In this colorized photograph from 1946, we don’t see the Queen of England and a spoiled party-girl princess. We see Elizabeth and Margaret, two sisters who are as close as two sisters can be, despite the different paths their lives would take and their contrasting personalities.
This colorized picture shows sisters Elizabeth and Margaret after WWII but about 6 years before Elizabeth became queen. (klimbim)
The older sister, of course, would one day become Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving monarch in history. The younger sister, Princess Margaret, would lead the life of a royal wild child with very few responsibilities and way too much time on her hands. Here is a glimpse inside the royal sisterhood of Elizabeth and Margaret.
The Tale of Two Sisters
Princess Elizabeth (right) and Princess Margaret playing with their pet chameleon in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire. (Photo by Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Getty Images)
Elizabeth, the first child of Albert Frederick Arthur George, or Bertie as he was known, and his wife, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, was born in 1926. Four years later, the couple had another daughter, Margaret. Bertie and Elizabeth were not your average British couple. Bertie was the younger brother of Edward VIII, the King of the United Kingdom. As a prince himself, Bertie’s daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, grew up as princesses, albeit somewhat removed from the royal spotlight. That all changed by a twist of fate.
An Unexpected Heir
Elizabeth had Margaret by her side when delivering a radio address (pastdaily.com)
In 1963, when Elizabeth was 10 years old and Margaret was only six, their uncle, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry the love of his life, the twice divorced American Wallis Simpson. Their father, Bertie, was crowned the new king and took the name King George VI. This profoundly changed the dynamics between sisters Elizabeth and Margaret. As the eldest child, Elizabeth became the heir apparent, the next person in line for the throne. As for Margaret, she once declared, “Now that Papa is king, I am nothing.”
Growing Up
Margaret and Elizabeth remained close their whole lives. (pinterest.com)
Growing up, Elizabeth was educated to prepare her for her future role as queen. Margaret was taught etiquette, dancing, and music. Bertie, himself the second born, understood the painful position that Margaret was in … that she would always play second fiddle to her sister. He indulged Margaret, spoiling her and giving in to her whims. Elizabeth was a serious youngster who was studious and protective. Margaret was more spontaneous and impish. Bertie quipped, “Elizabeth is my pride, but Margaret is my joy.”
A Stoic, Reserved Queen
Queen Elizabeth II. (harpersbazaar.com)
Elizabeth was just 26 years old and a newlywed when her father, the king, died. Elizabeth took her place as the new Queen of the United Kingdom. Although the British public loved to follow stories of her and her dashing husband, Prince Phillip, they found her to be rather reserved and boring. Margaret, on the other hand, did not have the weight of the crown on her head. She enjoyed the life of a modern carefree royal by attending parties, dancing with handsome men, smoking, drinking, and dressing in the most fashionable clothes. Margaret was young, exciting, sexy, and modern … all the things her sister, the queen, was not.
The Clash of Sisters
Princess Margaret could be quite scandalous. (cheatsheet.com)
The British public was enthralled by the love story of Princess Margaret and a handsome war hero, Peter Townsend, however there was one problem with the relationship. Townsend had been married before and was divorced. The Church of England, at the time, did not recognize divorce and therefore, the Church would not approve of a marriage between Margaret and Townsend. To make matters worse, the head of the Church of England was the Queen, Margaret’s sister, Elizabeth. Although she wanted to see her sister happily married to the man she loved, she could not allow the union to take place. The public saw this as a clash between the old, out-of-date rules of the establishment and the new, modern times. In the end, Margaret conceded to her sister and ended her relationship with Townsend.
A Lady of Leisure
Princess Margaret even had a relationship with a much younger boy-toy. (historyextra.com)
Free from the responsibilities that her sister had, Margaret spent her time travelling, going to the theatre or symphony, and dancing the night away at the swankiest nightclubs around. Her exploits made for tabloid fodder. While her sister was tasked with upholding traditions, Margaret wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries of propriety. She was cast in the role of the wicked sister. When Margaret did wed, she was criticized for her lavish wedding spending. She was also criticized for renovating Kensington Palace, vacationing outside of Britain, and leaving her two-month-old child in the care of a nanny to party in the Caribbean. The brunt of the criticism came when, in 1978, Margaret became the first member of the royal family in modern times to divorce.
The Bonds of Sisterhood
Photo colorized by Klimbim.
Throughout their lives, Queen Elizabeth II was careful to never publicly comment or criticize her sister, Margaret, about her lifestyle or life choices. Likewise, Margaret did not speak publicly about the policies and decisions her sister made as queen. Although the two sisters had contrasting lives, their own personalities, and drastically different reputations, they remained close their whole lives, as we can see in this original black and white version of the colorized photo at the top of this article. Princess Margaret’s heavy smoking caught up with her. She died in 2002 at the are of 71. Queen Elizabeth today remains on the throne and is 95.
The photo at the top of this story was colorized by Olga Shirnina, aka Klimbim; you can see more of her work at her Flickr page.
