She was “a selfish woman” who had lived “a blindingly mediocre life”.Indeed, it is hard how quite to explain the bitterness many commentators seemed to feel against the old and ailing Princess. Certainly, the times she had ushered in brought more direct confirmation of her various liaisons, and allegations of a suicide attempt over Llewellyn, which she denied. There seemed too to be a growing consensus that her decision not to marry Townsend had been selfish, that she had preferred to remain royal.Perhaps, though, above all, she was being blamed for killing the fairy tale, the ultimate act and rather post-modern self-destruction of a Dark Princess.. The comparison was obvious but cruel. “Diana got far more flowers than this,” said a tall Englishman with a sneer in his voice as he looked down at the dozen or so floral tributes laid on the grass outside Kensington Palace.

They barely filled the grass space that had been marked off for them with crash barriers “Ah yes,” said a man with a French accent. “But Diana was young.”

The comparison was obvious but cruel. “But Diana was young.”The announcement came from Buckingham Palace yesterday morning. The Queen, “with great sadness”, wanted to announce that her beloved sister had “died peacefully in her sleep”.Yesterday afternoon, the scented mounds that gathered after the death of the so-called People’s Princess were absent So were the crowds. Only a hundred or so people stopped at the edge of the park to watch Princess Margaret’s coffin pass by, and many of those were journalists. Two police outriders came first, then the hearse with the coffin draped in a royal standard, then another car. The Princess’s family were already inside, mourning in private.”Poor little thing,” said a woman with a refined accent, as she watched the procession, clutching a white handkerchief “I feel glad for her that she’s dead She suffered so much, but I’m sorry for the Queen Mother.

This will kill her.”While the trickle to join the crowd outside the palace was slow, broadcasters responded swiftly to Princess Margaret’s death, interrupting morning programmes with news flashes and special tributes. In an unprecedented move, the producers of Radio 4’s The Archers scripted an extra scene for the soap’s weekly omnibus, in which Ambridge shopkeeper Jack Woolley reminisced about the Princess’s famous visit to the village 18 years ago.Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace postponed a planned release of two photographs of the Queen from its Golden Jubilee portfolio. The pictures, both of which depict their subject smiling, were deemed inappropriate, given the solemnity of the occasion.Back at Kensington Palace, after the hearse had passed through the gates of the palace, the small crowd dispersed. A few men began to play football alongside the five broadcast trucks parked on the Broad Walk.Perhaps if the Princess had died soon after she broke off from Group Captain Townsend in 1955, she might have wrung more tears from the old-fashioned royalists. Margaret was an old-fashioned princess: a great beauty in her youth, with such a strong sense of duty that she gave up the man she loved. There were holidays in Mustique and appearances in gossip columns, but for the last years of her life Margaret, unlike Diana, never gave the impression that she felt she owed the public something.This time there was never any question about the flag flying at half-mast over Buckingham Palace – but even on the day of her passing, among those few who stopped in the street, Margaret was eclipsed by Diana.Once again the Family will be asking itself why..

“The only constants in the blindingly mediocre life of Princess Margaret would appear to be privilege, illness and lashings of alcohol.” Tony Parsons in The Mirror, 2001

“The only constants in the blindingly mediocre life of Princess Margaret would appear to be privilege, illness and lashings of alcohol.” Tony Parsons in The Mirror, 2001″The Princess is vivid proof that we end up with the appearance we deserve. She looks what she is, which is a bitter, unhappy, selfish, old woman.” Lynda Lee-Potter, Daily Mail, 2001″We have a son who is two and a half who rushes in and I think jollies the whole thing on a bit and, again, renews a bit of energy in the house.” Lord Linley on Desert Island Discs last week”[The Queen's] beloved sister, Princess Margaret, died peacefully in her sleep. Her children were at her side’.” Statement issued by Buckingham Palace at 8.30am yesterday”I know the whole country will be deeply saddened She will be remembered with a lot of affection. Before she was ill she gave a great deal of service to the country.” Tony Blair”I just remember Princess Margaret being tremendously vivacious, and fun, and roaring with laughter. People said her life was a sad one, but I don’t think it was.” Lady Glenconner”Both Lord Linley and Lady Sarah are in close touch and informed me about the Princess’s death early this morning.