page_title: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
section_title: Post-war years
hierarchical_section_title: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon / Post-war years
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Prinzessin Elisabeth, Queen Elisabeth, Winston Churchill, Georg VI. und Prinzessin Margaret am Balkon des Buckingham Palaces. Anlass sind die Feierlichkeiten des VE-Day Español: De izquierda a derecha, la entonces princesa Isabel (actual Isabel II) vestida en uniforme, su madre, la reina Isabel Bowes-Lyon, el Primer Ministro Winston Churchill junto con el Rey Jorge VI, y la princesa Margarita. Italiano: Da sinistra a destra: la allora principessa Elisabetta (in seguito Elisabetta II), sua madre, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, all'epoca regina consorte; il primo ministro britannico Winston Churchill; il re Giorgio VI e la principessa Margaret, sorella di Elisabetta II
context_page_description: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, CI, GCVO, GCStJ, CD was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II.
  Margaret spent much of her childhood with her parents and sister. Her life changed dramatically at the age of six, when her paternal uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry divorcée Wallis Simpson. Margaret's father became king, and her sister became heir presumptive, with Margaret second in line to the throne. During the Second World War, the two sisters stayed at Windsor Castle despite suggestions to evacuate them to Canada. During the war years, Margaret was considered too young to perform any official duties and instead continued her education.
  After the war, Margaret fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend. In 1952, her father died, her sister became queen, and Townsend divorced his wife, Rosemary. He proposed to Margaret early the following year. Many in the government believed that he would be an unsuitable husband for the Queen's 22-year-old sister, and the Church of England refused to countenance marriage to a divorced man.
context_section_description: At the end of the war in 1945, Margaret appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with her family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Afterwards, both Elizabeth and Margaret joined the crowds outside the palace, incognito, chanting, "We want the King, we want the Queen!"
  On 15 April 1946, Margaret was confirmed into the Church of England. On 1 February 1947, she, Elizabeth and their parents embarked on a state tour of Southern Africa. The three-month-long visit was Margaret's first visit abroad, and she later claimed that she remembered "every minute of it". Margaret was chaperoned by Peter Townsend, the King's equerry. Later that year, Margaret was a bridesmaid at Elizabeth's wedding. In the next three years Elizabeth had two children, Charles and Anne, whose births moved Margaret further down the line of succession.
  In 1950, the former royal governess, Marion Crawford, published an unauthorised biography of Elizabeth's and Margaret's childhood years, titled The Little Princesses, in which she described Margaret's "light-hearted fun and frolics" and her "amusing and outrageous ... antics".
  As a beautiful young woman, with an 18-inch waist and "vivid blue eyes", Margaret enjoyed socialising with high society and the young, aristocratic set, including Sharman Douglas, the daughter of the American ambassador, Lewis Williams Douglas. A celebrated beauty known for her glamour and fashion sense, Margaret was often featured in the press at balls, parties, and nightclubs. The number of her official engagements increased (they included a tour of Italy, Switzerland, and France), and she joined a growing number of charitable organisations as president or patron.
  Her 21st birthday party was held at Balmoral in August 1951. The following month her father underwent surgery for lung cancer, and Margaret was appointed one of the Counsellors of State who undertook the King's official duties while he was incapacitated. Her father died five months later, on 6 February 1952, and her sister became Queen.
caption: Margaret (far right) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her family and Winston Churchill on 8 May 1945
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