How sisters Elizabeth and Margaret forged strong bond
The arrival of a little sister when you are only four and anxious for instant playmates is exciting at any time. In the early world of the young Elizabeth, waiting for the new baby was the most wonderful anticipation and brought with it great childhood joy.
And though little Margaret Rose developed a very different personality from her big sister, the two grew close and united, and remained so until Princess Margaret died in 2002 aged 71, just seven weeks before the passing of their mother, at 101.
Their deaths were a painful and double bereavement for the Queen in her Golden Jubilee year, half a century after her father had died and for her, the end of an age.
Growing up, she and her pretty, confident, witty sister were in some ways like chalk and cheese, but as children, actually a perfect complement to each other.
Elizabeth was always the more reserved but with enormous inner strength. Margaret was to become the joy of her many devoted friends, great fun to have around and to be totally relied on to liven up the party.
In their adult years, inevitably life was very different. And the Queen’s younger sister was to suffer years of ill-health and personal disasters before she died at a relatively young age. Elizabeth was busy being Queen!
One cryptic comment of the day recorded how lucky it was given their characters, that Elizabeth turned out to be the eldest. And so the heir apparent.
But their childhood years were as close as possible and they forged a bond, which despite their differences, proved solid and unbreakable.
At Royal Lodge, Windsor, they spent many halcyon days working in, cleaning and improving The Little House, a gift from the people of Wales to Princess Elizabeth.
As a result, while it’s true that royal children of the day were not exposed to all of life’s practical lessons, the girls knew all about the proper cleaning of rooms and the brand names of every cleanser, polish and household powder.
They spent many hours together drawing and painting, loved dressing up and regularly entertained the extended family at Christmas with their own inventive pantomimes.
That Elizabeth was devoted to her dogs and horses and Margaret drawn magnetically to theatre, entertainment and the arts, may have signified very different interests, but from little girls what divided them was nothing compared to what cemented them together.
It used to be said that Princess Margaret grew envious of her sister’s mighty role in royal history. In fact, there was little evidence to support that. Without a doubt, Margaret enjoyed public attention but would never have wanted the great responsibilities which accompanied the Crown.
Indeed there is much to suggest that she became a sisterly confidante for the serious and dutiful Elizabeth.
And through all the scandals, heartbreak and disasters which beset the younger sister, the Queen was loyal, helpful and supportive to the end.
They loved each other and that was that!
