The fateful reunion between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend is one of the most emotionally impactful moments in The Crown season 5, and the scenes they share crystallize some of the sad truths inherent in their real-life relationship. Margaret has always been one of the most compelling characters in The Crown. Her status as the second-born daughter of George VI meant that she had at least a bit more freedom to pursue her desires than her sister, even as she also had to contend with the repressive realities of being in such close proximity to the reigning monarch.

The characters in The Crown have had to sublimate their wants and desires to the institution of the Crown, something that must always be held in esteem by the public. The series time and again emphasized that this is a key part of what it means to be a member of the Royal Family. Everyone from Elizabeth on down had to reckon with the reality of how this impacted their everyday lives; some rebelled more than others, with Margaret in particular repeatedly showing a disregard for the stuffy morality so associated with her elder sister.

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Princess Margaret & Peter Townsend's Relationship Explained

Their Love Was True But They Were Forced Apart

The Crown season 5 was the culmination of Princess Margaret’s well-established dynamic with Peter Townsend, which had been addressed before. Season 1 showed viewers how much the pair truly loved one another despite their significant differences in status. So it was particularly heartbreaking to see how they were forced apart by the dictates of the Crown and by a young Queen Elizabeth’s refusal to jeopardize its moral legitimacy. Their reunion in season 5, episode 4, "Annus Horribilis," is thus all the more significant, as it shows how much they have never stopped loving each other. Each has found some form of happiness elsewhere, meaning their relationship remains defined by its unrequited nature.

The Crown season 1 paid a lot of attention to the burgeoning romance between the equerry and the princess. Theirs was truly a love match rather than one made for political bonds. However, Townsend’s status as a divorced man and Margaret’s age (she was younger than 25) created numerous boundaries that proved insurmountable, particularly since Elizabeth, as the Head of the Church of England, wouldn’t countenance her sister marrying a divorced man. Margaret was ultimately forced to abandon her plans, and they each went on to marry other people.

Did Princess Margaret & Peter Townsend Really Meet Again In 1992?

Was The Reunion Real?

The Crown season 5 takes liberties with accuracy, and it often imagines how conversations might have gone, to such an extent that Netflix was even pressured to add a disclaimer. However, it was true that Margaret and Peter did meet again in 1992 after living separate lives and having gotten married to other people when they encountered one another at an official function. They also shared a walk in the gardens of Kensington Palace, after which they parted ways, with Margaret remarking to a friend that Townsend had changed remarkably little.

A similar scene occurs in the series when the two encounter one another at a veteran’s reception in The Crown season 5. The two long-separated lovers share an emotional dance where it becomes clear just how much they still feel for one another. They later walk through the gardens at Kensington Palace, reminiscing about the many happy moments they shared several decades prior. However, there is also a shadow as Townsend informs Princess Margaret that he is dying, making it clear that their love is again fated to be foreclosed upon by forces neither of them can control.

Princess Margaret Never Saw Peter Townsend Again Before His Death

The Sad Truth

Tragically, the real Princess Margaret never saw Peter Townsend again after their meeting in 1992. Townsend had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and this would ultimately claim his life a few years later, in 1995. Princess Margaret did not attend the funeral of her beloved friend and former love interest, though The Crown is accurate in showing that the Queen did send a private letter of condolence (via Associated Press). No doubt Margaret stayed away from the funeral so as not to be a distraction and possibly out of consideration for Townsend’s widow.

The Crown season 5 doesn’t go into much more narrative detail after the reunion that Margaret and Peter share, but it’s clear how much their meeting meant to her. When he tells her that he knows he‘s dying, it’s a powerful reminder of just how much their separation has cost them. No matter how much they might still have feelings for one another, and no matter how much they might have liked to have spent at least some time together, there simply isn’t enough time for them to do so.

Why Princess Margaret's Story Is So Tragic In The Crown

She Might Be The Show's Most Tragic Character

Princess Margaret had to give up much of her happiness for the institution of the Crown to remain above reproach. The Crown season 5 reveals just how much of a toll this has taken on her. In many important ways, he is the love of her life, and she never fully recovers, as her failed romances with Antony Armstrong-Jones and Roddy Llewellyn amply demonstrate. All of her subsequent relationships are seen as a pale shadow of that one impassioned romance, which helps to explain why her marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones ended in divorce.

It has become increasingly clear just how much Margaret has suffered as a result of her allegiance to her sister and to the Crown. The Crown season 5 made this point explicit when Margaret confronted Elizabeth after a tragic fire broke out at Windsor Castle, implying that she might have had a motive in setting it, considering how much reason Margaret had to be bitter at the monarchy and her sister in particular. This powerful exchange gives Margaret a chance to finally speak openly about her tragic circumstances and highlights how much she had sacrificed on her sister’s behalf.