Princess Margaret from 0 to 71 years old

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (August 21, 1930 - February 9, 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Her life changed dramatically at the age of six, when her paternal uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry divorcée Wallis Simpson. Margaret's father became king, and her sister became heir presumptive, with Margaret second in line to the throne. After the world war II, Margaret fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend. Townsend divorced his wife and proposed to Margaret early the following year. Many in the government believed that he would be an unsuitable husband for the Queen's 22-year-old sister, and the Church of England refused to countenance marriage to a divorced man. Margaret eventually abandoned her plans with Townsend and married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.The couple had a son, David, and a daughter, Sarah, before divorcing in 1978. Margaret was a controversial member of the British royal family. Her divorce received much negative publicity, and her private life was for many years the subject of intense speculation by media and royal-watchers. Her health gradually deteriorated in the final two decades of her life. She was a heavy smoker for most of her adult life and had a lung operation in 1985 and at least three strokes between 1998 and 2001. She died after suffering a final stroke on February 9, 2002.