $300,000 ruby earrings symbolize her commitment to her royal duties

“Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy,” King George VI once said of his two daughters, the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

The simple but profound statement turned out to be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, many felt, as it came to define the two sisters’ differing personalities.

While Lilibet would go on to become the Queen – famous for being practical, reserved and diligent in her duties – Margaret always sought out the joy in life. Sometimes at the expense of others.

While notorious for her love of a decadent morning routine and an acerbic putdown, Margaret might have been her father’s joy, but the picture was quite different when it came to the relationship with her mother.

Margaret’s mother, known best today as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her daughter would often find themselves antagonistic towards one another, sometimes in the pettiest of ways.

Margaret’s former lady-in-waiting, Lady Clenconner wrote in her book about the pair, “One would do things like open all the windows, only for the other to go around shutting them. Or one would suggest an idea and the other would dismiss it immediately.”

"Those weekends at Royal Lodge were always fun, despite the bouts of bickering between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, who at times had a slightly strained relationship."

"Perhaps they were too similar – I don’t think it is an unusual predicament for a mother and daughter," she wrote. "And while they had been part of a foursome originally, they were left as the spare pair, to a certain extent."

But some would suggest it ran deeper than this.

The Queen Mother’s authorized biographer, William Shawcross, wrote about their dynamic in his book, Counting One’s Blessing: The Selected Letters of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

In it, he writes of Margaret, “Although she loved her mother, she was not always kind to her – indeed she could be rude.”

“On one occasion,” he writes in the book, “Lady Penn said to Queen Elizabeth, ‘I cant bear the way Princess Margaret treats you.’ To which the Queen Mother replied, ‘Oh, you mustn’t worry about that. I’m quite used to it.’”

He’d go on to detail behavior from Margaret which included criticizing her mother’s clothes and turning the TV channel if the Queen Mother was watching something Margaret didn’t approve of.

The book also points out that the pair would often communicate through letters, despite living in rooms one floor apart in Clarence House between 1952 and 1960.

Perhaps the saddest revelation was that it took Margaret thirty years to visit the castle the Queen Mother moved into during the early days of her widowhood.

Christopher Warwick, with help from Princess Margaret herself, published an authorized biography of the Princess. Titled Princess Margaret, a Life of Contrasts, he reveals that Margaret wrote to her mother, saying “I cant think why you have such a horrible place as the Castle of Mey.”

The Queen Mother reportedly wrote back, “Well darling, you needn’t come again.”

And she didn’t.

Princess Margaret’s go-to dinner party game and hatred for squirrels couldn’t be more *her* and have been revealed over the years.  

• The late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon is known for her remarkable routines, luxurious lifestyle and shocking anecdotes.
• She apparently played a rather unique dinner party game with her former husband Antony Armstrong-Jones and despised squirrels.   
• This royal news comes as the royal who spent the most on clothes in 2022 revealed – and it's not Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton.   

The late Queen Elizabeth’s sister was known for her luxurious lifestyle and surprising preferences, from Princess Margaret’s decadent morning routine to the fabulously lavish way Princess Margaret paid for things. And it seems that the Countess of Snowdon also had a very *her* way of doing things at social events too. As revealed by The Independent back in 2007, Princess Margaret’s former husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon previously revealed a game they used to play together when they found dinner parties dull. 

Apparently dubbed the “Bread Game”, this involved Earl Snowdon and Princess Margaret each tearing off a piece of bread whenever a fellow guest said a cliché. 

The couple are said to have pushed each piece of bread into the middle of the dinner table and the winner was the person with the most bread there at the end of the meal. Of course, it’s understood that Princess Margaret’s go-to dinner party game was something that went unnoticed by other diners. 

Instead, it’s believed that this was an entirely private way of entertaining themselves and avoiding boredom at social gatherings. And Princess Margaret's go-to dinner party game isn’t the only extraordinary story that’s been revealed about the Countess of Snowdon over the years. 

Whilst squirrels might not be everyone’s favorite animal, according to the late Princess Margaret’s Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Anne Glenconner, the Princess had a special hatred for these often-seen creatures. 

Her loathing for them apparently led her to one particularly shocking reaction when she came across someone feeding several of them in a park.  

Getting candid with the New York Post, Lady Glenconner claimed, “Once, she clapped eyes on a woman who was sitting on a park bench happily feeding the squirrels. She marched up and started whacking them with an umbrella.”

According to many reports and stories, Princess Margaret doesn’t seem to have shied away from being truly herself throughout her life. And the Countess of Snowdon’s nature was something reflected upon further by her former Lady-in-Waiting, author of Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown. 

Acknowledging the royal’s more formidable side, Lady Glenconner also remarked upon how funny she could be too. 

“She was known for her icy stare if she felt someone had overstepped the mark,” she explained, before adding, “She had moments of being very grand, but I … [found] her quietly amusing.”

“I think I laughed with Princess Margaret more than with anybody else,” Lady Glenconner is also said to have written. 

The royal with the most expensive wardrobe of 2022 has been revealed, but it's not Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton. 

• The royal who spent the most on clothes in 2022 has been revealed, and it's surprisingly not Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle. 
• The title goes to Princess Charlene of Monaco, who spent staggeringly more on fashion than her UK counterparts last year. 
• In other royal news, Queen Elizabeth's royal aide seeks apology over misrepresentation in Prince Harry's Spare.
  

The royal who spent the most on fashion last year has been revealed – and no, it isn't Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton. 

The news comes shortly after it was reported that Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess Margaret, would keep guests waiting as she perfected her trademark looks. 

It's no secret that Kate Middleton dresses impeccably every time she leaves Adelaide Cottage, with her gorgeous gowns hitting headlines on a daily basis and even inspiring fashion trends. Meghan Markle's style, which became significantly more colorful after her withdrawal from the Royal Family with Prince Harry in 2020, has also won its fair share of its admirers over the years. 

The costs of both of their wardrobes have also been widely reported in the press, especially in the run-up to King Charles III's 'scaled back' coronation. Kate Middleton regularly steps out in designer pieces, with her latest outfit in Liverpool featuring a £749 tartan coat from Holland Cooper. 

She also loves Jenny Packham dresses, many of which retail for over £2,000. Meghan Markle shares her sister-in-law's penchant for luxury fashion, having donned everything from Carolina Herrera to Valentino and Dior since rising to stardom in 2016. 

With so much money invested in their closets, it may come as a surprise to learn that the royal boasting the priciest wardrobe last year was neither the Princess of Wales nor the Duchess of Sussex. 

