As THE CROWN enters its second season, Princess Margaret is still very upset about having lost Peter Townsend. For those of you who may not recall, in season 1 Margaret was involved with Group Captain Peter Townsend, a man who had worked for her father and got close to the royal family before the king’s death. He stayed on to work in the palace for the Queen Mother after the King’s passing and his relationship with the princess continued to grow. Unfortunately, Peter was also divorced and a marriage to Princess Elizabeth had the potential to cause a great scandal for the royal family. With the Queen’s blessing, Peter was sent out of the country for two years, until Margaret reached an age where she could get married without her sister’s permission.
But even after that time had passed Margaret and Peter were denied the right to marry unless the Princess gave up her position. The couple wouldn’t be able to overcome the external hurdles to their relationship and decided to break up.
With the inevitable end of that relationship, it seems like Margaret will move on in season 2. Matthew Goode joins the cast as Anthony Armstrong-Jones (a.k.a. Lord Snowdon), a well-known portrait photographer. Margaret is intrigued by him and, most importantly, by what he represents — the freedome to choose the life she wants to lead outside of the confines of her family. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s not enamoured with the stuffy traditions of the royal family. As a man who embodies the ideals of the 1960s, being with him is a form of rebellion for Margaret.
History tells us that the pair get married, but have a tumultuous relationship. What’s to come for Margaret and Snowdon? You’ll have to tune in to season 2 of THE CROWN to see.
THE CROWN returns December 8 on Netflix.
