As one might guess, I am always looking out for new royal biographies on the horizon. Authors are finding new sources and new approaches, and they often shed new light on their subject. Princess Margaret is one of my favourite royal figures, but she sadly hasn’t gotten much attention. When I spotted this biography, I was rather excited to see Margaret in focus again, especially in conjunction with her sister. Today I’m sharing Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters with you, and why it is now one of my favourite royal biographies. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC of this book!
Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, Andrew Morton (30 March 2021)
They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called ‘Lillibet.’ And bow to her wishes.
Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister’s antics with a kind of stoical amusement, but Margaret’s struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.
From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father’s death and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton’s latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters—one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it—and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century
Why You Should Read This…
Andrew Morton has quite the reputation when it comes to royal biographies. After Diana: Her True Story came out, he had a very specific place in royal reporting. While it was a ground-breaking book- who would have known that tapes were being snuck out of Kensington Palace?- it did have a more tabloid feel than most royal biographies. I also found that his 2018 Meghan Markle biography also skewed that way.
However, Elizabeth & Margaret has quite a different feeling to it. I’m not sure if it is because of the age of the subjects or perhaps when it took place, but this is a thoughtful and measured biography. I appreciate that Morton took a specific aspect of their lives and focused on it, rather than general biography. Focusing on their relationship made me reconsider how I viewed both of their lives, and forced me to examine how I viewed different events. Despite being incredibly close, the sisters were rarely at the same stages of life together- they took very different paths. Morton has done a fantastic job of truly examining where they were in relation to each other, and it sheds a lot of light on both of their lives.
As one might imagine, their romantic relationships are a large part of the book. We all have heard ad nauseum about Margaret and Townsend’s relationship, but comparatively little is said about her marriage in general. I found Morton’s discussion of Elizabeth’s view of Tony fascinating. Obviously their marriage was quite a difficult one, but given how in tune the sisters were, it is difficult to read how abandoned Margaret was by her sister (and their mother). However, he astutely points out that they were largely indifferent to her issues and tended to side with Tony because of how close they were with her- they understood her often difficult personality.
This biography isn’t trying to sell you the image of a battered princess, or a Hollywood starlet marrying her princess. It is looking at the sisters behind the headlines, the women who spent eight decades grounded to each other. And it does this with care and thought, far more than most modern royal biographies that I’ve read.
Royal Women Bookmarks
If you happen to need new bookmarks, my Royal Women bookmarks are perfect for your royal reading! Featuring quotes from Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Queen Victoria, this trio make a wonderful gift for you or the royal watcher in your life! You can find them here: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/975271891/trio-of-royal-women-quote-bookmarks!
Are you going to be reading Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters?
Cheers,
The Historian
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We got this in at work recently. It looks interesting & I know so little about Margaret so good to know this is a good bio.
Absolutely fantastic! Although not a traditional bio, there is still a lot to learn about Margaret (and Elizabeth 😊)