A new biography claims that Princess Margaret may have suffered from foetal alcohol syndrome caused by the Queen Mother’s drinking.
The syndrome, which results from a baby’s exposure to alcohol in the womb, can lead to distinctive facial features, learning difficulties, emotional challenges, and problems with impulse control.
Biographer Meryle Secrest has re-examined the princess’s life through the lens of modern understanding of the condition.
In her forthcoming unofficial biography, Princess Margaret and the Curse, Secrest puts forward the theory that the late royal, who died in 2002 aged 72, may have lived with an “invisible disability” caused by foetal alcohol syndrome.
Princess Margaret ‘may have suffered effects of Queen Mother’s drinking’, explosive biography claims
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According to the book, while Margaret did not exhibit some of the syndrome’s most recognisable facial features, such as a smooth philtrum and small eyes, she did experience mood swings, stunted growth, difficulties learning to write, and debilitating migraines, all of which are associated with the condition.
The biography draws on existing accounts of the Queen Mother’s drinking habits in later life. One former equerry claimed that throughout the day she would enjoy gin and Dubonnet, two parts pink vermouth to one part gin, as well as wine and port, before reaching the 6pm “magic hour” when martinis would be served.
Foetal alcohol syndrome was not well understood until the 1970s, according to the book, suggesting that the Queen Mother would not have been advised to avoid alcohol during her pregnancy with Margaret. However, there is no direct evidence to confirm that alcohol was consumed during the Queen Mother's pregnancy.
In letters written during her earlier pregnancy with Elizabeth II, she implied she was avoiding alcohol at the time. In a 1925 letter to the future King George VI, she wrote: “The sight of wine simply turns me up! Isn’t it extraordinary! It will be a tragedy if I never recover my drinking powers.”
The Queen Mother pictured drinking Champagne in 2001
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The biography does not suggest that the late Queen Elizabeth II suffered from any condition.
Now 95, Secrest has compared Margaret’s known behaviours with those of people affected by the syndrome. She notes that children with foetal alcohol syndrome may often misbehave and struggle with emotional regulation. The biography recounts how Margaret’s family and nurses considered her “naughty” and “mischievous and provocative”, including one incident where she sank a boat during a rowing lesson by removing the plug from the hull.
The book also claims she was impulsive and would “blurt out the truth”, a trait often observed in those with the condition. In 1974, the Princess suffered a nervous breakdown.
Margaret’s private life later became the subject of public scrutiny. Her marriage to Lord Snowdon ended in divorce after both had extramarital affairs.
Princess Margaret was known to be a heavy smoker throughout her lifetime
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The book further notes that stunted growth is a common symptom of the condition, with Margaret standing at just 5ft 1in. It also claims she had a poor awareness of physical danger, citing an incident where she appeared unconcerned after setting her hair on fire during a family gathering.
Secrest references the work of Dr Kenneth Jones, a leading expert who first formally identified foetal alcohol syndrome in 1973.
While Secrest presents comparisons between Princess Margaret’s life and traits associated with the condition, there is no clinical diagnosis or direct evidence that she had an alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment when approached by GB News.
Princess Margaret and the Curse: An Inquiry into a Royal Life will be published by US-based Skyhorse Publishing on September 9.