According to research by UFO No More, Princess Charlene of Monaco holds the title, having reportedly worn £655,574 worth of clothing in 2022. The 44-year-old's most expensive new piece was a £5,400 Loro Piano cape that she wore for a Christmas tree ceremony with her family. 

The royal with the second most expensive wardrobe was Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, who spent an estimated £201,761 on garments last year. 

Next is Kate Middleton, who reportedly spent £192,636 on her enviable wardrobe in 2022. Meghan Markle's bill was surprisingly much lower, clocking in at a cool £94,796. Princess Beatrice, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, placed tenth on the list, having spent just £77,348 on new clothes in 2022. 

Princess Margaret was known to be very different to her sister, the Queen, in many ways. Described by most who knew her as witty, occasionally rude, outrageous, bohemian, and strong-willed, Margaret was the ultimate coup for high society parties and dinners. But if anyone expected her to be on her best, royal behavior, they soon found that not to be the case. Margaret had a way of keeping guests waiting for hours, with nobody allowed to start or leave before her.

• Princess Margaret could be one of the most difficult guests for dinners and parties, according to different accounts.
• But the rebel princess was likely playing up to what many had come to expect from her, suggesting she knew how to play the game cleverly.
• In other royal news, Princess Margaret’s Poltimore tiara: the 19th century treasure which cemented her status as a rebel royal and the sad reason it’s no longer in the family.

It’s a common occurrence for siblings to be drastically different, and there was perhaps no greater example than the late Queen Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret.

Whereas the Queen was widely regarded as one of the most stoic, stable and steady figures, Margaret enjoyed the finer things in life and made no attempts to hide it.

From her decadent morning routine to the lavish ways she’d pay for her regular trips to Harrods and the beauty salons, Princess Margaret enjoyed the spoils of her privileged life. Whereas the Queen had to be mindful of every word she uttered and every move she made, Margaret leaned into her reputation as the royal rebel.

In fact, her New York Times obituary reports that she once told the French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, “Disobedience is my joy.”

And when it came to being a party guest, she most definitely proved that.

Forgetting the impressions of royals being stuffy and stuck to protocol and rigid rules, Margaret was known to keep guests waiting for hours. Being late is bad enough, but royal protocol dictated that dinner couldn’t actually start until Princess Margaret had arrived.

The problem with that was nobody ever knew just how late she’d be.

In an excerpt from The Letters of Nancy Mitford, a British aristocrat, she writes “Dinner was at 8.30 and at 8.30 Princess Margaret’s hairdresser arrived, so we waited for hours while he concocted a ghastly coiffure.”

Being kept waiting while she perfected her signature looks might have left some of her friends to be harsher in their critiques. Nancy Mitford continues in the extract, “She looked like a huge ball of fur on two well-developed legs.”

With friends like these…

While Margaret seems impossibly rude keeping her guests waiting while she got her hair done, others suggest this was part of the “immersive Margaret experience.” If anything, people wanted this sort of behavior, according to Craig Brown’s book, Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret.

He writes, “Hoity toity is what we wanted. For most recipients, hosts and guests… it was part of a package deal… they were left with a suitably outrageous story – the ungracious royal! The bad princess!”

Other anecdotes include the game she’d play with her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon.

When bored, they’d play the bread game. Every time someone said a cliché, either Margaret or Antony would rip off a piece of bread and put it in the middle of the table. At the end of the night, whoever had ripped the most pieces of bread would win.

Margaret, a smart woman who knew that her reputation preceded her, could have been playing into the role.

After all, she had a “small circle of lifelong friends, loyal to the last”, Craig writes. So perhaps the outrageous behavior was her parting gift to other hosts, a story to dine out on for years to come.

There are many diadems, crowns and tiaras that complete the Crown Jewels, the Royal Family’s vast vault of jewelry. But, in keeping with her much-reported rebellious nature, Princess Margaret decided to go another way when it came to the accessories on her wedding day. She went out and bought herself her own crown, the Poltimore Tiara. Picked up at an auction for around $6000, the romantic piece is a classic example of Victorian design.

• Princess Margaret decided not to borrow a piece from the royal vaults when it came to her wedding, sporting her own Poltimore Tiara instead.
• The Princess personally picked up the tiara for around $6000 but it would go on to resell for $1.1 million after her death.
• In other royal news, the reason Princess Beatrice can't wear some of the Queen’s jewels but her younger sister Princess Eugenie can.

Princess Margaret was a royal who made no effort to hide the fact that she loved the privileges it afforded her.

From her decadent morning routine to not mincing her words, even when meeting fashion icons, Margaret enjoyed life unapologetically.  Indeed, the Princess, perhaps aware of her reputation, once knowingly told Andrew Duncan, author of The Reality of Monarchy, “When my sister and I were growing up, she was made out to be the goody goody one. That was boring, so the press tried to make out I was wicked as hell.”

While wicked is extreme, she was most definitely spirited – and this permeated into every aspect of her life, even down to her jewelry choices.

Take the Poltimore tiara. Worn on one of the most important days of her life – her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones – one would have expected the sister of the Queen to wear a piece from the royal vaults.

But Margaret wanted to do things her own way, sporting a tiara she went out and paid for herself.

Margaret bought the Poltimore Tiara in a 1959 auction for around $6600 (£5,500). The very act of going out and picking her own jewels was forward-thinking and unusual for the time – with women often presented jewelry by male suitors.

The tiara originally belonged to Florence Bampfylde, Lady Poltimore, wife of the second Baron Poltimore. Made in 1870 by the House of Garrard in London, the company who were the official Crown Jewellers between 1843 and 2007.

The Poltimore Tiara, with diamond scrolls evoking flora, flowers, and nature, is the epitome of Victorian-era jewelry.

The framework is comprised of both silver and gold metals, with brown ribbon intricately woven in, meant to match Margaret’s hair color. This is what gave the tiara the appearance of floating above her head.

The most famous occasion where Margaret wore the stunning piece was her 1960 wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones. However, she wore it on several other occasions.

In 1977, she sported the tiara for the shah of Iran’s state visit to the United Kingdom.

Most interestingly, Margaret would choose to use the multifunctionality of the intricate piece, which could be transformed into a necklace (which Margaret did in 1960) or into 11 different brooches.

One hilariously on-brand occasion Margaret sported the tiara was in a shocking portrait taken by her husband.

Margaret was photographed wearing the tiara – and only the tiara – as she soaked in a bath. The portrait has been hidden from public view, but the memory is one that many recall when detailing Margaret’s wild nature, and it was touched on in season three of Netflix’s The Crown.

