AUGUST 21, 1930
The first of many headline-grabbing moments, Princess Margaret made history as the first royal in the direct line of succession to be born on Scottish soil since the 1600s.
Born on August 21, 1930, at Glamis Castle, Angus – the Queen Mother’s ancestral home – Margaret was initially fourth in the line to the throne, but later became second in succession when her paternal uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson.
A celebrated socialite, Margaret, affectionately known as Margot within the family, was publicly considered one of the more scandalous royals, particularly when it came to her romantic choices. In her mid-20s, she began a relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, equerry first to her father then her sister, who was 16 years her senior and, at the time, already married.
After his divorce, Townsend proposed to Margaret but the pair were asked to keep the announcement secret until after the Queen’s coronation. As with her uncle before her, the union was
opposed by both the Church and members of the UK Government, and the pair eventually parted in late 1955.
When Margaret later married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, in 1960,the ceremony was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television. Much of the princess’s romantic life was portrayed in hit Netflix series The Crown.