How did Princess Margaret die? What to know about her final days and cremation

Throughout past seasons of Netflix’s “The Crown,” Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, Princess Margaret, is depicted mainly 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 every audience — often with a gin and tonic in one hand and a smoldering cigarette in the other.

How much Margaret’s habits contributed to her health struggles later in life has long been discussed among those who knew her well.

Last season of “The Crown” left viewers with the impression of an ill-at-ease princess who enjoyed her drink but also began seeking treatment for depression. Season 5 will peer into this later half of Princess Margaret’s life with Lesley Manville portraying her. 

With the latest season debuting, here is everything to know about the princess’s health in the lead-up to her death and the details around her final days.

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

Princess Margaret died at 71 on Feb. 9, 2002, at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London. 

This 1940s photograph shows then-Princess Elizabeth (left) beside her sister, Princess Margaret.

SIPA via AP

What caused Princess Margaret’s death?

At the time of Princess Margaret’s death, newspapers noted that her death came on the heels of her longtime struggle with heart and lung problems.

Others believed her self-indulgent lifestyle may have contributed. Friends of the royal, however, refuted those claims in a piece for The Guardian published a week after she died.

Princess Margaret in October, 1956.

AP

At the time, the princess’s friends argued on her behalf, underlining that she grew up in an era when smoking and drinking regularly were part of the norm.

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

Margaret died in 2002 after a series of heart and lung-related illnesses. In 1985, the princess, who was a heavy smoker, had surgery to remove part of her left lung, according to a Washington Post obituary. From 1998 until 2001, she had several strokes that impacted her sight and mobility. In 1999, she severely scalded 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?

In the aftermath of her death, “royal watchers” told The New York Times that Princess Margaret had opted to be cremated so that her remains could fit alongside her father King George VI’s grave in a vault that was made especially to hold him specifically.

Princess Margaret, 1948.

PA via Getty Images

In keeping with her rebellious reputation, the princess broke from what was typically expected of a royal family member and chose to be cremated. Her 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 her sister Princess Margaret’s funeral 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, described the queen’s unconventional show of emotion.

Queen Mother With Queen And Princess Margaret At Badminton in 1973.

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

“The queen lost her most intimate companion,” Herrera wrote. “Never explaining anything to the world—what 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 steps of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, watching her sister’s coffin being borne away, her eyes betrayed her.”