However, after the news broke out . Group Captain Peter Townsend of the RAF arrives in London with his wife Marie-Luce, 20th April 1960. ", "She could have married me only if she had been prepared to give up everything -- her position, her prestige, her privy purse," he wrote. See the article in its original context from. The BBC interrupted its scheduled radio programme to broadcast the statement. The romance between the young Princess and Group Captain Townsend, a shy, handsome hero from the Battle of Britain who worked as the Queen's equerry, captured the public's imagination. She then married the 5th Marquess Camden and had five happy years before he died in 1983. ", Mr. Brooks-Baker said that Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend corresponded from time to time but did not see each other until three years ago, when they met by chance at an official function. Margaret does not receive approval from the queen. The pilots were Flight Lieutenant Townsend, Flying Officer "Tiger" Folkes and Sergeant James Hallowes. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. In the mean time, Townsend was sent away to Brussels to serve as an air attach in Belgium for a two-year term, per his obituary. Still, Margarets love for a time transcended royal agendasand she continued her romance with Townsend for several more years. Pete Townshend. Group Captain Peter Townsend of the RAF arrives in London with his wife Marie-Luce, 20th April 1960. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend was a Royal Air Force officer and was Equerry to King George VI between 1944 and 1952, later sustaining said title for Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 up until 1953. He was 80 years old and had been ill for some time. In later years, Group Captain Townsend had a varied career as a wine buyer, a United Nations adviser and the author of six books. . The Queen sent a private message of condolence to Group Captain Townsend's widow, Marie Luce, the palace said. Notorious YouTube prankster strikes again: How Daniel 'Jarvo' Jarvis invaded The Oval, X Factor stage, a 'My hatred for you keeps me alive and we will never forgive you', father tells drink-driver who was Is this the real reason Amazon 'axed' Jeremy Clarkson? Townsend served as air attach in Brussels from 1953 to 1956. As for Belfast and the launch of the liner, imagine how the news of the adjoining bedrooms of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend would have gone down just a month before she was a bridesmaid at her sisters wedding. In 2003, she supported him after his arrest for viewing child porn on the internet. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC & Bar (22 November 1914 - 19 June 1995) was a British Royal Air Force officer, flying ace, courtier and author. It was 1992 and he was in London to attend a reunion of those who had travelled with the Royal Family in 1947. Armstrong-Jones and Margaret filed for divorce in 1978, the first divorce in the royal family since Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon in the 16th century. But, mindful of the Church's teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others." After a series of strokes left the princess wheelchair-bound, she died in her sleep on February 9, 2002. The couple were married in December 1959. Mr. Townsend was married to Miss Hannah Hawxhurst and had sons, Peter, William and Isaac, and daughters Anne, wife of Solomon Townsend proprietor, in connection with William Townsend, of the Augusta Iron Works on the Ramapo, and Sallie, who became Mrs. Dr. Anthony Davis, of Goshen. Townsend and his wife, Rosemary Pratt, Marchioness Camden, were divorced in 1952 after 11 years of marriage. However, the British government prepared plans in the event that Margaret would decide to marry Townsend after turning 25. And since Margaret was not yet 25 years old, she required marriage approval from her sister, the queen, who ultimately refused to give it on account of the captain's marital history. When Princess Margaret turned 25 and was no longer bound to do what her sister told her, it was widely expected that she and Group Captain Townsend would announce their engagement. And two of Queen Elizabeth's sons, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, have separated from their wives, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York. Yet she was then still only 16. At that time, the Princess was third in line for the throne, after the Queen's two children at the time, Charles and Anne. Group Captain Peter Townsend is the former fiance of HRH The Princess Margaret Group Captain Peter Townsend's former wife was Rosemary Pratt, Marchioness Camden. He joined the Royal Air . It was his divorced status which eventually made it impossible for Margaret to marry him, as both the Church of England and parliament suggested they were firmly against the match. Find out about Group Captain Peter Townsend & Marie Luce Townsend Married, children, joint family tree & history, ancestors and ancestry. Townsend and Pawle divorced in 1952. On 17 July 1941 at Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, she married Peter Townsend (1914-1995). Magazine, due to the monarchys stance, it was suggested that she be removed from the line of succession but keep her royalty in order to marry Peter. