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When Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret's extra-marital affair hit the tabloids

How Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret's extra-marital affair caused troubles for the royal family

By Web Desk
November 23, 2020

How Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret's extra-marital affair caused troubles for royal family

Queen Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, is probably one of the most controversial figures of the British royal family, owing to the long list of scandals she has been a part of. 

One such scandal involved the late princess, second in line to the throne, having an extra-marital affair with a man named Roddy Llewellyn who was 18 years younger than her. 

This happened when Margaret was still married to her first husband Anthony  Armstrong-Jones, the First Earl of Snowdon. However, mounting differences and escalating tensions pushed both parties to find love outside of their unhappy marriage. 

Heartbroken after finding about Anthony's cheating antics, Margaret jetted off for a private vacation in Mustique, a private island that is part of the Grenadines. It is then when she met Roddy, who she fell for in an instance, and the two starting dating each other. 

However, all hell broke loose when a paparazzi clicked pictures of Princess Margaret and her new-beau in an intimate setting at the beach. The snaps are still regarded as one of the darkest moments in the history of the royal family.

At the time, the pictures were everything that the gossip-hungry tabloids craved for and Margaret's love affair became a nation-wide scandal shortly after. 

The controversy tarnished the reputation of the Queen's sister as well as the royal family, after which she became the favourite subject of paps and tabloids. 

Members of parliament even spoke out against her, calling her a “royal parasite” who wasted taxpayer funds and Llewellyn as her “toy boy,” a disposable lover who symbolised her opposition against the old customs of royal life.