The Original Princess Of Style

Decades beforethe outfits of Diana, Princess of Wales, were filling the fashion magazines, there was another icon of style in the household of Windsor.

- Katharine Wootton

Princess Margaret’s dazzling fashion sense and tumultuous life captured the attention of the world. Today, 16 years after her sad passing, interest in the Queen’s sister is again at a height, partly due to the hit Netflix drama, The Crown. Back for a new series later this year, actress Helena Bonham Carter will take over the role of the Princess in her middle years. At the same time the BBC has recently shown a two-part documentary called Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal, exploring how her life and loves influenced the times she lived in.

Unlike her sister who was expected to maintain a diplomatic image, all while showing her support for British designers, Princess Margaret was held by no such boundaries. And she took full advantage of that. So when the French fashion house Dior created the New Look in 1947, with its cinched-in waists and long full-bodied skirts, Margaret immediately became almost the poster girl for the look.