Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II
Pictured: Princess Margaret, the Queen play with their pet chameleon July 8, 1941 on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II once broke her younger sister Princess Margaret’s heart, and the latter resented her for it.

In the Channel 5 documentary “Royals at War,” royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter revealed that the Queen’s opposition towards Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend’s affair caused a huge conflict between the royal siblings. Unfortunately, the rift between the Queen and Princess Margaret never really healed.

“The Church was not going to give any special dispensation and the politicians were not going to okay it. So it became ever more apparent that the only way it was going to go ahead as if Margaret gave everything up,” Arbiter said.

Her Majesty’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, also recounted how the Queen warned Princess Margaret about no longer becoming a princess if she chooses to marry Townsend. And if she is no longer a princess, she could no longer live at Kensington Palace. Additionally, Princess Margaret could not receive money from the civil list.

As such, Princess Margaret made a difficult decision on Oct. 31, 1995, to put her duties and responsibilities as a royal ahead of her love for Townsend. On the said date, she released a statement confirming that she would no longer marry the love of her life.

“I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing of my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage. But, mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious to my duty to the Commonwealth, I have decided to put these considerations before any others,” Princess Margaret’s statement read.

Royal author Katie Nicholl said that from that moment on, Princess Margaret and the Queen’s close relationship changed. She said that there was always a part of Princess Margaret that resented her older sister for not giving her the blessing to wed Townsend.

The Queen’s decision led to difficulties and tensions in their relationship throughout the years.

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