Princess Margaret’s close aide talks about life with the royalty, lashes out at 'The Crown' for dramatising her scandals
Princess Margaret was also very peculiar about the people she called friends.
By ET Online | Updated:
Princess Margaret, who was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II, was one of the world's most celebrated socialites.
She was famed for her glamorous lifestyle and also reputed romances, which has been depicted in the Netflix-original drama, 'The Crown' which brings an inside look at the early reign of the Queen.
Now Anne Glenconner, who was lady-in-waiting for Princess Margaret, has shed some light on her much-published romance with Roddy Llewellyn, life as a royalty, her rebel attitude, her strength and more in a recent tell-a-tale.
Glenconner begins by saying that the royal princess, whom she had known since they were kids, offered a lifeline to her in 1971 and also an escape from her violent husband and his unpredictable rages.
"Through my work as her lady-in-waiting, I began to grow more resilient, developing more faith in myself and my abilities. Importantly, I took my courage from Princess Margaret, who was a great believer in the idea that one didn't dwell," Glenconner wrote in the dailymail.co.uk.
The former aide of Princess Margaret further revealed that the royal family member went through some terrible times, which she faced with great resolution without shredding self-pity.
"She hated the idea of divorce, and resisted for a long time, but I watched as Tony placed her in an impossible position, demeaning her and goading her into making it inevitable," Glenconner recalled, adding that "The Princess simply concentrated on getting through all manner of upsetting things, knowing that later they would never seem as distressing as they once had."
Glenconner, who says her job was often to serve as a buffer between Princess Margaret and other people, further gave an insight on how life was with the royalty famous for her extravagant lifestyle.
From drinking gin and tonic at lunchtime, to sipping on whisky and water during the evening, Princess Margaret was also very peculiar about the people she called her friends.
"When she first came with her husband, we gave them a tour of the island — riding on a bench strapped to a trailer and towed by a tractor," she said. As per Glen, the Princess Margaret, who died at the age of 71 due to a stroke, visited the island several times before her house, Les Jolies Eaux was built.
I tried to make sure the other guests would be people I thought she would like. When I was a man short one weekend and invited Roddy Llewellyn at the last minute, it turned out I'd invited someone she liked very much indeed,"
As per several reports, Margaret first met Roddy at the café Royal in Edinburgh on their way to Glenconner's husband, Colin Tennant — later Lord Glenconner's house. At the time, Roddy, 17 years younger than Margaret, was a gardener and just 25.
Their reported affair went on for eight years. The audience witnesses a glimpse of their reported romance in a much dramatised way in the season three finale of Netflix's 'The Crown'.
The relationship scandal caused a rift between Glenconner, his husband Colin and the royal family for a while.
"But it was worth it to see Princess Margaret happy," Glenconner said. However, when she watched their meeting in 'The Crown', Glenconner wasn't too pleased.
“It was very strange watching their meeting being dramatised in The Crown. They made it look as if I was pimping for her, lasciviously pointing out the attractions of the men around the pool. That would be taking being a good hostess a bit too far, in my opinion. I suppose it made for a good television scene, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. All I did was invite him to stay; the rest was down to them,” she said.
Their romance, which is believed to have come at the time the princess was in a dark depression caused by the philandering habits of her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, eventually caused a tabloid stir across the world. The two were married from 1960 to 1978.
She was famed for her glamorous lifestyle and also reputed romances, which has been depicted in the Netflix-original drama, 'The Crown' which brings an inside look at the early reign of the Queen.
Now Anne Glenconner, who was lady-in-waiting for Princess Margaret, has shed some light on her much-published romance with Roddy Llewellyn, life as a royalty, her rebel attitude, her strength and more in a recent tell-a-tale.
Glenconner begins by saying that the royal princess, whom she had known since they were kids, offered a lifeline to her in 1971 and also an escape from her violent husband and his unpredictable rages.
"Through my work as her lady-in-waiting, I began to grow more resilient, developing more faith in myself and my abilities. Importantly, I took my courage from Princess Margaret, who was a great believer in the idea that one didn't dwell," Glenconner wrote in the dailymail.co.uk.
The former aide of Princess Margaret further revealed that the royal family member went through some terrible times, which she faced with great resolution without shredding self-pity.
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"She hated the idea of divorce, and resisted for a long time, but I watched as Tony placed her in an impossible position, demeaning her and goading her into making it inevitable," Glenconner recalled, adding that "The Princess simply concentrated on getting through all manner of upsetting things, knowing that later they would never seem as distressing as they once had."
Glenconner, who says her job was often to serve as a buffer between Princess Margaret and other people, further gave an insight on how life was with the royalty famous for her extravagant lifestyle.
From drinking gin and tonic at lunchtime, to sipping on whisky and water during the evening, Princess Margaret was also very peculiar about the people she called her friends.
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The princess was close to he aide who she often visited at her residence or island of Mustique, met Roddy Llewellyn during one of Glenconner and her husband's parties."When she first came with her husband, we gave them a tour of the island — riding on a bench strapped to a trailer and towed by a tractor," she said. As per Glen, the Princess Margaret, who died at the age of 71 due to a stroke, visited the island several times before her house, Les Jolies Eaux was built.
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"She was also a frequent guest at Glen, our house on the Scottish Borders, where I entertained an enormous number of people every year.I tried to make sure the other guests would be people I thought she would like. When I was a man short one weekend and invited Roddy Llewellyn at the last minute, it turned out I'd invited someone she liked very much indeed,"
As per several reports, Margaret first met Roddy at the café Royal in Edinburgh on their way to Glenconner's husband, Colin Tennant — later Lord Glenconner's house. At the time, Roddy, 17 years younger than Margaret, was a gardener and just 25.
Their reported affair went on for eight years. The audience witnesses a glimpse of their reported romance in a much dramatised way in the season three finale of Netflix's 'The Crown'.
The relationship scandal caused a rift between Glenconner, his husband Colin and the royal family for a while.
"But it was worth it to see Princess Margaret happy," Glenconner said. However, when she watched their meeting in 'The Crown', Glenconner wasn't too pleased.
“It was very strange watching their meeting being dramatised in The Crown. They made it look as if I was pimping for her, lasciviously pointing out the attractions of the men around the pool. That would be taking being a good hostess a bit too far, in my opinion. I suppose it made for a good television scene, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. All I did was invite him to stay; the rest was down to them,” she said.
Their romance, which is believed to have come at the time the princess was in a dark depression caused by the philandering habits of her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, eventually caused a tabloid stir across the world. The two were married from 1960 to 1978.
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