Peter Wooldridge Townsend

Peter Wooldridge Townsend was born on 22 November 1914 in Rangoon, Burma, where his father was a doctor in the Indian Army. He attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College, and joined the Royal Air Force in 1930. He trained at RAF Cranwell and became a pilot officer in 1935. He served in various squadrons in England and Singapore, flying biplane fighters and torpedo bombers. He was promoted to flight lieutenant in 1939. During the Second World War, Townsend distinguished himself as a fighter pilot and a flying ace. He shot down the first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil in February 1940, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in April 1940. He later received the Distinguished Service Order and a Bar to his DFC for his bravery and leadership. He commanded several squadrons and stations, and participated in the Battle of Britain and the Dieppe Raid. He was shot down over France in 1942 and spent several months as a prisoner of war before escaping with the help of the French Resistance. He returned to England in 1943 and became a wing commander. He was appointed an equerry to King George VI in 1944, and continued to serve in this role until 1952. Townsend became romantically involved with Princess Margaret, the King's younger daughter, who was 16 years younger than him. Their relationship became public after the King's death in 1952, when Townsend was seen brushing off a piece of lint from Margaret's coat at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. However, their marriage was opposed by the Church of England, which did not allow divorcees to remarry while their former spouses were alive. Townsend had divorced his first wife, Rosemary Pawle, in 1952 on the grounds of her adultery. He had two sons with her, Giles and Hugo. The Queen was willing to give her consent to their marriage under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, but only if they waited until Margaret turned 25 in 1955. She also faced pressure from the British government, which threatened to resign if she approved the marriage. The couple agreed to wait, but during this time public opinion turned against them. Many people saw their relationship as immoral and unpatriotic, while others sympathised with their plight. Townsend was sent to Brussels as an air attaché in 1953 to avoid further scandal. In October 1955, Margaret announced that she had decided not to marry Townsend, saying that "mindful of the Church's teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others". She later said that she made this decision on her own, without any pressure from anyone. Townsend said that he respected her decision and wished her happiness. Townsend married his second wife, Marie-Luce Jamagne, a Belgian woman who bore a striking resemblance to Margaret, in 1959. They had three children: Isabelle, Marie-France and Pierre. Townsend retired from the RAF as a group captain in 1956, and became a writer. He wrote several books on aviation and royalty, including Duel of Eagles (1970), The Last Emperor (1975) and Time and Chance (1978), an autobiography. He also appeared as himself in several documentaries and TV programmes. Townsend died of stomach cancer on 19 June 1995 at his home in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, France. He was 80 years old. He was buried in the local cemetery. Princess Margaret sent a wreath of flowers to his funeral, but did not attend. She died in 2002, aged 71.