The Queen had a strong relationship with Princess Margaret since childhood, and no doubt her younger sister was on her mind on Wednesday, the 20th anniversary of Princess Margaret’s death.
Princess Margaret died on February 9, 2002, at the age of 71, and the queen issued a heartfelt remark at the time.
Buckingham Palace said at the time: “The Queen, with great sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made immediately.
“The Queen, in profound grief, has requested that the following announcement be issued as soon as possible,” Buckingham Palace said at the time.
“Her loving sister, Princess Margaret, died softly in her sleep this morning at 6.30 a.m. in The King Edward VII Hospital.” Her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, were by her side.
“Princess Margaret had another stroke yesterday afternoon.” She went into cardiac arrest throughout the night and was taken from Kensington Palace to The King Edward VII Hospital at 2.30 a.m. Lady Sarah and Lord Linley accompanied her, and The Queen was kept informed throughout the night.
“Elizabeth, Queen of England The Queen Mother and other Royal Family members have been notified.”
The Prince of Wales also paid tribute to his “darling aunt” in a moving television interview the day after the announcement, saying: “This is a terribly sad day for all my family, but particularly for the Queen, my mama, and my grandmother, the Queen Mother, and also for Princess Margaret’s children, David and Sarah, and also my aunt’s wonderful friends who, like all of us, miss her deeply.”
Margaret’s death occurred just three days after the 50th anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI. On 15 February 2002, a private funeral service was performed at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for family and friends, followed by a state memorial service at Westminster Abbey in April 2002.
Only seven weeks after the death of her younger sister, the Queen endured another heartbreak when the Queen Mother died on March 30, 2002, at the age of 101.
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