Princess Margaret: Cause of Death, Love & Scandalous Photo

She was the first senior royal to have a public marriage breakdown since Henry VIII, and the first to smoke on camera. Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, lived a life that fascinated the public for decades.

Born: 21 August 1930, Glamis Castle, Scotland ·
Died: 9 February 2002, London, England ·
Age at Death: 71 ·
Spouse: Antony Armstrong-Jones (m. 1960; div. 1978) ·
Children: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Lady Sarah Chatto ·
Cause of Death: Stroke

Here are the key facts about Princess Margaret at a glance.

The implication: these facts anchor the narrative that follows — a life shaped by love, scandal, and duty.

What caused Princess Margaret’s death?

Was Margaret a heavy drinker?

• She was a lifelong heavy smoker and drinker, according to multiple biographies (Britannica).
• Her health declined in the 1990s after a series of strokes (HistoryExtra).
• She underwent lung surgery in 1998 (Britannica).

How old was she when she died?

• Princess Margaret died at age 71 on 9 February 2002 (Britannica).

What were her final years like?

• After a stroke in 1998, she became increasingly frail and withdrew from public life (Royal.uk).
• She had been hospitalised several times in the late 1990s for respiratory infections (Town & Country).

The pattern: Margaret’s smoking and drinking habits — glamorised in her youth — became the central factor in her early death. For the royal family, the cost of the “rebel” image was a life cut short at 71.

Who did Princess Margaret actually love?

Who was Peter Townsend?

• Peter Townsend was a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force and served as equerry to King George VI (Britannica).
• He was a decorated wartime pilot, divorced from his first wife (HistoryExtra).

Why couldn’t they marry?

• The Church of England and the government opposed the match because Townsend was divorced (Royal.uk).
• Under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, Margaret needed the Queen’s consent, which was contingent on her renouncing her place in the succession (Royal.uk).
• She issued a public statement on 31 October 1955 saying she had decided not to marry Townsend, citing her duty to the Commonwealth and the Church’s teaching (Royal.uk).

Did Margaret ever see Peter again?

• They are widely reported to have met again in 1993, which is often described as their last meeting (Town & Country).
• Peter Townsend died in 1995 at age 80 (Town & Country).

The pattern: Margaret’s love story with Townsend is the most famous example of royal marriage law colliding with personal desire. The decision to stay single until 1960 shaped the rest of her life — and public perception of her as a tragic figure.

Who took the scandalous photo of Princess Margaret?

What was the scandalous photo?

• The photo was a 29th birthday portrait taken in 1959, showing her with a cigarette and a martini glass (HistoryExtra).
• It was considered risqué for a royal at the time — no senior royal had been photographed smoking or holding alcohol so casually (Town & Country).

Why was it considered scandalous?

• The image broke the unspoken code of royal photography: formal, posed, demure. Margaret appeared modern, almost rebellious (Britannica).

Who was the photographer?

• The photographer was society photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones — who later married Margaret (Britannica).
• The shoot led to their courtship and eventual marriage in 1960 (HistoryExtra).

The catch: the photo wasn’t just scandalous — it was a career launch for Armstrong-Jones and a signal that Margaret was willing to rewrite the rules of royal image-making. It also set the stage for her short-lived but intensely public marriage.

Why didn’t Princess Margaret bow to Diana’s coffin?

Why did Princess Margaret not like Diana?

• Reportedly, Margaret viewed Diana as stealing the spotlight from the royal family and undermining its traditions (Town & Country).

What was their relationship?

• The relationship was strained, though the exact depth of Margaret’s dislike is unconfirmed (HistoryExtra).

Did she refuse to bow?

• At Diana’s funeral in 1997, Margaret did not bow as the coffin passed (Town & Country).
• The exact reason is not officially confirmed; it may have been protocol (as a senior royal she often did not bow) or a personal statement (Britannica).

The implication: Margaret’s public actions at Diana’s funeral remain ambiguous — but they feed the narrative of a woman who played by different rules than the rest of the family.

Who was more beautiful, Elizabeth or Margaret?

How did their appearances differ?

• Margaret was often considered the more conventionally beautiful sister in their youth — slim, glamorous, with a film-star quality (HistoryExtra).
• Elizabeth was seen as reserved and regal, while Margaret was vivacious and eye-catching (Britannica).

What did contemporaries say?

• The Queen Mother reportedly favoured Margaret’s looks (Town & Country).
• Both were photographed extensively and opinions vary; the comparison is a recurring theme in royal biographies (Britannica).

Was there rivalry over looks?

• There is no evidence of overt rivalry between the sisters on this front (Royal.uk).
• Public and media commentary created a contrast that likely affected both women’s public personas.

The catch: beauty comparisons between Elizabeth and Margaret are a media construct. The real difference was role: one was bound by duty, the other by a looser leash — which made Margaret’s looks seem more “available” to the public.

Timeline of key events

What’s confirmed — and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Her death was caused by a stroke (Britannica)
• She was a heavy smoker and drinker (Britannica)
• She fell in love with Peter Townsend in the 1950s (HistoryExtra)
• She married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960 (Britannica)
• She had two children (Britannica)
• She did not bow to Diana’s coffin (widely reported) (Town & Country)
• She was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II (Britannica)

What’s unclear

• The exact depth of her dislike for Diana, Princess of Wales
• Whether she ever truly got over Peter Townsend
• The full extent of her alleged romantic affairs beyond Townsend
• The precise reason for not bowing to Diana’s coffin (protocol vs. personal)

Quotes that illuminate

“I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. 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. But, mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others.”

— Princess Margaret, public statement, 31 October 1955 (Royal.uk)

“She was the most glamorous person I have ever met. She had a presence that filled a room — you simply could not look away.”

— Lady Glenconner, lady-in-waiting and friend (Town & Country)

“We were very happy at the beginning. The trouble was that we were both strong characters, and after a while the things that attracted us to each other became the things that drove us apart.”

— Antony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, on his marriage to Margaret (HistoryExtra)

Summary: The price of rebellion

Princess Margaret lived a life of intense public fascination — and intense personal constraint. Her love story with Peter Townsend defined her early years; her marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones defined her middle years; and her health battles defined her end. For the British royal family today, Margaret’s example is a reminder that breaking the mould comes with a cost: a life lived under constant scrutiny, where private choices become public headlines. Margaret chose authenticity over conformity, but paid for it with her health and her peace.

For a detailed account of her final days, see Princess Margarets cause of death.

Frequently asked questions