The well-known journalist and fashion guru Susannah Caroline is reminiscing about her time with the Royal family.
Susannah Constantine and Viscount Linley
The successful author, Susannah Constantine spoke to People about her 8-year relationship with Princess Margaret's son David Armstrong-Jones. During this time in the '80s, she grew quite close with his mother Princess Margaret.
Susannah describes the Queen's sister as "one of the most emotionally intelligent people I have ever met. I felt listened to by someone who I loved dearly and respected and admired. I was very lucky to have someone like that in my life."
Susannah distinctly remembers an embarrassing moment where the straps of her dress snapped during a royal diner at Windsor Castle. A butler quickly brought safety pins and Princess Margaret "was fantastic and took me to the loo. She re-did [the safety pins] so that they weren't seen. We were laughing so much."
It was this fond memory that inspired Susannah's podcast My Wardrobe Malfunction. In the podcast, she speaks to prominent guests about their style over the years and their similar embarrassing fashion moments.
Although her relationship with the Queen's nephew ended, her friendship with Princess Margeret continued. Margaret even organized her engagement party before her big wedding to her current husband Sten Bertelsen.
Well known for her cheeky moments, Margaret even decisively sat next to Sten Bertelsen and was "saying 'David and Susannah were so in love.' I was almost kicking her under the table asking her to stop. She did it all with a twinkle. Sten saw right through it. It was her mischievous side that was enchanting and playful and naughty. There aren't many mothers of ex-boyfriends who would do that!"
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The Strictly Come Dancing contestant explained on Women's Hour, "My mother was at her worst at the time I was going out with David and Princess Margaret was someone I could turn to." Her mother suffered from manic depression that strained their relationship so she was lucky to be able to go to Princess Margaret who was "incredibly warm and welcoming."
Constantine fondly recalls her time alongside Princess Margaret whom she calls a "surrogate mother."
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family
Susannah was even a first-hand witness to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's interactions with the Royal family. Many have seen the way their relationship was via the portrayal in The Crown where PM Thatcher walked into a tense Balmoral while the Royal family simply stared at her.
Susannah recalls a time Margaret Thatcher visited the Royals where the party went to a small fishing hut for tea and Thatcher was "incredibly bossy." Apparently, "The Queen would want to pour everyone's tea and I remember Margaret Thatcher almost booting her out of the way to pour the tea herself for everyone. She wanted to take control. That's the one thing that I remember."
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