Look-alike makeups: Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret, countess of Snowdon, (1930–2002) was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II.

She was a controversial member of the British Royal Family: a romance with a divorced courtier in the 1950s; an unhappy marriage leading to an acrimonious divorce beset with accusations of adultery; a subsequent very public affair with a much younger man. After her death there were revelations of wild parties, drug taking and further affairs, including, allegedly, one with the daughter of an American ambassador.

I met her once when she was Chancellor of my university and thought she was an obnoxious woman – though not on account of any of the above.

The movies & TV shows

The Princess’ Gangster (2011): Forthcoming …

The Queen (2009): One episode of this really turgid mini-series about Queen Elizabeth II featured the relationship between the queen and princess Margaret (Katie McGrath) during the Peter Townsend affair. Jutta Russell was the makeup designer.

The Princess and the Gangster (2009): If anyone can supply images of Nichola Lindsay as princess Margaret in this dramatised documentary, please themakeupgallery.

The Queen’s Sister (2005): covers all of the above and pretty much every other bit of scandal aired in the posthumous documentary Margaret: The Secret Princess. Lucy Cohu played Margaret from the 1950s through to lonely old-age. John Cormican was responsible for the prosthetics; Anna Morena & Kate Roberts were makeup artists.

Churchill: The Hollywood Years (2004): tells a very different version of history with Neve Campbell as the future Queen Elizabeth, Jessica Oyelowo as princess Margaret and Miranda Richardson as Eva Braun. The makeup chiefs were Sarita Allison & Magdalene Gaffney.