Princess Margaret: A Look Back at the Tragic True Story of Her Royal Life

Fans of Netflix's 'The Crown' know Princess Margaret had her share of tragedy. Here's what you haven't seen on screen.

by Katherine Webb

Published on May 12, 2018

6 min read

From the very moment of her birth to her death in 2002, Princess Margaret was a national obsession in her native England. And her entire life, she endured endless scrutiny as she tried her best to navigate her life as a royal.

Netflix’s hit series, The Crown, has delved into many of her most notorious scandals. But there are some things the series hasn’t revealed about the biggest tragedies in her life.

1. As a child, she was seen as a bad seed

Princess Margaret sitting in a small chair. — She wasn’t the media’s favorite child. | AFP/Getty Images

Princess Margaret Rose was born in August 1930, the second daughter to the Duke and Duchess of York, who would soon become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Her sister, Elizabeth, became second in line to the throne when their uncle, King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936.

As they grew up, Elizabeth and Margaret were always in the public eye. And the press and British citizens alike had no problem judging them on their behavior and appearance.

Even as a child, Margaret was always branded as the sister most likely to behave badly. In a 1970 interview, she said, “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 that I was wicked as hell.”

The reputation stuck.

Next: Margaret suffered immense loss early in her life.