Princess Margaret earned a negative reputation from the press when she was still alive. She was dubbed as Queen Elizabeth’s hardheaded younger sister and was also considered as one of the worst party guests.

But according to one of her closest friends, the late royal was so much more than that. While speaking with presenter Naga Munchetty on BBC’s “Breakfast Show,” Lady Glenconner said that Princess Margaret was a wonderful human being.

Princess Margaret’s former lady-in-waiting also said that the late royal wasn’t touchy-feely like Princess Diana, and she also disliked being photographed while she was out in public. But there was no denying the fact that she loved men and enjoyed their company.

“She was very, very good with them [men]. She used to make them laugh and talk to them. And all that people don’t really know about,” Glenconner said.

But beyond the happy memories they shared, the former lady in waiting will never forget one touching thing about Her Majesty’s younger sister. In the ‘80s, Glenconner’s second son was diagnosed with AIDS. During this time, the majority of her friends stopped hanging out with her and their family for fear that they may get the disease.

“But [Margaret] always came to stay, she always saw David and Sarah, she always hugged Henry. She would come with me to the lighthouse, which is a place for young men who are dying of AIDS, quite often on their own, because their parents wouldn’t have anything to do with them or their partners have died,” she recounted.

Princess Margaret passed away in 2002 at the age of 71. The late royal was a heavy smoker, and she underwent lung operation in 1985. In 1993, she suffered from pneumonia. And between 1998 and 2001, she suffered from three strokes.

Prior to her death, Princess Margaret would step out in public with dark sunglasses to cover her eyes. She was also by a wheelchair.

Margaret the Rebel Princess
Princess Margaret is pictured above at the races at Kingston in 1955. Courtesy of Getty/Popperfoto/Contributor
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