The Crown
Summary
The fatal reunification between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend is one of the most emotionally impactful moment inThe Crownseason 5 , and the aspect they share crystallize some of the distressing truths built-in in their substantial - life family relationship . Margaret has always been one of the most compelling characters inThe Crown . Her status as the secondly - born daughter of George VI mean that she had at least a chip more freedom to act on her desires than her baby , even as she also had to debate with the inhibitory realities of being in such nigh proximity to the reigning Danaus plexippus .
The characters inThe Crownhave had to subtilize their wants and desire to the institution of the Crown , something that must always be held in esteem by the populace . The series sentence and again accent that this is a key part of what it mean to be a member of the Royal Family . Everyone from Elizabeth on down had to reckon with the reality of how this impacted their everyday lives ; some rebelled more than others , withMargaret in particular repeatedly showing a disregard for the airless moralityso associated with her older sister .
The Crown embarks on its last journey in season 6 , with part 1 dealing with Diana ’s tragic death & setting up the futurity for the new multiplication .
Princess Margaret & Peter Townsend’s Relationship Explained
Their Love Was True But They Were Forced Apart
The Crownseason 5 was theculmination of Princess Margaret ’s well - established dynamic with Peter Townsend , which had been handle before . time of year 1 showed viewers how much the duo truly get it on one another despite their significant difference in status . So it was particularly grievous to see how they were forced apart by the dictates of the Crown and by a young Queen Elizabeth ’s refusal to peril its moral legitimacy . Their reunion in season 5 , episode 4 , " Annus Horribilis , " is thus all the more significant , as it shows how much they have never stopped be intimate each other . Each has found some form of happiness elsewhere , meaning their human relationship remains defined by its unrequited nature .
The Crownseason 1 paid a lot of aid to the burgeoning romance between the equerry and the princess . Theirs was truly a honey match rather than one made for political adherence . However , Townsend ’s status as a divorced human being and Margaret ’s age ( she was young than 25 ) make numerous bounds that proved unsurmountable , particularly since Elizabeth , as the Head of the Church of England , would n’t countenance her sister marrying a divorced man . Margaret was finally forced to abandon her design , and they each went on to espouse other people .
Did Princess Margaret & Peter Townsend Really Meet Again In 1992?
Was The Reunion Real?
The Crownseason 5 takes liberties with truth , and it often imagines how conversations might have give-up the ghost , to such an extent that Netflix was even pressured to add a disavowal . However , it was true that Margaret and Peter did meet again in 1992 after living separate life and having gotten married to other people when they run across one another at an official function . They also shared a base on balls in the gardens of Kensington Palace , after which they parted ways , with Margaret remark to a friend that Townsend had exchange unco little .
A similar scene occurs in the serial when the two encounter one another at a vet ’s reception inThe Crownseason 5 . The two long - separated lovers partake an aroused dance where it becomes clear just how much they still find for one another . They later take the air through the garden at Kensington Palace , reminiscing about the many happy moments they shared several decades prior . However , there is also a shadow asTownsend inform Princess Margaret that he is dying , making it clear that their love is again fatten out to be foreclosed upon by forces neither of them can control .
Princess Margaret Never Saw Peter Townsend Again Before His Death
The Sad Truth
Tragically , the real Princess Margaret never visit Peter Townsend again after their encounter in 1992.Townsend had been diagnosed with stomach cancer , and this would ultimately claim his living a few years later , in 1995 . Princess Margaret did not attend the funeral of her dear champion and former lovemaking interest , thoughThe Crownis exact in showing that the Queen did send a private alphabetic character of commiseration ( viaAssociated Press ) . No doubt Margaret stick by from the funeral so as not to be a distraction and maybe out of consideration for Townsend ’s widow .
The Crownseason 5 does n’t go into much more story particular after the reunion that Margaret and Peter part , but it ’s vindicated how much their meeting intend to her . When he say her that he know he‘s dying , it ’s a brawny monitor of just how much their separation has cost them . No matter how much they might still have feeling for one another , and no matter how much they might have like to have spent at least some time together , there simply is n’t enough clip for them to do so .
Why Princess Margaret’s Story Is So Tragic In The Crown
She Might Be The Show’s Most Tragic Character
Princess Margaret had to give up much of her happiness for the institution of the Crown to persist above reproach . The Crownseason 5 reveals just how much of a bell this has learn on her . In many crucial way , he is the love of her life , and she never fully recover , as her failed romance with Antony Armstrong - Jones and Roddy Llewellyn richly show . All of her subsequent relationships are seen as a pallid shadow of that one ardent romance , which helps to explicate why her marriage to Antony Armstrong - Jones ended in divorce .
It has become increasingly light just how much Margaret has have as a outcome of her allegiance to her babe and to the Crown . The Crownseason 5 made this point expressed when Margaret confronted Elizabeth after atragic fire broke out at Windsor Castle , implying that she might have had a motive in jell it , considering how much rationality Margaret had to be bitter at the monarchy and her baby in special . This powerful interchange gives Margaret a chance to lastly mouth openly about her tragic lot and highlights how much she had sacrifice on her babe ’s behalf .