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. An avid traveler, foodie, helicopter parent and couch film critic, Sarah is originally from Minneapolis and has spent the last two decades unsuccessfully trying to figure out the difference between a hoagie and a sub. It was the last time they saw one another. Townsend, a hero in World War II, was a commoner, 16 years older than the princess, and he'd been divorced. [27], Townsend was a director of one of Gerald Carroll's Carroll Group companies. [20] In the same year, the appointment was made permanent, and he served until 1953 when he became Extra Equerry,[21] an honorary office he held until his death. "It is only by seeing him in this way that I feel I can properly decide whether I can marry him or not," she writes. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Astley was born on June 12, 1947 to Edwin Astley and Hazel Balbirnie in Grappenhall, Cheshire. 43 Squadron, shot down a Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 of 4./KG 26 near Whitby. But last week, Brown used his Mail column to reveal that someone who had read his book has unearthed fresh information which some might view as startling. She tells Eden in a letter that she would need to meet him face-to-face again in order to arrive at her final decision. The R.A.F. Did Princess Margaret Marry Peter Townsend? Bookmark. Most famously, she fell in love in the early 1950s with Peter Townsend, a married RAF officer in the royal household. Return fire from the Dornier hit the Hurricane coolant system and Townsend was forced to ditch 20 miles (32km) from the English coast, being rescued by HM Trawler Cape Finisterre. In January 1943, he was appointed commanding officer of RAF West Malling in Kent. And Townsend could scarcely keep her in the manner to which she had been accustomed. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. At the time of their meeting, Townsend was married with two children. Net Worth in 2021. Photo: ullstein bild via Getty. In later years, Margaret reportedly told a confidante, "We rode together every morning in that wonderful country, in marvelous weather. According to the New York Times, the former couple "corresponded from time to time but did not see each other" until meeting by chance at an official function. "It is only by seeing him in this way that I feel I can properly decide whether I can marry him or not," she wrote. The stories are moving and heartbreaking! Townsend and his wife . Despite dating in secret for several years, rumors of their romance spread following their attendance at the Queen's coronation, following the death of King George the previous year. We may have to wait 13 years for that deadline to expire to learn the unvarnished truth. . The couple were married in December 1959. She could have married me only if she had been prepared to give up everything her position, her prestige, her privy purse, he wrote in his memoir. You would expect a teenage princess to be bored being toted from country to country with all the pomp and ceremony involved in State visits. As Princess Margaret herself later told a confidante: We rode together every morning in that wonderful country, in marvellous weather. 36 Squadron RAF in Singapore, flying the Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bomber. 1953: Peter Townsend proposes to Princess Margaret Townsend proposed to Margaret in 1953. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Princess Margaret was a teenager when she first met Peter Townsend. Peter married his first wife,Read More In May 1941, by now an acting wing commander and credited with shooting down at least 11 enemy aircraft, Townsend was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Group Captain Peter Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC and Bar is portrayed by actor Ben Miles Townsend is a former Group Captain in the Royal Air Force and fought in WW2. Mark Phillips. Mon 8 Jun 2009 19.01 EDT. Three years later, in 1995, Townsend died from cancer. Despite the media trying to put an insidious spin on the age gap, Townsend was reported as saying he showed no interest in her when they first met, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. (English and Spanis. Peter Townsend Dies at 80; Princess Margaret's Love, https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/21/obituaries/peter-townsend-dies-at-80-princess-margaret-s-love.html. Margaret and Jones eventually divorce in 1978 due to their extramarital affairs, but maintain a friendship up until the end of Margaret's life in February 2002. He was the husband of Evelyn M. (Kauffman) Knoblauch. February 1 will see worst strikes chaos yet as teachers, train drivers, airport Rail union boss admits striking train drivers have seen pay soar by 17 PER CENT in real terms since 2009 Hospital is accused of risking patients' health by asking their FAMILIES to help on wards during strikes. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend was a Royal Air Force officer, and was equerry to Princess Margaret's father, King George VI, until the King's death in 1952. Peter Townsend was appointed to the royal household in 1944 by King George VI after serving in World War II. The forbidden romance between Princess Margaret (b. August 1930 - February 2002) and Captain Peter Wooldridge Peter Townsend (November 1914 - June 1995) was revisited in its final chapters throughout the fifth season of The Crownthough their love story in real life was sadly more doomed.. Though they got engaged, a royal wedding wasn't in the cards for the Royal Air Force pilot and the princess, 16 years his junior. Townsend was born in Rangoon, Burma, to doctor's son Lieutenant Colonel Edward Copleston Townsend, of the Indian Army,[1] and his wife, Gladys, daughter of H. Hatt-Cook, of Hartford Hall, Cheshire;[2][3][4] his father had married aged 42, 20 years older than his bride. 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