Who owns the Poltimore Tiara now?

Sadly, following her death in 2002, Margaret’s children had to sell off a lot of her personal effects.

Her son, David Armstrong-Jones, now Lord Snowdon, explained why they had to sell Margaret’s treasures. “There were many, many reasons, mostly financial, that persuaded us that that was the correct route because, you know, when people die, taxes need to be paid,” he told The Telegraph.

Christies held the auction of Princess Margaret’s private collection. The Poltimore Tiara, which was picked up for around $6600 would go on to sell for around $1.1 million (£926,400) to a private buyer.

Its whereabouts now are unknown.

Prince Harry has claimed in Spare that King Charles III and Queen Camilla once wanted Kate Middleton to change the spelling of her name – and it looks like the Princess of Wales isn't the only royal who has been expected to ditch their moniker. 

• Prince Harry has claimed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla wanted Kate Middleton to change her name after she married Prince William in 2011.
• The Duke of Sussex reportedly wrote in his new memoir, Spare, that the Royal Family was concerned that the spelling of the Princess of Wales's name could cause confusion with the public. 
• In other royal news, all the details on *that* Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton fallout finally revealed by Prince Harry including terse text exchange about a dress.
  

Prince Harry has said that King Charles III and Queen Camilla wanted the Princess of Wales to change her name when she first joined the Royal Family, over concerns that its spelling may cause confusion with the public. 

The Duke of Sussex makes the surprising claim in his bombshell new memoir, Spare, which officially hits shelves today (January 10). 

Elsewhere in the 416-page book, Harry claims that Prince William 'knocked' him to the floor at Nottingham Cottage during an argument about Meghan Markle and reflects on his relationship with Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret. 

The 38-year-old also writes candidly about his grief following Princess Diana's death, how he lost his virginity at the age of 17, and his killing of 25 people while serving in the British Army. In another passage, Prince Harry reveals the details of Meghan Markle's 'flower girl dress' fallout with Kate Middleton ahead of their royal wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018. 

Harry has also spoken about the sacrifices that have been expected of members of the Royal Family, such as the changing of their names. According to the Daily Mail, the duke claims that King Charles III and Queen Camilla wanted the Princess of Wales to drop the 'C' from her birth-given name, Catherine, and replace it with 'K' instead. The 41-year-old would thereby go by 'Katherine', which is closer to the Greek origins of the name – καθαρός (katharos) or 'pure'. 

Harry apparently writes that the Royal Family were concerned that having three senior royal names beginning with 'C' would cause confusion, especially when it came to their cyphers. (Interestingly, King Charles III's personally chosen royal cypher, which was unveiled shortly after he ascended the throne in September, also had fans scratching their heads.) 

Have any other royals been asked to change their names? 

Kate Middleton isn't the first royal to nearly be given a name change. 

Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, was also subject to pressure within the British monarchy to assume a new moniker. Born Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent in 1819, the monarch preferred to go by her middle name, Victoria, or 'Drina', an abbreviation of her first name. It's understood, however, that her predecessor, King William IV, strongly advised her to change her name to Elizabeth or Charlotte, over fears that 'Victoria' wasn't an appropriate name for a Queen. 

In an 1836 letter to her uncle, King Leopold of Belgium, the former Princess Victoria laments the possibility of ditching her beloved name. 

"There was a desire to change my favorite and dear name Victoria to that of Charlotte...to which the King willingly consented," she writes. 

"I said nothing, though I felt grieved beyond measure by the thought of any change." 

Fortunately for Queen Victoria, the plan was "given up" after it became clear that the public had "become used" to her name and even "liked it." 

Princess Margaret's romances were often headline news, with her affairs widely reported throughout her life and after her death too. Although some of her affairs are remembered in the history books - there's a few truly shocking rumored dalliances. Think outrageous age gaps, a penchant for rock and roll, and a particularly persistent painter with the initials P.P.

• Princess Margaret's romances with Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend and Roddy Llewellyn weren't approved of by the Queen.
• Although those romances featured in The Crown, her alleged tryst with a Rolling Stone didn't make the cut - nor did the Spanish artist who's believed to have craved her hand in marriage.
• In other royal news, The creative jewelry trick which proves Kate Middleton is a natural royal - and reintroduced a $345,000 forgotten 'incredibly historic piece.'

Princess Margaret's extravagant lifestyle was legendary. She spent, ate, drank, and partied like no other and was quite the opposite of her well behaved sister, the Queen. She also kept company with celebrity royalty - which couldn't have been further apart from her stiff upper lip, blue-blooded upbringing.

It appears that the anti-establishment, rebellious rock star Mick Jagger was one of her friends and one of his biographers Christopher Andersen claims that they may even have had a bit of a romance. In Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger, Lady Elsa Bowker is quoted as saying, "There was a flirtation going on there, definitely. Princess Margaret was only in her 30s and quite attractive. And as everybody knows, she was attracted to younger men."

A courtier also told the author of the regular phone calls between the two, which developed into socializing and, it appears, a romantic dalliance. "She found him sexy and exciting," they said. "If you saw them laughing together, dancing, the way she’d put her hand on his knee and giggle at his stories like a schoolgirl, you’d have thought there was something going on."

Though the Princess was known for her affection towards younger men, men of all ages and statures held a torch for the royal. According to multiple accounts, the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was desperate to marry her. 

Speaking in the Guardian Craig Brown, author of Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, said that having moved into his enormous villa, La Californie in 1955 - Picasso set his sights on marrying his ideal woman, Princess Margaret. His obsession with the royal, he told his friend Roland Penrose, began with an erotic dream so lurid that had it became known, "they would take me to the Tower of London and chop off my head!”

The famous lothario's obsession didn't wain for some time and included his ideas for an utterly bonkers proposal - that he intended to draw up on parchment to be presented to the Queen on a red velvet cushion. John Richardson, who'd become Picasso’s future biographer, was to stand by the presentation dressed as a page or a herald, even holding a trumpet. Picasso had even planned, if needs be, to make the correct outfits should they be unable to purchase the correct attire.

Unfortunately for the artist, Princess Margaret wasn't at all keen. Picasso's biographer revealed that many years later, he told her of the painter's quest to marry her. “Like her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, she was not amused," he said, "she was outraged. She said she thought it the most disgusting thing she had ever heard.”

Princess Margaret snubbed fashion icon Twiggy during a very awkward dinner in which the Princess made it abundantly clear that she wasn't impressed by the super model. 

