Why Queen Elizabeth’s Sister Princess Margaret Felt That Her Joy In Life Was Gone

Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, is said to be Her Majesty’s opposite, personality-wise, with a knack for creating headline-grabbing incidents. However, the modern, fiercely independent royal princess felt like her world was turned upside down when a series of strokes took away even her ability to take care of herself.

Princess Margaret felt her life to be unbearable at that point. This was revealed by one of her most trusted friends, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, in the Amazon Prime documentary “The Queen’s Diamond Decades.”

The series of strokes impaired Princess Margaret’s vision, as well as her mobility, which is probably the worst thing that could happen to a very independent person who enjoys life. Understandably, the royal thought that her situation was quite unbearable during those times.

“She said ‘the thing I think I mind the most, because of the stroke, is the complete loss of independence,’” Lady Cavendish said on the show. “She said ‘I can’t really do anything for myself.’”

After her most cherished independence was taken away from her, Cavendish felt that Margaret basically lost her famous infectious love of life. “I felt then, the joy in her life has gone. She was a wonderful, wonderful friend to me,” the royal’s friend added.

Princess Margaret eventually escaped from her unbearable situation when she died on Feb. 9, 2002, just three days after Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 50th year on the throne. The monarch was visibly moved as she bid her final farewell to her beloved younger sister at her private funeral at St George’s Chapel a few days later.

While Princess Margaret would be involved in scandal after scandal, these incidents never really affected their bond as sisters. “In terms of personalities, Elizabeth and Margaret were as different as chalk and cheese,” author Christopher Warwick said. “But despite that, there was never any break in the bond between them.”

Warwick, who wrote Princess Margaret’s authorized biography, also recalled how meeting the royal in person changed his view of her. “‘I expect before you met me, you thought I was the sort of person the tabloids said I was.’ Then she paused, and she said, ‘And now you know I’m not,’” the author narrated how the royal broke the ice on their first meeting.

Aside from her headline-hugging relationships, Princess Margaret was also known for being difficult and would sometimes pull rank. But Warwick, who got to know the royal better, insists that there’s another side to her that never appeared on tabloid reports.

“She was hugely intelligent, incredibly thoughtful and kind, and that’s the side of her by and large that was either not known or certainly wasn’t reported on,” the author explained.