Sibling relationships are often fraught with tension and rivalry.
The late Queen Elizabeth II and her younger sister,Princess Margaret, could have easily been adversaries.
The two shared a special bond, though, that endured through their decades in the royal limelight.
Still, the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and her sister was not without its ups and downs.
Elizabeth wasborn on April 21, 1926, andMargaret on August 21, 1930.
At the time, their father held the title of Prince Albert, Duke of York.
In those early years of their lives, the two sisters reportedly lived very similar lives.
“They were twins.”
It was reportedly Margaret who put together what their father becoming king meant for her older sister.
According to the Channel 5 documentary “Elizabeth: Our Queen” (viaHello!
From that moment on, the sisters' lives were different.
Not only were they suddenly in the spotlight, but Elizabeth’s future became set in stone.
According to Morton, their new proximity to the throne also drastically altered how the two girls were raised.
He said: “The dynamic changed; Elizabeth was treated as the heir presumptive … Their governess, Marion Crawford, described the tender relationship between the two.
“Lilibet was very motherly with her younger sister.
I used to think at one time she gave in to her rather more than was good for Margaret.
The two were tutored at home rather than sent to school.
According to Glenconner, both royals received a well-rounded education, but Elizabeth’s was more rigorous.
“She always minded about not being educated as well as the Queen,” Glenconner toldPeople.
“The Queen had people from Eton and Cambridge, naturally.
But Princess Margaret was never part of that.
[Margaret] had a governess and was taught to play the piano and speak French.
She was very well read and would have really enjoyed being educated in a more stringent fashion.”
“She was very intelligent and she valued education.
So I think that’s the only thing she used to talk about …
But otherwise, there was no jealously at all,” she said.
The way the young princess was indulged was not appreciated by palace staff, said Bradford.
The young Margaret was also something of a jokester, unlike her sister.
Princess Margaret was more outgoing than Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret had very different personalities.
Their contrasting temperaments reportedly suited Elizabeth nicely.
While the pantomimes were their mother’s idea, they helped Princess Margaret find a gift for performance.
“They could go at it,” she said (viaExpress).
“Marion Crawford, their governess, had said they didn’t hesitate to argue and fight.
Elizabeth apparently had a good left hook whereas Margaret wasn’t shy to bite her sister in return.”
Talk about a royal rumble!
“There would have been more rivalry.
She never said anything.”
The love between the two is indisputable.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Ok!
that Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, had a direct line to the queen (viaMarie Claire).
Margaret’s friend, Reinaldo Herrera, revealed inVanity Fairthat the two women were in constant communication.
Was Princess Margaret jealous of Queen Elizabeth?
Royal biographer Andrew Morton toldVogue: “Margaret was Elizabeth’s backup in the nicest possible way.
It’s a complex relationship; it’s one of loyalty and support, but also primal jealousy.”
She could be seen crying as Margaret’s coffin was moved to a hearse.
