Much has recently been written about the state of Princess Margaret’s health – and her life. Some say her health is now suffering due to a life led in the fast lane. Some say that she has been sick ever since she gave up Group Captain Peter Townsend. Some say it was her divorce from Antony Armstrong-Jones that began a downward spiral in her life. I’ve read that her home in Mustique was her saving grace as it was the one place she ever found peace. I’ve read that her home in Mustique was her downfall as it allowed her to indulge herself away from the glare of the public. I’ve read she has the constitution of a Windsor male rather than its indomitable females. The theories about her have been running rampant: What do I believe?

This was a difficult subject, one that I have pondered for more than a week, because I do like Princess Margaret very much. She seems to me to be the type of person with whom I would enjoy being acquainted with; bubbly, traveling in small circles, enjoying house parties, the theater, ballet, reading and her family. Her health has always been described as fragile – even in childhood. Her governess, Marion Crawford even feared for Princess Margaret’s health when she left for her first Commonwealth tour with the rest of her family in winter of 1947. "…and for Margaret it was a trip I considered her neither old enough nor strong enough to undertake at that time." Margaret, then sixteen, was said to have suffered bouts of exhaustion throughout the journey.

Though I’ve read her health began to deteriorate after she was ‘forced’ to end her affair with divorcee Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1953, I noticed that the next report of ill health didn’t occur until 1957 when she was said to have suffered from an infection in her throat. Strep? That seems pretty normal. Throughout this time period Princess Margaret was reported to be out and about brandishing a ‘trademark’ cigarette holder and glass of Famous Grouse whisky. This seems to be right on track with what other women of the time were doing. Not as much was known about the detriment of cigarettes to ones health in the 50’s and people did used to drink more then. Also, as a patron of the arts, and the artists who defined them, and having at least as much celebrity as the artists had, it doesn’t seem extraordinary to me that she would be seen in public at cocktail parties. She was an elegant, worldly woman of her day. One of the most photographed and copied, frequently making the ‘best dressed’ lists.

She married Antony Armstrong-Jones on May 6, 1960 – with the Queen’s consent. During her 18-year marriage she suffered from several bouts of gastric upset and gastroenteritis reportedly due to the flaring of her and her husband’s ‘artistic temperaments’. Even so, her divorce proved more stressful then her marriage as in 1978 she suffered not only another bout of gastroenteritis, but also hepatitis, which damages the liver. Reportedly, she also sought psychiatric assistance to help her cope with this devastating blow.

In January 1985 Princess Margaret had a section of her left lung removed in a cancer scare. The tissue proved to be non-malignant, but since her father, George VI, and her Uncle David, Edward VIII later the Duke of Windsor, both died of lung cancer, it was thought that she needed to give up smoking ‘stat’. She didn’t. As with many of us, our crutches - be they smoking, drinking, pills, food, shopping or whatever – are what we lean on in times of crisis. Think of Sarah Ferguson’s weight. When she is happy, she is svelte. When in crisis, she gained weight. Sarah worked very hard to break the pattern making several attempts before finally conquering it. Princess Margaret’s weight didn’t change, but it is said that she increased the amount of cigarettes she smoked each day to a point of chain smoking when she was stressed. The first time this pattern is said to have emerged was in February of 1952 when she lost her beloved father. She was 22 at the time.

Her close aide, Lord Napier and Ettrick, says she did give up smoking in January 1993 when she was diagnosed in the papers with ‘suspected pneumonia’ and spent a full six months convalescing. Her health seemed to be doing fine until February of 1998 when it is reported that she suffered a ‘mild’ stroke while on holiday in Mustique. She was transported via air ambulance to Barbados and then onto London where she spent two weeks recovering in Edward VII hospital. This is the illness that I think is the worrisome one. This is one that she didn’t seem to snap back from. The following year, while in Mustique, she accidentally scalded her feet by stepping into a very hot bath. She made her appearance at Edward and Sophie’s wedding in June of 1999 in a wheel chair with bandaged feet and ankles. Apparently, she didn’t heal well. In November of 1999 she was again taken ill. The palace denied reports of another stroke. Some papers said it was because she was devastated that her son, David, Viscount Linley, had sold her home in Mustique.

In December 2000 she was reported ill over the holidays; too ill to join the family for church services at Sandringham. On January 10^th she was admitted to Edward VII hospital in London due to a loss in appetite. Margaret Goose, chief executive of the Stroke Association said, "A stroke can affect people’s ability to swallow and therefore make it more difficult to eat. Strokes can also cause depression and loss of appetite may be due to depression." She added, "We wish Her Royal Highness a good recovery."

Princess Margaret’s life has had some amazing highs and some devastating lows. She has had to live a life filled within the strict protocol demanded of a member of the royal family while possessing a very creative and talented spirit. She managed to carve a niche for herself by supporting the arts, marrying a photographer and raising two children who are artists. Her son, David, Viscount Linley, is a furniture designer and craftsman who owns a shop and has a web site. (http://www.davidlinley.com) He is also a restaurateur. He has been happily married to the former Serena Stanhope and on 2^nd July 2000 they welcomed their first child, a son, Charles. Her younger daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, is a painter who met and married fellow artist Daniel Chatto. Sarah and Daniel have two sons, Samuel (born 1996) and Arthur (born 1999) and are also considered to be a happy, stable family. Her children speak very highly of their mother.

I’m sure her home in Mustique was a place of escape, of peace and solitude as anyone’s vacation home would be. I’m sure her strokes have limited her ability to travel and live on her own (witness the scalding of her feet) and that the sale of her beloved vacation home had to have been devastating. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be mentally alert and physically unable to do all the things that you would like to do, that you’ve grown accustomed to doing. Recently, upon complaining of headaches, I was given trifocal eyeglasses – it’s to be expected for ‘a woman my age’. It blew me away. Until the doctor made the statement I hadn’t thought of myself as ‘a woman my age’! I’m sure Princess Margaret is experiencing a similar phenomenon – though to a much higher degree – in learning to cope with the physical limitations imposed as a result of her strokes. She has always been a very independent woman. It can’t be easy for her.

Acceptance will be the first step to figuring out where she goes from here. She may find comfort in taking an inventory of her years, counting all the blessings bestowed upon her. With her children and the rest of her family at her side, I’m sure she has the support she needs to transition into this new phase of life. Wouldn’t it be great if she became a writer of fiction set in the 50’s and 60’s sharing all the details of a social scene that has passed us by? Maybe the next Collette, except her most beloved character wouldn’t be Gigi, it would be… Fiona? However she chooses to live out the rest of her life, I hope we will all leave her to do so in peace. J

My best wishes are with Princess Margaret. I do hope that she continues to improve and that she can live out the rest of her life doing what makes her happy.

Next week will be the monthly report about Queen Elizabeth. Did you know that ‘Time Magazine’ named her its ‘Man (Person) of the Year’ in 1952 the year she inherited the throne? Their article is what I’ll be commenting on next week.

-- Eileen Sullivan --