What Queen Elizabeth thought of Princess Margaret’s affair with Roddy Llewellyn
Queen Elizabeth II might not have always approved of her only sister’s choice of lovers but was reportedly grateful when she met Roddy Llewellyn. A new documentary claims that Her Majesty thought Princess Margaret’s love life was “rather difficult at moments,” but she was still glad her sister found happiness somehow.
In the new documentary “Elizabeth: Our Queen,” Margaret’s friend Lady Anne Glenconner said that the Queen found her younger sibling’s affair with Roddy "difficult." The landscape artist, who was 17 years younger than Margaret, had an eight-year relationship with her.
Lady Anne said she felt “rather guilty” for introducing Roddy to Margaret. The couple’s relationship was said to be a factor in Margaret’s divorce with then-husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, the 1st Earl of Snowdon.
“But after Princess Margaret’s funeral, the Queen, she said, ‘I’d just like to say, Anne, it was rather difficult at moments, but I thank you so much [for] introducing Princess Margaret to Roddy ‘cause he made her really happy,’” Lady Anne told the Channel 5 documentary (via the Mirror).
Margaret, who died in 2002, was one of the most controversial royals of her time. While her sister, the Queen, married her only love, Prince Philip, she was said to be rather flighty in her partner choices. In 1953, she shocked the monarchy when she announced her intention to marry Peter Townsend, a divorced father of two who was 16 years older than her. She later declined the proposal after it was made apparent that her position in the royal household would be changed.
She then married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960 instead. Their wedding was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television, attracting 300 million viewers worldwide. The couple, who had been made Earl and Countess of Snowdon, had two children together, David Armstrong Jones, Second Earl of Snowdon, and Lady Sarah Chatto.
Their marriage was reportedly plagued with extramarital affairs on both parties. Princess Margaret herself was rumoured to have had her first affair with her daughter’s godfather, Anthony Barton, just six years after her marriage. She was also said to be romantically linked to several men, the last of which before the official fall of her marriage was with Roddy.
Margaret died at the age of 71 on Feb. 9, 2002 after suffering a stroke.