• Princess Margaret snubbed Twiggy after an incredibly frosty hours long wait for the royal to decide if she'd chat to the then young model.
• Twiggy, who'd been instructed to only speak if she's spoken to, was put swiftly in her place after they finally spoke.
• In other royal news, King Charles’ heartbreaking plea to Prince William and Harry about ‘final years’ after Prince Philip’s funeral.

We're all familiar with accounts of the late Queen Elizabeth II's brilliant sense of humor and it appears that being a bit of a laugh might well be a genetic thing, as Princess Margaret is also remembered for her one-liners. According to many accounts, including the following story from Twiggy, Princess Margaret's one-liners were funny in more of a mean way.

As it was only six months after Twiggy had shot to supermodel fame back in 1966, the fresh faced fashionista was somewhat green around the gills. Thrown in at the deep end the Neasden native attended an uber exclusive, chic dinner organized by fashion bible Vogue. Aged only 17 at the time, Twiggy found herself in the hot seat next to the Princess and was briefed about strict royal protocol. What more would you expect of a Princess renowned for being, well, a total princess?

Accounts of Princess Margaret's extravagant lifestyle have long since been reported, with the royal living the kind of existence one might expect of a royal. If Princess Margaret's extravagant morning routine isn't enough to leave you gob smacked, you may need to be picked up off the floor after you hear about the utterly fabulous way that Princess Margaret paid for things.

What's maybe not so fabulous, is how she spoke to some people. Twiggy, who'd been instructed not to speak unless spoken to, spent two hours sitting beside Princess Margaret in silence. Finally, the late royal addressed her.

Per the Daily Express, Twiggy recalls, "Prince Margaret asked, 'What's your name?' I said, 'My name's Lesley Hornby, Ma'am, but everyone calls me Twiggy.'"

"She just looked at me and said (that accent again) 'Oh, how unfortunate'. Then she didn't talk to me again. I was mortified."

Despite the awkward incident, the model remained a fan of the royals and was even awarded a Damehood back in 2019. Receiving the great honor from the then Prince of Wales, Charles, she described the special moment at Buckingham Palace that proved that she needed no introduction to the Prince.

Twiggy said of the moment, "he told me, 'It's about time too.' I had met him a few times by that stage," she added. "He's always so charming." 

Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle is what many people’s wildest dreams are made of as she enjoyed a six-week honeymoon and motorcycle escort.  

• The late Princess Margaret is understood to have lived a luxe life especially when it came to trips both at home and abroad.  
• The Countess of Snowdon’s honeymoon in 1960 reportedly cost a whopping £90,000 at the time and she’s said to have taken an equally luxe wardrobe to the US. 
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne's long-term stylist received a huge honor from King Charles. 

The late Queen Elizabeth’s sister is known to have enjoyed a luxurious life and Princess Margaret even had a fabulously lavish way for paying for Harrods shopping trips and beauty appointments. Princess Margaret’s decadent morning routine alone is the stuff of dreams and her extravagant lifestyle also apparently included some very spectacular trips, both in the UK and abroad. 

It’s been suggested that the Countess of Snowdon as she was also known after her marriage in 1960, had a penchant for luxe modes of transport. And this included use of the Queen’s Royal Yacht Britannia for her six-week-long honeymoon!  

Back in 1970, The New York Times reported that Princess Margaret sometimes would request to be escorted by motorcycle - or even a helicopter - for a relatively quick journey. They claimed that she insisted once on being escorted back to her home at Kensington Palace from Waterloo Station and even previously ordered a helicopter to fly her from London to Elstree in Hertfordshire which is only 13 miles away.

But it wasn’t just the senior royal’s modes of transport that were gloriously extravagant as Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle was carried through to her trips abroad. This included her wonderfully glamorous honeymoon after her 1960 marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, lasted six weeks. 

And it was the British monarchy’s royal yacht that took her on her travels around the Caribbean. She and Lord Snowdon visited Antigua, Trinidad and Mustique on the Royal Yacht Britannia - the same vessel that the Queen used throughout her reign, including for her Commonwealth Tour with Prince Philip in 1953-4.

According to British Vogue this trip to paradise for Princess Margaret cost a staggering £90,000 back in 1960. Whilst it’s been suggested by The Independent back in 1996 that the Queen’s sister took plenty of expensive clothing options for not only her, but her “entourage” to wear when she visited the United States the previous summer. So much so that the total value of the royal’s wardrobe selection was said to be around £7,200!

Whilst some might dream of Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle and others might raise their eyebrows at this level of opulence, she was known throughout her life as a glamorous and party-loving royal and often compared to her older sister the Queen. And although Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras handed down throughout the generations are magnificent, Princess Margaret even went her own way on her wedding day. 

With the attention of the world upon her, she chose to wear one of her own tiaras when she tied the knot with Antony Armstrong-Jones. Princess Margaret had apparently bought the Poltimore Tiara herself at auction and then went on to wear it numerous times. 

Princess Margaret's way of paying for the likes of her hair appointments and shopping trips to Oxford Street and Harrods was fabulously lavish. 

• An unearthed news article all about the lifestyle lead by the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, reveals the luxe way she paid for her shopping trips and salon appointments. 
• Princess Margaret, who was appointed the Countess of Snowdon during her marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones, is said to have been partial to being driven in her limousine to shop at Harrods and Marks and Spencer, signing her checks with just one word. 
• In other royal news, the sweet detail behind King Charles' Christmas trees has been seen in a rare tour of his royal homes.

A New York Times article from 1970 detailing the life of Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess Margaret, has been unearthed, revealing fabulous details of how she lived. 

In the decades-old piece, titled 'Princess Margaret, at 40, Mixes Public Tasks With Private Joys', Princess Margaret's penchant for heading out in her limousine for London shopping trips, beauty salon appointments and weekend getaways to the Sussex countryside are detailed. 

And when it came to paying for her lifestyle, checks from private bank, Coutts, signed with just one word were Margaret's go-to. 

"Her style of life bears a striking resemblance to numerous wealthy matrons. She uses a chauffeur driven limousine and often visits the Marks and Spencer store on Oxford Street or Harrods," the New York Times passage reads, adding, "She pays in either cash or uses checks from Coutts Banks, which she simply signs 'Margaret'." 

"On Fridays she visits the beauty salon of Rene, a Mayfair hairdresser, and often leaves for the country shortly afterward for the family's cottage in Sussex."

