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Emma Shacklock

Princess Margaret’s 'absolutely livid’ reaction to her loyal Lady-in-Waiting marrying revealed

Princess Margaret’s absolutely livid reaction to friend's wedding revealed. Seen here presenting prizes at 'Champion Children'

Princess Margaret’s “absolutely livid” reaction to her loyal Lady-in-Waiting marrying was revealed and it seems she even “dressed down” for the wedding. 


She might’ve been the Queen’s sister but Princess Margaret, the Countess of Snowdon is often thought of as somewhat of a royal rebel. From Princess Margaret’s affair with a gardener 17 years younger than her to Princess Margaret’s extravagant lifestyle with her six-week honeymoon, she’s known for leaving royal protocol behind and enjoying life to the fullest. However, when it comes to her inner circle tying the knot it’s been suggested that the Countess of Snowdon wasn’t always the life and soul of the wedding celebrations. 

Instead, she apparently found it difficult to watch her inner circle marrying. So much so that her long-time Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Anne Glenconner once detailed Princess Margaret’s “absolutely livid” reaction to her wedding. 

(Image credit: Photo by Monty Fresco Jnr/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Getting candid about Princess Margaret’s views on her “set” marrying in Part 1 of the 2018 BBC documentary, Princess Margaret: The Royal Rebel, Lady Glenconner claimed that it didn’t go down well. 

“Princess Margaret never liked any of her set marrying. She liked them all to be with her,” Lady Glenconner explained. “She wanted to keep…She loved this set and she liked being at the center of it.”

Lady Glenconner went on to recall Princess Margaret being “furious” when she became engaged to her late husband Colin Tennant, the future Lord Glenconner and how she apparently couldn’t disguise her less-than-impressed reaction on their 1956 wedding day.

(Image credit: Photo by Norman Potter/Central Press/Getty Images)

The former Lady-in-Waiting declared, “She was absolutely furious when Colin got engaged to me. But, of course, she sort of *had* to come to our wedding, she and the Queen Mother came to our wedding at Holkham.”

The historic Holkham Hall in Norfolk is the ancestral home of the Earls of Leicester, Lady Glenconner’s family. Her and Lord Glenconner’s high-profile society wedding took place on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday in 1956 and Princess Margaret reportedly “dressed down” for the occasion. 

“Princess Margaret, actually, was what I call dressed down; she wasn’t very jolly,” Lady Glenconner said, before comparing her to the Queen Mother who she dubbed “lovely”. 

“The way [the Queen Mother] was smiling and everybody waving. And Princess Margaret standing there beside her looking absolutely livid,” Lady Glenconner claimed.

(Image credit: Bettmann via Getty)

The thought of the ever-glamorous Princess Margaret arriving “dressed down” and “livid” at the wedding of her close confidante might come as a surprise to plenty of royal fans. But despite her reported reaction as she attended the Glenconner’s wedding, it was here that (whether she noticed him or not) Princess Margaret seems to have met her own future husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones.

Affectionately referred to as ‘Tony’, the Lady-In-Waiting explained that Antony took the photographs at the Glenconners’ wedding. Though according to her, Princess Margaret “wasn’t introduced” to Antony at the event or if she was, it likely didn’t resonate with her at the time. Four years later Princess Margaret and Antony announced their engagement and married three months afterwards. 

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