Princess Margaret's Wake-Up Routine Reveals She Indulged Like A Queen

Sep 18, 2022 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926 to the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father became King Edward VIII which made Elizabeth his heir. Princess Margaret, her younger sister, was born a few years later in 1930. While Feb. 6, 1952, marks the day that Queen Elizabeth, then 26, became the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, it also has a sad meaning — it's the day that her father, King George VI, died. Anyone who's watched Netflix's royal drama series "The Crown" they'll be aware that Elizabeth was being primed for her future role as queen even while her father was still alive and he was king. 

When Queen Elizabeth took over the throne, Princess Margaret and her assumed separate roles in the royal family yet remained close in their sisterly relationship. Princess Margaret became a socialite who was known for partying at all hours of the night. Sources have shared that Princess Margaret acted how her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II, could not. However, despite their different lifestyles, the sisters never let their bond fail. That is not to say they didn't share hard times, yet they always conquered them together and remained as much of a team as any sister pair could. 

Princess Margaret was also remarkably beautiful. Her morning routine gives insight into how she maintained her beauty as well as her indulgent lifestyle. Her lifestyle, although royal like her queen sisters, was also very different. In the 2018 book 'Ma'am Darling' by Craig Brown, readers catch an intimate look at Princess Margaret's life. A peak into the royal's mornings shows that although royal, she was also just like the rest of us, and indulged in a queen-like morning of leisure. 

According to ABC.Net, Princess Margaret knew that her role fell short of her sisters. "When there are two sisters, and one is the Queen, who must be the source of all honour and all that is good, the other must be the focus of the most creative malice, the evil sister," she said.  

Princess Margaret shared that while her sister had to act a certain way, she enjoyed not having that burden. "Disobedience is my joy," she shared. 

Margaret also noted that despite how different they were from one another, she looked up to her older sister. Andrew Duncan, who wrote "The Reality of the Monarchy," shared that Margaret said, "My sister has an aura. I'm enormously impressed when she walks into a room. It's kind of magic. In my own humble way, I've always tried to take some of the burden off my sister. She can't do it all.." 

The two sisters lived under the same roof at Kensington Palace for the duration of their lives. And although under the same roof, they led very different daily lives. According to Ma'am Darling by Craig Brown, the princess spent her mornings and evening afternoons lavishly. Her days were spent with a slow start and on her own schedule. 

She would start her day not early or late but at 9:00 a.m. According to Town & Country, in his book, Brown wrote, "9:00 a.m.: She has breakfast in bed, followed by two hours in bed listening to the radio, reading newspapers ('which she invariably left scattered over the floor') and chain-smoking."

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After taking in her share of the news and cigarettes, Princess Margaret moved on with her morning. "11:00 a.m.: She gets into a bath run for her by her lady's maid," Brown wrote according to Town & Country.  

Next, the princess would begin her long routine of getting ready for the day. "Noon: An hour in the bath is followed by hair and make-up at her dressing table, then she puts on clean clothes — 'as one would imagine of a Princess, she never wore any of her clothes more than once without having them cleaned," the book stated. 

Unlike most people, Princess Margaret started consuming alcohol at an early hour. "12:30 p.m.: She appears downstairs for a vodka pick-me-up," the book said. "1:00 p.m.: She joins the Queen Mother for a four-course lunch 'served in an informal manner from silver dishes,' with a half bottle of wine per person plus 'fruit and a half dozen different varieties of native and Continental cheeses.'" 

According to Hello Magazine, in the documentary "Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal," Princess Margaret was described as "She became an icon. She went to Italy, and people were just totally hounding her. They actually broke into her hotel room to find out what nail varnish she was wearing, and that was recorded in the press." 

According to The Cut and Margaret's biographer, Christopher Warwick, Margaret took a path of her own. "There are things that we do that you don't expect royalty to do, and doing this was pretty cool and trendy and shocking at the same time, but she was perceived as being a very glamorous trendsetter. In many ways she was," Warwick shared.

What do you think of Princess Margaret's morning routine?! Would you like to start your day how she used to? If you found this article interesting and insightful— send it to family and friends who will be interested too!