The Crown: How the marriage of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones broke down

How much of The Crown season three is actually true to real-life events?

(Rex Features)

The third season of The Crown gives viewers an insight into the marriage of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, also known as Lord Snowdon.

Previous seasons examined Margaret’s failed relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, which broke down after the royal family refused to publicly acknowledge the romance, so the prospect of a happy marriage for the Queen’s sister is tantalising. But unfortunately the Netflix drama ends in heartbreak.

But how much of what we see on screen is actually fact, rather than fiction? Did the Princess really get caught by the tabloids having an affair on holiday with gardener Roddy Llewellyn? And did Antony Armstrong-Jones really go on to marry Lucy Lindsay-Hogg, the woman he was having an affair with, while still married?

Here, we explore key moments leading up to, and following, the royal couple's split.

Princess Margaret, Antony Armstrong-Jones/ Rex Features (Rex Features)

1960

On 6th May 1960, Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones married at Westminster Abbey.

The couple had been dating in secret for several months, and had announced their engagement in February the same year.

The ceremony was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television.

Princess Margaret, Antony Armstrong-Jones/ Rex Features (Rex Features)

1969-1974

Rumours that the couple's marriage was in trouble started circulating towards the end of the decade - plagued by accusations of infidelity on both sides.

Unconfirmed newspaper reports speculated that Armstrong-Jones was having affairs as early as 1969.

In 1973, came the first public display of a rift as Princess Margaret did not attend her husband, Lord Snowdon's, birthday party.

A year later, in 1974, she did the same again - choosing instead to go on holiday to the island of Mustique without her children or spouse - missing his birthday.

There were also reports that Margaret was conducting extra-marital affairs, with one man in particular, Roddy Llewellyn.

Royal history Hugo Vickers, who wrote 'The Crown Dissected', confirms Margaret and Roddy, who was 17 years younger, were an item.

They had met during a trip to Scotland in 1973, three years before the Princess and her husband confirmed their marriage was over.

Roddy Llewellyn/ Rex Features (Rex Features)

1976

In February 1976 pictures of Margaret and Llewellyn together were published, says Vickers.

Although it didn't happen exactly how it does in the Netfix series: "Despite what the episode portrays, a press photographer did not find his way on to Mustique and take snaps of Roddy rubbing sun cream into Princess Margaret’s legs," he says.

Margaret then had no choice but to publicly confirm, in March, that she was separating from Lord Snowdon.

By now the couple had two children together: David and Sarah.

A statement from Kensington Palace said: "Her royal highness, the Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart.

"The Princess will carry out her public duties and functions unaccompanied by Lord Snowdon. There are no plans for divorce proceedings."

Armstrong-Jones was in Australia at the time of the announcement.

1978

Two years later a spokesperson for Margaret confirmed to The New York Times that the royal would be getting a divorce.

By that point the couple had been living apart for 24 months.

The same year, Lord Snowdon announced he was getting re-married - to Lucy Lindsay-Hogg.

Lindsay-Hogg had been in the background for some time and, just as in The Crown, Princess Margaret did refer to her as "the thing" in real life too, Snowdon's biographer later confirmed.

Armstrong-Jones and Lucy Lindsay-Hogg/ Rex Features (Rex Features)

1978

Just months after the official divorce is announced, Armstrong-Jones announced that he would be marrying Lucy Lindsay-Hogg.

The pair had been conducting an affair prior to the separation and Lindsay-Hogg was pregnant.

In July 1979, Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones was born.

Princess Margaret died on 9 February 2002 and Lord Snowdon died on 13 January 2017.