The younger sister of Elizabeth II has always had a reputation as a rebellious princess. The crown tried to influence her even in the choice of a spouse. Margaret's chosen one, Captain Peter Townsend, was 17 years older than her, managed to get a divorce and, moreover, was engaged in equestrian business, so Buckingham Palace and the government insisted that the princess renounce the succession if she wants to tie the knot with this man.
Margaret obeyed and gave up love in favor of royal privileges, and after a while she married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones. However, the marriage did not bring Her Highness happiness - the union of the princess and Lord Snowdon (such a title was given to Margaret's husband after their marriage) was marred by the infidelity of both. However, Anthony Armstrong-Jones only found out about his wife's secret connection when he found a compromising letter.
In 1966, Margaret struck up an affair with a friend of Lord Snowdon Anthony Burton, soon her husband found out about it. As reported in a 2017 article in the Daily Mail, this did not come as a "complete surprise" to the Lord, but the news left him "deeply saddened." Royal expert Anne de Courcy recounts how the intrigue came to the surface: “Anthony Barton left one of Margaret's letters in a prominent place in his house in France, his wife Eva found and read the message. The romance ended, which was a relief for Burton."
“The problem was that she and Eve were going to visit the Snowdons,” continues Anne de Courcy. “Since the public didn't know anything, Eve decided that they could pretend nothing happened. However, the strategy turned out to be a failure: one evening she broke down and told Tony about everything she knew. " The news did not surprise the lord too much, since Margaret had already entrusted her secret to several close associates, moreover, someone had already noticed the small, but striking details of the princess's behavior, clearly indicating a secret connection.
“It was what Tony partly expected: he himself brought his wife and his friend closer, but preferred to ignore this fact,” the expert explains. - He even once said to Burton: "To hell with her, let him find a lover and leave me alone." However, when faced with overwhelming evidence of Margaret's infidelity, he was deeply upset. He went to Barton in tears, but tried to explain his appearance with a cold.
The intrigue of Margaret did not become the reason for the couple's divorce, but finally destroyed their relationship with Anthony. Many experts claim that the princess had an affair to get even with her unfaithful spouse. The public became aware of the romantic adventures of Elizabeth's younger sister, when in 1976 she caught the eye of the paparazzi with her lover Roddy Llewlin, who was much younger than Her Highness. A scandal that erupted in the press forced the couple, who have long lived in infidelity, to finally officially divorce.
Photo: Getty Images
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