Princess Margaret, who was known as rather glamorous and rebellious in comparison to her sister Queen Elizabeth II, was detailed in the publication to be living a privileged royal life, benefitting from a home at Kensington Palace, refurbished by the tax payer for a hefty £85,000 ($204,000).

Touching on how the sisters were often examined side by side throughout their lives, the article reports that Margaret once told Andrew Duncan, author of The Reality of Monarchy, "When my sister and I were growing up, she was made out to be the goody goody one. That was boring, so the press tried to make out I was wicked as hell."

The late Princess Margaret used to gift her own used handbags at Christmas, according to her former lady-in-waiting.

• The late Princess's former lady-in-waiting, Lady Anne Glenconner, has shared a rare insight into what the royals gift for Christmas.
• She revealed that while Margaret was a thoughtful gift giver, you "never knew" what you were going to get.
• In other royal news, King Charles has shared a rare look at the royal Windsor Christmas lunch.

Lady Anne, now 90, began working for Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister at the age of 39 and has revealed that Margaret was very thoughtful when it came to giving presents.

She told The Telegraph, "She loved visiting antique shops and gave me several pieces I had admired while out shopping with her, including a Victorian egg set with white and gold antique egg cups slotted into a ceramic tray."

But she added that while she was very considerate with her presents, sometimes she would gift her hand-me-downs. Lady Anne explained, "Though she went to a lot of trouble, you never quite knew what you were going to receive. Sometimes we'd be given handbags that had clearly been worn by her. I received one that I'd seen her use, but actually that was rather special, having one of her own bags."

And while many would expect the royal family to be extravagant when it comes to buying presents, Lady Anne has revealed that this is far from the case.

"I've never been there when the Royal family themselves exchanged presents but I know that they're quite simple or jokey things – never terribly expensive," she said.

Last year, it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth gifted all her staff an £8 Christmas pudding, and it was previously reported how Prince William once bought his grandmother a pair of slippers with her face emblazoned on them.

And Kate Middleton once revealed that she gifted the Queen some homemade chutney when she went to Sandringham for Christmas for the first time - and the Queen is thought to have loved it.

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe revealed, “A homemade chutney gift was absolutely spot on - down to earth, practical and frugal - everything Her Majesty loves. But it also showed that Kate could relate to the Queen as a normal grandmother and not just the head of state. And it helped forge a bond built on mutual respect and admiration.”

In another unusual tradition - though for the royals it is standard - it was also revealed this week why King Charles III will open his presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. 

The reason dates back centuries, and relates to the German heritage of the Royal Family. Heiligabend Bescherung is the term for why, but essentially it’s just a German term for the day they swap presents, which is December 24.

The royals have been doing this for nearly two centuries, going back to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Prince William looks just like the late royal family member who became the Prince of Wales' namesake.

• Prince William of Gloucester was Queen Elizabeth II's paternal cousin.
• He tragically died in a plane accident in 1972, aged just 30.
• In other royal news, King Charles is 'likely' to pay for Prince Andrew's security after removing Harry and Meghan's.

Prince William Henry Andrew Frederick was born on 18 December 1941 to his parents Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott. He was born fourth-in-line to the throne.

He was the grandson of King George V and the paternal cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince William acted as a page boy, alongside Prince Michael of Kent, for Princess Elizabeth at her wedding to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. And in 1953, he attended the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Now, in unearthed photos, the resemblance between Prince William of Gloucester and the Prince of Wales is clear to see.

In the 1960s, Prince William of Gloucester joined the diplomatic service, serving in Lagos and Tokyo. But due to his father's declining health, he had to return to Britain to help take care of him.

William had a long-running relationship with former model and stewardess Zsuzsi Starkloff. The last time they met in person was in August 1970. But despite the alleged reluctance of senior members of the Royal Family to take William's relationship with her seriously, the standards regarding marriage in the Royal Family at the time were no longer as strict as they had once been. 

According to reports, Princess Margaret told William to ‘wait a bit’ and to ‘see how everything looks’ once he returned to Britain.

But unfortunately in 1972, while competing in the Goodyear International Air Trophy, the wing of pilot William's plane sheared off after hitting a tree. The out-of-control plane flipped over and crashed into an earthen bank and burst into flames. 

The crash happened before 30,000 spectators, with the fire taking two hours to get under control. The bodies of those in the plane were identified at an inquest the next day from dental records. 

Prince William was well-regarded as a daredevil prince. He enjoyed several dangerous hobbies, such as flying, ballooning, and hiking in the Sahara Desert. At the time of his death, he was ninth in line to the throne. His tragic death made him the first grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary to die and he is buried at the Royal Burial Ground in Windsor.

Prince William was close to the now King Charles III, and many royal experts believe that is why he and Princess Diana chose to name their first son William. The fact that Prince William of Gloucester had Henry as a middle name suggests that they also named Prince Harry, whose real name is Henry, after him too.

Photos of a young Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, bear a striking resemblance to Princess Charlotte. The striking similarities between the two has delighted royal fans, who have claimed “the genes are strong” and that the pair are “twins… fifty years apart.”

• Royal fans are just realizing how alike Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Charlotte are.
• Lady Sarah is the late Queen Elizabeth’s niece and the only daughter of Princess Margaret.
• In other royal news, the reason Princess Anne missed Kate Middleton's carol service revealed as she steps out of her comfort zone in showstopping brocade coat.
  

The Windsor genes run strong, as a simple look at Princess Charlotte will testify.

The young royal, the second child and only daughter of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Sarah Chatto, the Queen’s niece and only daughter of Princess Margaret.

Photos of a young Lady Sarah, close to Charlotte’s age now, make the pair look almost like twins.

Indeed, fans on social media can barely tell which one is which.

“Wow, I thought both were Charlotte,” one commented on Twitter.

While many others added comments like “Feel like they could be twins” and “I had to check they’re not the same girl 3 times!”

Another put it beautifully, writing “When we can see our ancestors in our children’s faces. Beautiful and worth fighting for.”

Lady Sarah is the second child and only daughter of the Queen’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, and her then-husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones (who became the 1st Earl of Snowdon after his marriage).

Lady Sarah is 27th in line to the throne but is known for taking more of a lowkey role amongst the Royal Family.

Despite living largely out of the public eye, Lady Sarah stepped into the spotlight in 1973, when, at nine years old, she was bridesmaid for her cousin, Princess Anne at her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips.

Lady Sarah would once again perform bridesmaid duties in 1981, at the wedding of Charles and Diana. She also joined her mother and brother, David, now the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, for an official royal engagement in 1987, when Princess Margaret visited Hong Kong.

