Princess Margaret Scandal Peter Townsend

Princess margaret scandalised the monarchy in the 1950s when she fell in love with a divorced man royal aide group captain peter townsend who was 16 years older and had two children.

Princess margaret scandal peter townsend. After public scandal over their relationship due to townsends divorced status a heartbroken margaret broke off their engagement in 1955. In a statement read on bbc radio margaret said. The news was broadcast on the radio this evening. The bbcs john snagge interrupted normal programming to read a brief statement from the princess.

But prior to her marriage princess margaret had. While vastly different from townsend margaret and armstrong jones hit it off and announced their engagement in february 1960. Margarets divorce was a scandal unto itself. Princess margarets scandalous affair with group captain peter townsend she was a 17 year old princess he was her fathers equerry 15 years her senior and what happened next nearly imploded the monarchy.

Margaret herself had given up her relationship with peter townsend a. According to multiple reports peter had been interviewed by margarets father george vi for a position as his equerry when he. But someone else stole the show that afternoon. Queen elizabeth s sister announced on october 31 1955 that her engagement to captain peter townsend was no more.

Until her marriage dissolved the royal family had looked down on divorce. The queens sister princess margaret only married once during her lifetime to antony armstrong jones and their marriage later ended in divorce. At the televised event the queens sister picked a piece of lint from the lapel of peter townsend a war hero who now served the.