Played by British actress Vanessa Kirby, Margaret was caught in a clash of loyalty, forced to choose between royal duty and the man she wants to marry, divorced royal equerry Peter Townsend… According to Hello! However, she later addressed in a statement: “I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. Warwick wrote that Margaret decided to walk away from the relationship because {{#media.media_details}} But mindful of the Church’s teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others.”, She continued: “I have reached this decision entirely alone, and in doing so I have been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend.”. This was when he obtained the position of … While Townsend was officially divorced when he started seeing Princess Margaret, his first marriage created a major problem for the royal family. The divorce and scandal earned the Princess negative publicity, but paved the way for royals such as Prince Charles and Prince Andrew to divorce in later years. the Church of England unwilling to recognize the union, the only way Margaret The Queen asked her sister to wait until she was 25, by which time she would not need the monarch’s permission. engagement. Not only was Townsend 16 years older than Margaret, but he was also a divorcee with two children. At the time, Margaret was only 14 years old {{#media.focal_point}}. There is no telling what would have happened between Princess The couple married at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 1960, with Princess Anne as a bridesmaid and Prince Philip escorting the bride down the aisle. Magazine, due to the monarchy’s stance, it was suggested that she be removed from the line of succession but keep her royalty in order to marry Peter. The Crown season 2: Netflix release date, cast, latest news. What is the best TV series still running today? Queen Elizabeth II attends a reception for 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend was a Royal Air Force officer and was Equerry to King George VI between 1944 and 1952, later sustaining said title for Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 up until 1953. Unknown ©️What do you things of their expressions? Although the public are in full support of the match, the Cabinet insist that Queen Elizabeth intervenes and break the pair up because the Church of England does not allow for divorcées to remarry. It … newspaper archive. Margaret and Antony announced their engagement in 1960, More than 300 million people watched the ceremony on TV, The Snowdons had two children – David and Sarah, Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend were split up by the Queen and her Cabinet. For starters, his previous marriage put a I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage. The series arrived back in 2016 courtesy of creator Peter Morgan, who is well known and associated with such stellar projects as The Queen, Frost/Nixon, Rush and The Damned United. position as George VI’s equerry. huge strain on Margaret’s relationship with her sister, Queen Elizabeth. Following her decision to end the engagement, Margaret and She reportedly accepted his proposal after discovering that Group Captain Townsend was to marry another woman. author Christopher Warwick revealed some inside information about why Margaret Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. ROYALTY: Fans praise Princess Alice performance in The Crown. In a statement, she said: “I would like it to be known that I … The couple’s marriage hit a rough patch after Townsend caught his wife having an affair. At the end of the day, Princess Margaret realized that their love was not strong enough for her to sacrifice her future in the royal family. The pair tied the knot two years later in a gorgeous ceremony inside Westminster Abbey. The beloved drama has finally returned for a third season. He later encountered complications during his relationship with Princess Margaret, as divorcees weren’t allowed to remarry in the Church of England. for Margaret and Townsend, who struggled after their romance was made public. The stories are moving and heartbreaking! Aside from love, there were plenty of other reasons why Princess I’m even more excited for Season 4!”, Similarly, another fan added: “I can say now that #TheCrown is my favourite thing on TV. Season 3 is awesome. Townsend had grown apart over the years. In the first year of their romance, the royal family kept The new cast carried on the perfection of their predecessors! Season 3 has finally arrived on Netflix and it’s safe to say the show has still got it, taking us from 1964 to 1977 with a wealth of new performers, from Olivia Colman (The Favourite) to Helena Bonham Carter (A Room With a View). In The Crown, viewers watched as Princess Margaret fought for the right to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. According to Express, Olivia Colman is awesome. Historical TV dramas rarely come so attentive, immersive and ambitious. Peter had two sons – Giles and Hugo – with his first wife Rosemary before their divorce. the relationship secret, though rumors were eventually confirmed during Queen The series ends with Margaret single, heartbroken and full of resentment towards her sister. Margaret would have been allowed to keep her royal title and all the allowances that came with it, and could have remained in the country and continued with public duties. not heat up until Margaret turned 22. What might have been! KEEP IT CLASSIC: What is the song in the Tesco Christmas ad? Although the plan was to wait until she turned 25, things didn’t work out. You’ll hear cases argued for the likes of Stranger Things, Killing Eve and Mindhunter etc.often. Writer Rachel Nicholl, an expert She was faced with a choice – to marry, renounce all of her rights and allowances and be forced to live abroad, or to leave Group Captain Townsend. marriage her blessing. Elizabeth’s relationship changed dramatically. The Crown: Who was Venetia Scott? In the smash-hit royal drama, Margaret embarks on an affair with divorcée Group Captain Peter Townsend. The two filed for divorce in the winter of 1952. could have wed Townsend was if she was willing to give up everything, including Peter later married Marie-Luce and they had a daughter named Isabelle. surrounding Princess Margaret’s controversial romance with Townsend. In 2009, a previously unseen letter revealed that the Queen and Prime Minister Anthony Eden drew up a plan that would allow Margaret to marry her lover by removing her and any children she might bear from the line of succession. There are genuinely so many titles we could put forward, but it’s clear that some would be mentioned far more frequently than others. It was widely argued that she held a striking resemblance to Princess Margaret, who Peter previously shared a romance with. As The Crown has illuminated viewers over three seasons, Princess Margaret's life was marred by personal tragedy. the pair. Later on, in 1959, he married Belgian woman Marie-Luce Jamagne. 2020 Showbiz Cheat Sheet, All Rights Reserved. But their marriage was dogged by rumours of extra-marital affairs on both sides, and the couple split in 1976 after pictures were published of the Princess in the company of another man, Roddy Llewellyn. Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, a former Battle of Britain pilot, fell in love when he was an equerry first to George VI and then to Elizabeth II. have married.”, Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Margaret, and Peter Townsend ( Princess Margaret’s special person ) Undated, but probably after 1952 and before 1959. “I have reached this decision entirely alone, and in doing so I have been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend.”. He passed away in 1995 at the age of 80 and is portrayed in The Crown by 53-year-old English actor Ben Miles, who is foremostly known for playing Patrick Maitland in the British comedy series Coupling. Lord Snowdon went on to remarry just months after their divorce was finalised. Who did Peter Townsend marry? pic.twitter.com/NuR0gRtMir. However, this recent series truly stands out as his most impressive and beloved work. The Crown: Did Winston Churchill really burn the Sutherland portrait? The ceremony was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television with 300 million people watching across the world. On October 31, 1955, Princess Margaret revealed in her own words why she had decided not to marry Peter Townsend. Have something to tell us about this article? The Queen and Prime Minister Anthony Eden eventually reached an agreement in which Margaret could marry Townsend in exchange for forfeiting her … However Margaret remained single until her death on February 2, 2002, although she was linked to several men by the press. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, For his part, Townsend exchanged vows with Cecil Rosemary Pawle after his time in the Indian Civil Service was over. “But the bottom line really is that, and she said it to me,