The Crown has come to an end with 6 seasons, and has spanned the lives of a lot of people who were ever associated with the British Monarchy. The former Queen is the star of the series – briefly overshadowed by Princess Diana’s fame – following the transformation of Princess Elizabeth to Britain’s longest reigning monarch. The film also focuses on the prime members of the royal family. Much talk has been done about the Queen’s children, daughter in law, and grandson, but miss out on one crucial person: Princess Margaret.
Margaret was never known for the good things in her lifetime. Her titles always came down to being the Queen’s sister, the tragic number two. Tragic, because her personality meant for her to be number one. Right after her father ascended the throne, both sisters’ lives became ranked. At the end of the day, Elizabeth was going to be the face of the nation. Margaret, on the other hand, was seen as a mere support to the future Queen. But despite all these institutional expectations, Margaret was never one to be caged into them. And as fate would have it, all she is known for is being the black sheep, or the wild gal of the royal family.
Even The Crown approaches the life of Princess Margaret focusing on the tragic side of her life. It was only tragic because the majority of Margaret’s media coverage showcased all the ‘bad’ she had done. The Crown zeroes in on Margaret’s life under her sister’s towering rank as sovereign, including her much talked about romantic and personal life. As implied by the media in season one, their intention behind having “independent voice” was only likened to slandering Margaret in the easiest and most profiting way possible. Margaret’s depiction in the series lives up to her nickname of royal rebel, by all of the three actresses who played her.
Margaret’s status as the Queen’s sister made her prone to her choices being disregarded for the welfare of the monarchy. Right from Season 1, which banks a lot on her and Peter Townsend’s done-for relationship, Margaret is a downright rebel. She is adamant that she marries, her true love. Margaret after being denied her most ardent wish to the sovereign, says with full might that she will “fail to protect her in return”. Margaret is also one of the many family members upset by the Queen’s decision as sovereign. It is only natural that that should happen, because not many have to restrict unleashing their true selves so that the more ‘important’ one is able to live in the limelight. And she does so, doing the exact opposite of what she was instructed to do as the Queen’s deputy.
An aspect of Margaret that isn’t as championed by the series is her social life. If not star royalty, she was the undecided life of the party, unafraid of what the world thinks of her. There are a lot of notable instances of her talk-instigating statements on these occasions. She is said to have called Elizabeth Taylor’s Krupp ring a vulgar looking jewel, and brazenly hijacked the band at a party to perform a concert of her own. She has taken full advantage of whatever freedom came her way, and perhaps a little more. She is shown to be more of a show-stealer compared to her sister, as Tony reads from a newspaper comparing Margaret to ‘color’ and the Queen to ‘black and white film’. S in Season 3 wraps it up in one episode, where Margaret meets her crowd in the more modern and vibrant USA.
Margaret has always been at crossroads for her whole life, having to choose one of her interests over the other. Oftentimes, that included her loyalty to the Crown, and her passions that went against it. One of it was always, her love life, as is shown in the series. It is truly difficult to understand what both the media and the public drew from royal romances, given that royalty operates on a system that is unlike normal lives. She has had a number of romances in her lifetime, earning herself a permanent space in tabloids. Her only marriage to Antony Armstrong Jones was also marred with scandals; both parties engaged in extramarital relationships. But Margaret was the one fingers were pointed at. When Armstrong Jones formally announced their separation, Margaret is remembered to have remarked at how good of an actor he is.
But in essence, The Crown stars Margaret’s misfortune as being the second, where her sadness is the most dominant emotion portrayed. Her sadness is complimented by her flamboyance, as is brilliantly portrayed by Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Leslie Manville. The latter two focus on the flamboyant part most, aligning with Margaret’s supposed freedom at the end of her life. She had given up her regency to make space for Prince Edward, after having earnestly asked the queen for work, for the one thing she knows how to do best. Margaret is also made the flagbearer for marital troubles in the royal family, as she advises Charles about navigating his troubled marriage.
Margaret, like her sister, has never once made her feelings or thoughts public to the world. What she felt about her sister, the monarchy, and her romantic interests remains privy only to her. Peter Morgan has constantly stressed that The Crown is, after all, a fictional tale based on real life. But only those extremely close to Margaret would know if he did her justice enough. Morgan paints Margaret as the fated evil sister, trapped in a world not meant for her. Yet, Morgan’s Margaret is also the Queen’s strongest pillar of support. However, the world can unanimously agree that it has failed Margaret in her remembrance. She was her unabashed princess self, known to keep people at their toes. Yet, her struggles in a lonely world were never brought to the forefront. Whether or not Princess Margaret does enter her true place in pop culture discussion, truly remains uncertain in the wake of dying royal fanaticism.