She is, it’s thought, to be a well-loved member of the family, and was known to be close with the late Queen Elizabeth.

The affection towards Lady Sarah is perhaps best seen in the honors she’s been given by her family. She is godmother to two of her cousin’s children: Prince Harry and Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Lady Sarah is a celebrated painter, choosing to eschew most of the trimmings of royal life for the life of an artist. Represented by the Redfern Gallery, designer and curator Patrick Kinmonth has dubbed her work “a profound contemplation of the world she seeks to know and the method she has mastered.”

She has been presented with prestigious awards for her art, including the Winsor & Newton Prize in 1988 and the Creswick Landscape Prize in 1990.

Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister, has a bizarre morning routine that has divided fans. While some admire the late Princess' opulent lifestyle, others have raised eyebrows at this relaxed style of life.

• An excerpt from Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown has delighted royal fans. 
• In one part of the book, the author dissects the Princess' luxurious lifestyle and shows a play-by-play of her decadent morning routine.
• In other royal news, Harry & Meghan’s inclusion of infamous clip ‘pointedly hurtful’ to Prince William.

Princess Margaret was the original rebellious royal and her naughty sense of humor and love of fun have been well-documented over the years. In comparison to the Queen, her straight-laced and duty-dedicated sister, Margaret has been seen as something of a pampered Princess who enjoyed the riches that her privileged life had to offer. In a book about her life, Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, Craig Brown explored the Princess' typical morning routine  - and it's nothing short of luxury itself.

The Princess woke up at 9am every morning, but would not get out of bed until 11. The author said, "She has breakfast in bed, followed by two hours in bed listening to the radio, reading the newspapers ('which she invariably left scattered over the floor') and chain-smoking."

At 11 o'clock, the Princess would then wash. Of course this wasn't just a quick shower, no no. "She gets into a bath run for her but her lady's maid," wrote Craig in his book. Then at midday, "An hour in the bath is followed by hair and makeup at her dressing table, then she puts on clean clothes - 'as one would imagine of a Princess, she never wore any of her clothes more than once without having them cleaned,'" said the author.

The fun truly begins just after noon as at 12.30pm the Princess would appear, 'downstairs for a vodka pick-me-up.'

After enjoying a drink, the Princess would then join her mother to have lunch at 1pm. "She joins the Queen Mother for a four-course lunch 'served in an informal manner from silver dishes,' with half a bottle of wine per person plus 'fruit and half a dozen different varieties of native and continental cheeses'." 

Fans loved this routine from the Princess and many took to complimenting her lifestyle on social media. "Princess Margaret's morning routine is something I aspire to," said one royal fan.

"I could live like this. No bother," said another. "Omg! This is living the absolute f***ING dream! Look at this day...!!" said another. Others suggested it was a complete waste of taxpayers' money.

In another part of the book, the author claimed that the Princess was such a big fan of smoking and drinking, she tried to combine the activities. The author claimed she, "tried to combine the smoking and drinking by gluing matchboxes onto tumblers, so she could strike matches while drinking."

Sadly, Princess Margaret, the Countess of Snowdon died in February 2002 at the age of 71. The Princess suffered from issues associated with her heavy smoking. She had an operation on her lungs in 1985, pneumonia in 1993, and four strokes. Her fourth and final stroke killed her in 2002.

Kate Middleton looked cheerfully festive in an intricately beaded crimson dress and Princess Margaret's Lotus Flower tiara for a Buckingham Palace reception.  

• The Princess of Wales wowed with her stunning Jenny Packham gown at the first Diplomatic Corps Reception since King Charles’ reign began. 
• Kate Middleton’s red dress was paired with Princess Margaret’s tiara and it’s not the only time she’s worn this beautiful piece. 
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton and Prince William were dubbed “couple goals” as they shared romantic Boston snaps on Instagram. 

As the countdown to Christmas continues, the Royal Family’s busy schedule has remained packed with magnificent events. On December 6, King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales all attended the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception at Buckingham Palace. 

This was the first in His Majesty’s reign and celebrates the presence in London of one of the largest Diplomatic Corps globally. The last reception was held back in 2019 pre-pandemic and the royals pulled out all the stops this year, with the Princess of Wales exuding festive elegance with her intricately beaded scarlet outfit. 

Just like plenty of Kate Middleton’s dresses over the years  this crimson gown was designed by Jenny Packham. It featured delicate floral-style embellishments adding an extra touch of detail and sparkle to the floor-length gown and had a slight train. With long sleeves and the Royal Victorian Order sash over the top, Kate Middleton’s red dress couldn’t have been more spectacular and was perfectly complemented by Princess Margaret’s Lotus Flower tiara. 

This stand-out jewelry piece was thought to have also been counted amongst the late Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras and is understood to have originally belonged to the Queen Mother. She reportedly had it made from a necklace she was given by King George VI as a wedding gift. 

The Queen Mother wore it a lot and then also loaned it to Princess Margaret, who was pictured wearing the Lotus Flower Tiara over the years. The sweet family history behind the tiara didn’t end there, though, as it has also been seen on a member of the extended Royal Family. 

Princess Margaret apparently loaned the Lotus Flower Tiara to her daughter-in-law Serena Stanhope to wear when she married David Armstrong-Jones, now Earl of Snowden. Since then Kate Middleton has also worn the tiara several times - all for important receptions and events. 

And Kate Middleton’s red dress at the recent Diplomatic Reception wasn’t the only time she’s worn a scarlet gown with this particular piece.

The Princess of Wales wore the tiara with another red dress by Jenny Packham for a banquet in honor of the President of China’s visit in 2015 and she also wore the Lotus Flower Tiara to a Diplomatic Reception in 2013. It seems that this jewelry piece is a particular favorite of the Princess of Wales and Kate Middleton’s red dress is similarly a go-to shade for the senior royal. 

This marked the second time in recent weeks that the future Queen Consort has stepped out in a beautiful tiara. Alongside Kate Middleton's hidden tribute to the Queen in her dress for a State Banquet in honor of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, she also wore the Queen Mary Lover's Knot Tiara which was once a favorite of Princess Diana.

Princess Margaret's granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones hit the social scene running after a particularly glamorous appearance at a Tatler event. Dressed in a get-up that's a near mirror image to one of her late grandmother's famous looks and with the facial resemblance to match - many are calling her a chip off the old block.

