Like any siblings, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret had their ups and downs, but in their situation, they also had the extra dynamic of Margaret being the “spare.” Much has been written about their relationship, but one particularly funny story was shared in the 2023 documentary The Real Crown: Inside The House Of Windsor.
In the show, Lady Glenconner, who was Princess Margaret's lifelong friend and lady-in-waiting, shared some insights into her life as a royal confidante, including one hilarious moment when Queen Elizabeth was “shushed” by Margaret.
The late Queen was visiting her sister after Princess Margaret had a stroke, and Lady Glenconner stayed downstairs to give them privacy. “I could hear The Queen going up the steps to her bedroom,” she said, adding that just “two minutes later” she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
“I went out to see who it was and there was The Queen,” Lady Glenconner recalled. “I said, ‘Ma'am, is there anything wrong?’ And she said, ‘Yes, there is.’”
It turns out Queen Elizabeth had interrupted one of her sister's favorite pastimes, and Margaret was none too pleased. “Margaret's listening to The Archers and every time I say something she tells me to shush!’” the late Queen told Lady Glenconner.
The Archers is a radio soap opera that has been running on BBC Radio 4 for more than 70 years, and Margaret was such a massive fan of the agricultural drama that she even played herself in a 1984 episode.
The ever-practical Lady Glenconner solved the problem, bringing Queen Elizabeth back to the bedroom and turning the radio off. “Then I poured them a cup of tea and left them!” she shared.
