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How did Princess Margaret die and why was she cremated?

November 8, 2022

In recent seasons of Netflix’s “The Crown,” Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, Princess Margaret, is mostly portrayed as the life of any party. The charming and witty royal, so far portrayed by actors Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter, can be seen winning over all audiences – often with a gin and tonic in one hand and a smoking cigarette in the other.

The extent to which Margaret’s habits contributed to her health problems later in life has long been debated by those who knew her well.

Last season of “The Crown” left viewers with the impression of an uneasy princess who enjoyed her drink but also began seeking treatment for depression. Season 5 will scrutinize this last half of Princess Margaret’s life with Lesley Manville portraying it.

With the start of the final season, here’s everything to know about the princess’s health before her death and the details of her final days.

How old was Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, when she died?

Princess Margaret died aged 71 on February 9, 2002 at King Edward VII Hospital in London.

Princesses Elizabeth (L) and Margaret (SIPA via AP)

What caused Princess Margaret’s death?

At the time of Princess Margaret’s death, newspapers noted that her death followed her long-standing struggle with heart and lung problems.

Others thought his self-indulgent lifestyle may have contributed. The royal’s friends, however, refuted those claims in an article for The Guardian published a week after his death.

At the time, friends of the princess pleaded for her, pointing out that she grew up in a time when smoking and drinking regularly was part of the norm.

“Of course the princess grew up in a time when drinking and smoking were much more acceptable,” a friend explained. “We all did. However, I don’t believe she was addicted to alcohol. It’s nonsense. She just got used to it.”

Margaret died in 2002 after a series of heart and lung conditions. In 1985, the princess, who was a heavy smoker, underwent surgery to remove part of her left lung, according to a Washington Post obituary. From 1998 to 2001, she suffered several strokes which affected her eyesight and mobility. In 1999, she badly burned her feet in a hot bath, which also impacted her ability to walk. She suffered a stroke the day before her death and had developed heart problems, The New York Times reported.

Why was Princess Margaret cremated?

The day after her death, ‘royal watchers’ told The New York Times that Princess Margaret chose to be cremated so her remains could lie next to the tomb of her father, King George VI, in a vault specially designed to contain it specifically.

Princess Margaret, 1948. (PA via Getty Images)

In keeping with her rebellious reputation, the princess broke with what is generally expected of a member of the royal family and chose to be cremated. His cremation took place at Slough Crematorium.

According to The Guardian, the princess was the first member of the royal family to be cremated in the century since the procedure became legal.

Did Queen Elizabeth cry at Princess Margaret’s funeral?

While attending the funeral of her sister, Princess Margaret, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth II openly showed her grief over her loss.

A 2016 Vanity Fair article written by Reinaldo Herrera, a friend of the sisters, describes the Queen’s unconventional show of emotion.

Queen Mother Margaret Queen (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“The Queen has lost her most intimate companion,” Herrera wrote. “Never explaining anything to the world – how she feels or why she does what she does – is part of her greatness. But for a few minutes that day as she stood by the chapel steps St. George at Windsor Castle, watching his sister’s coffin carried away, his eyes betrayed her.

This article originally appeared on TODAY.com