The untold story of Princess Margaret’s forbidden first love

When Townsend returned from Belgium in October, Margaret said that if she married him, she would have to give up her right of succession, her annual income of £6,000 on the civil list, the title of HRH, and her status as a member of the royal family. Public opinion was divided over what she should do, while some members of the royal family also felt conflicted. Craig Brown’s biography of Princess Margaret, Madam Darling, notes that when the Queen Mother became concerned about where Lady Townsend might live in the future, Prince Philip replied, “with great sarcasm”, that “it is still possible, even at the present time, to buy a house”.

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In 1978, Townsend recalls how he found himself in the middle of a media whirlwind. He said: “During 19 really difficult and painful days in a flat in London that was very kindly lent to me, I was surrounded by 50 or 100 journalists who came from all over the world. In these circumstances, with the world press discussing this situation and with us discussing it in every capital of the world, we had to come to this decision.”

On 31 October, BBC news reader John Snag interrupted regular programming to read a brief statement from the Princess. In it she said: “I was aware that, provided I renounced my rights of inheritance, it might be possible for me to enter into a civil marriage. However, having regard to the teaching of the Church that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I resolved to put these considerations before any others.”