• Princess Margaret's granddaughter Lady Margarita is the late royal's only female grandchild.
• The 20-year-old is currently attending university and is best known for her role in a very famous royal wedding.
• In other royal news, King Charles’ sentimental Christmas gifting traditions that could make this year’s festivities special.

She may have been one of the mini stars of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day, as a part of their bridal party, but Queen Margaret's granddaughter Lady Margarita is all grown up now. Not only is the young aristocrat all grown up but she was also recently photographed hitting up a party attended by, "an impossibly chic coterie of bright young things."

The soiree in question, Tatler's Little Black Book party, was held in The Windmill club in Soho and attended by the next generation of high society youngsters who're likely to feature in the iconic magazine many times throughout their lives.

Lady Margarita is the daughter of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon and Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon. She's currently at University at Oxford Brooks and in her spare time designs jewelry. On top of all this, the creative student has an Instagram account dedicated to her love of photography too. 

The 20-year-old has one older sibling, her brother Charles Armstrong-Jones, who’s 23. Although Lady Margarita is highly unlikely to ever sit on the throne (the's 26th in line to the throne) she's maintained a close bond with the Royal Family.

She's often photographed at royal events - from births, to weddings, and funerals - and was most recently photographed at the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Although Princess Margaret's life was spent as a working royal, she was also known as a royal rebel - with a love for the finer things in life and the island of Mustique where she spent many years. 

The island, which had been a wedding gift to the royal, became headline news when snaps of Margaret and the man she was having an affair with, Roddy Llewellyn, were published by the British tabloid, News of the World.

As well as her various controversies and love of luxury, Princess Margaret is also remembered for her incredible sense of style. The chic royal clearly had an interest in fashion and didn't shy away from pushing the boundaries with her high-end outfit choices.

Sadly, the late Princess died two months before her granddaughter was born but according to these recent images, it looks like Lady Margarita may be a mini Margaret in the making.

King Charles’ sweet touch at home during a significant visit shows that Queen Elizabeth is still very much in his thoughts. 

• His Majesty met with King Felipe of Spain on November 21 and there were some particularly special photos on display in the room. 
• One of these pictures looks to be of a young Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and is an incredibly heartfelt choice by the King.  
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton teamed a fuchsia Emilia Wickstead dress with Princess Diana's pearl earrings and classic Mulberry Bayswater.  

The British Royal Family are known for their strong bonds with the royal families of Europe, with Danish Queen Margrethe praising the “enormous impression” the Queen made on her growing up and many Queen Maxima of the Netherlands once joining them for the Remembrance Sunday Service. 

Now His Majesty has received King Felipe VI of Spain at Clarence House for the first time since ascending to the throne. And King Charles’ sweet touch at home shows the late Queen Elizabeth is very much in his thoughts during this major occasion. 

In photographs taken at King Charles and King Felipe’s meeting on November 21, a few sweet family snaps can be seen on display. On both sides of the room, behind the two royal, there are two stunning wooden console tables. Carefully positioned on each are two adorable pictures, one featuring the King himself. 

Whilst it’s a little challenging to make out the finer details, the one on the right shows King Charles holding his eldest grandchild, Prince George, at his christening back in 2013. In contrast, the other looks to be of the Queen - and it’s not a recent photo. 

Although the exact time and date this heartfelt picture was taken aren’t known, it appears to show a young Queen with her sister Princess Margaret. Several photos similar to this have been seen over the years, including snaps of them side by side at the Royal Lodge in Windsor the year before the Queen and Prince Philip married. 

King Charles’ sweet home touch, having this special photo on display is a lovely nostalgic nod to his beloved mother, as well as to his aunt. Taken in black and white, the choice of an old photo rather than a more recent one could suggest a certain amount of reflection in these months since Her Majesty’s passing.

Whatever the reason for the decision or the possible cherished memories associated with the photo, it was likely very carefully selected to be there. It’s not unusual for members of the Royal Family to have certain special photos on display behind them during important meetings or when delivering significant messages. 

Just last month, Kate Middleton’s fall home makeover was revealed in a video message and behind her as part of this were three family snaps all taken in the autumn months. Meanwhile the late monarch also displayed meaningful pictures in her official rooms including one of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement portrait and the Queen's unseen photo of her great-grandchildren. 

Occasionally during the Queen’s reign different pictures were spotted on display, perhaps suggesting that they are switched up periodically. However, with the Queen’s death still being deeply felt by her nearest and dearest and with His Majesty preparing for his first Christmas as monarch and without her, King Charles’ sweet touch to include a nostalgic one of her couldn’t be more heart-warming.

Susannah Constantine has a lot to thank the Royal Family for – and she isn’t afraid to admit it. 

Before becoming a household name in 2001 alongside Trinny Woodall on the BBC One makeover series, What Not To Wear, the English media personality famously dated Princess Margaret’s son, Viscount Linley (now David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon). 

The six-year-long romance provides much of the material for Susannah’s first memoir, Ready For Absolutely Nothing, in which the fashion expert writes candidly about everything from her journey with alcoholism to her bond with the Queen’s younger sister. 

Now 60, the mother-of-three never married into the Royal Family, but she continues to hold a special place in her heart for the memories of this chapter of her life. When her relationship with Linley ended in 1989, she was left to grieve both the loss of her boyfriend and his royal mother. 

“The reason I felt safe was because of Princess Margaret,” she tells woman&home, after describing the break-up with her extended family as a “more difficult adjustment” than becoming single. “She was a very strong woman. She saw vulnerability in me which she was very protective of.” 

Susannah, whose book title is inspired by her literal unreadiness for the real world, went on to hail Princess Margaret for cultivating a ‘strength’ in her after years of being ‘incarcerated’ by her extremely affluent background. Born into a Yorkshire family of Landed Gentry in 1962, the style guru bluntly admits she was “so unworldly” as a youth – so much so, that she didn’t step foot into a supermarket until the ripe old age of 23. 

“We didn’t know about anything that was going on in the rest of the world,” she says. “We weren’t encouraged to have our own opinions, especially the girls. We’d pigeonholed ourselves into this little corner. It was empty, psychologically and emotionally.” 

It was Princess Margaret, who, despite her own high-ranking status as British royalty, became the unlikely catalyst to free Susannah from her gilded cage. 

“She was the person who encouraged me to have my own opinion, to encourage me to stand by it,” recalls. “She was so resourceful, so practical, and not embarrassed by anything. There was a great deal of comfort.” 

