Princess Margaret’s ex-husband Lord Snowdon 'left nasty notes for her to find' amid marriage troubles
The couple famously had a turbulent marriage
Princess Margaret and ex-husband Lord Snowdon’s marriage may have seemed glamorous and modern to royal observers, but the reality was reportedly very different.
The couple struggled amid their relationship in a plethora of ways. Ultimately, their connection unravelled into a messy split.
Ahead of that, Lord Snowdon allegedly had a cruel habit of getting Princess Margaret down…
Princess Margaret and ex-husband Lord Snowdon’s marriage
A former lady-in-waiting of the late princess claimed how Lord Snowdon, aka Antony Armstrong-Jones, would leave Princess Margaret nastily worded notes in her personal belongings.
He often hid them in her books and her dressing table draw for her to find when she was alone, it’s claimed.
This heart-wrenching scenario was even depicted in season three of Netflix’s The Crown.
It showed Princess Margaret opening one of her books to discover a note from Antony. The note read: “You look like a cheap pantomime dame.”
According to Lady Glenconner, Princess Margaret’s close confident and lady-in-waiting, Lord Snowdon often left notes like this for the princess to find.
Lady Glenconner said in her 2019 memoir, Lady in Waiting: “She told me, for instance, that she no longer opened her chest of drawers — she got her maid to do it instead — because Tony had developed a habit of leaving nasty little notes inside.”
Lord Snowdon left Princess Margaret ‘cruel notes’
She goes on to describe how Antony simply wrote in one note: “I hate you.”
Lady Glenconner added: “Everybody she’d ever met had always treated her with the utmost respect. Except Tony, who was spiteful in creative ways and liked writing vile little one-liners which he hid in her glove drawer, or among her hankies or tucked into books.”
Biographer Craig Brown also touched on Lord Snowdon’s harsh antics in his book, Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret.
Brown stated: “He took to leaving nasty notes on her desk, including one headed ‘Twenty Four Reasons Why I Hate You,’ which particularly upset her.
“‘I can’t think of twenty-four reasons to hate ANYBODY,’ she said to a friend.”
Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon’s relationship problems
Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon separated by 1976 after years of infidelity on both sides.
Their eventual divorce in 1978 marked the first royal divorce since King Henry VIII’s in the 1540s.
Although their love story had a miserable ending, once upon a time, their union was deemed a fairytale for the history books.
When they wed in 1960, it was the first time a king’s daughter had married a commoner in decades.
Antony Armstrong-Jones wasn’t only a seemingly good love match for Margaret, he was also a creative, a young yet well-known photographer with an artistic eye and a bohemian lifestyle.
At the time, their shared charism, humour and sizzling connection appeared to the a recipe for long-lasting chemistry. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.
Antony Armstrong-Jones’ infidelities
Despite this, Antony Armstrong-Jones already had romances outside of his relationship with Margaret.
He seemingly broke off these relationships upon the announcement of his engagement to the princess.
Biographer Anne de Courcy notes Snowdon’s relationships with actresses Jacqui Chan and Gina Ward.
Snowdon also had an illegitimate child with a former girlfriend, who was by then married to his best friend, Jeremy Fry.
This child, a daughter named Polly Fry, Anne de Courcy explains, was born while Margaret and Antony were on their honeymoon.
Anne de Courcy also explains how the infidelities amid their marriage weren’t the only thing tearing them apart, it was their similarities.
Their differences set them apart
They both enjoyed the spotlight and had humour and wit that resulted in rivalry.
Differences between the couple also played a part, according to the Snowdon: The Biography author.
Antony, also known as Tony, worked long hours during their marriage. When he did return home he had a fondness for making things.
This passion kept him in the basement of their Kensington Palace apartment working on things for long periods of time.
When Margaret would try to join him, she would swiftly be sent back upstairs, allegedly.
Unsurprisingly, amid affairs, loneliness and harsh criticism from Tony, the princess was reportedly left feeling isolated within the marriage.
Royal Insider has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
Read more: Kate Middleton’s ‘nod’ to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at palace garden party spotted by fans
So, What do you think of this story? Do you enjoy reading about Princess Margaret? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page.