In previous interviews, Susannah has blamed her breakup with Linley on the perils of being young and naive. In Ready For Absolutely Nothing, she finally shares the real reason for the split: he didn’t propose. Viscount Linley went on to marry Serena Stanhope, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, in 1993, while Susannah wed Danish entrepreneur, Sten Bertelsen, two years later. 

Never one to shy away from her privilege, Susannah is more than happy to credit the relationship with David Linley for skyrocketing her career. She famously met Trinny Woodall in 1994 at a party hosted by the Viscount in 1994 – an introduction that would mark the beginning of an exciting new business venture for the then-32-year-old. The pair teamed up to co-write Ready to Wear, a weekly fashion column for the Daily Telegraph, before making their television debuts in 2001 as co-hosts of the hit BBC One makeover show, What Not to Wear. Her time with the Royal Family was now a distant memory, but the experience had clearly opened up of corridor’s worth of doors for the now mega-successful media star. 

When asked if she believes she would have been able to handle the pressure of marrying the Queen’s nephew, Susannah’s of two minds. 

“With David, he’s not a senior royal, so I think it wouldn’t have made much difference,” she says, but acknowledges that joining the British monarchy as an in-law would have probably prevented her from pursuing “the simple life” she has always favored. 

“The true me is the person I was when I was a child, someone who likes isolation and solitude and to be in the countryside, and not have to look glamorous every day. That wouldn’t have been afforded.” 

Susannah also harbors no envy for the outfits of royal ladies like Princess Diana, admitting that while the late aristocrat was undeniably “a style icon”, she never influenced her own wardrobe. 

“Obviously the Princess of Wales dressed fashionably, she had an amazing figure, and she could have carried anything,” she says. “But I don’t think, God, I wish I’d worn that.” 

Susannah Constantine's book, Ready For Absolutely Nothing is out now.

Princess Margaret was known for her outrageous wit and her flair when it came to fashion. One of her most frequently worn pieces was a Cartier Ruby and Diamond flower brooch. The brooch was so popular with the Princess a replica was made and can be seen in the new season of The Crown, worn by Lesley Manville who plays the late Princess. The brooch is no longer in the Royal Family’s possession though, after her children sold off her belongings in a controversial estate sale.

• Princess Margaret’s enchanting Cartier Ruby and Diamond flower brooch was a beloved favorite.
• The piece features an oval ruby stamen and leaf decoration and is estimated to be worth around $50k.
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton's organic rosehip face oil is the secret to her glowy skin and it's finally on sale.

They were close sisters, but there were huge differences between Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

Whereas the late monarch was known for her stoicism and pragmatism, her younger sister was a touch more outrageous – loving a party and the finer things in life.

Which probably explains why Margaret casually wore a $50k brooch for most of her life – not exactly the kind of daily accessory most would wear.

The brooch, made by Cartier in 1948, features “curved openwork old and single-cut diamond petals and stem” and an “oval ruby stamen and leaf decoration.” The piece was originally made as a clip brooch but was later converted to a pin-fitting brooch.

While she wore the flower brooch regularly for daytime occasions, Margaret was known to dress up the stunning piece for evening occasions.

At the London premiere of Doctor Zhivago in April 1966, she paired the signature piece with several other ruby and diamond jewels, including a pair of Girandole earrings, two bracelets, and her ruby and diamond engagement ring.

Despite being such a favorite of Margaret’s the brooch sadly left the Royal Family in 2006, after her death.

In 2006, Margaret’s children, David Linley and Lady Sarah, sparked controversy when they announced they’d be holding an estate sale of their mother’s belongings.

It was seen as controversial to some as it took place a relatively short time after Margaret’s death in February 2022. The purpose of the estate sale was to settle an inheritance tax bill.  

While the auction – overseen by Christie’s – was originally estimated to pull in around $3.5m (£3m), it eventually ended up bringing in a staggering $16m (£14m).

The auction included over 800 family heirlooms including Princess Margaret's wedding tiara, which fetched $1.1m (£926k).

The brooch itself also proved to be incredibly popular. It was initially estimated to fetch up to $17k but the final selling price was higher. Considerably so.

The Cartier gem sold for $128k (£108k).

Princess Diana's letters to the Queen Mother were burned by Princess Margaret but one royal expert says that this isn't unusual with personal letters between Royal Family members.

• Royal author Gareth Russell claims that Princess Margaret burned 'a decade’s worth' of letters sent to the Queen Mother - including those from Princess Diana.
• Speaking on the To Di For Daily podcast he explained the reasoning behind this decision.
• In other royal news, Princess Anne dubbed ‘dignified and devoted’ as fan admits they ‘cry’ when they see her for this heartbreaking reason.

Of all the Princess Margaret facts, despite never being officially confirmed, it's often reported that her relationship with the late Princess of Wales was somewhat fraught. So the fact that it's been claimed that Princess Margaret took a match to, “hundreds, maybe thousands,” of missives, including Princess Diana's letters - could raise a few eyebrows.

Shady as this may appear Gareth Russell, author of Do Let’s Have Another Drink: The Singular Wit and Double Measures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, claims it's not unusual in aristocratic circles. Actually, despite the 'decade's worth' of letters that could have provided 'so much truth' being eradicated, the author and historian says it was standard practice for the aristocratic elite of the time. Though some loyalists of the late Princess of Wales may find it hard to believe that burning Princess Diana's letters wasn't personal - it probably wasn't.

“A lot of them burnt a lot of letters," explained Gareth, "so for instance, Elizabeth II’s grandmother, Alexandra of Denmark, who was our Queen Consort from 1901 to 1910, had a completely unremarkable private life, nothing scandalous. But she burned the letters."

He added, "aristocrats did that because they felt that letters sent privately shouldn't ever be public - it was a breaking of a code almost. So I think the Queen Mother was fully on board with Margaret doing it.”

More shocking still is the fact that the host of the podcast, Los Angeles-based royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, added another close family member set important letters aflame. According to Kinsey, Princess Diana's mother Frances Shand Kydd went to Kensington Palace after her daughter's death and burned all of her private letters.

The podcast host said, “I read that and I remember being horrified. There's so much information, there's so much truth that has just been destroyed. We would have so many answers.”

It's known, of course, that the late Princesses took up residence in the same royal residence in their lifetimes, and that they both had personal lives which may have broken royal protocol. It's even been reported that Princess Diana used Princess Margaret’s 'secret path' to hide lovers at Kensington Palace.

Turns out that despite the pair's reportedly frayed relationship - the Queen's late sister and her former niece-in-law may have had a lot more in common than they thought.