'The Crown' Season 3 Finale: Testament to sisterly bond between Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret as Britain enters turmoil of 70s
Spoiler alert for 'The Crown' Season 3 Episode 9 — 'Cri de Coeur'.
As the final episode of Season 3 of Netflix's 'The Crown' starts, Princess Margaret is reeling from knowing that her husband, Tony, is having an affair. Even as the family gathers to celebrate her birthday, Tony is absent.
And so, Margaret goes off in 1973 to take her mind off of her personal strife. Later on, Lady Anne Glenconnor, who served as Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting for more than 30 years, introduced Margaret to a young man named Roddy Llewellyn.
Roddy, 17 years her junior, remembered meeting the Princess after her death in 2002, telling The Telegraph that, "I discovered a warm and witty woman, possessing a strong sense of duty and dedication to her country's interests, who has honored me with her friendship since that first house party that was so filled with fun and laughter."
Though Lady Anne felt guilty for this introduction that led to scandal, the affair lasted eight years and led to Princess Margaret's divorce from Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon.
Though Llewellyn married another woman in 1981, he always remembered his time with the Princess warmly. Moreover, after Princess Margaret's funeral, Lady Anne reportedly said, "After Princess Margaret's funeral, the Queen, she said, 'I'd just like to say, Anne, it was rather difficult at moments, but I thank you so much [for] introducing Princess Margaret to Roddy 'cause he made her really happy.'"
As the episode nears its end, Princess Margaret overdoses on sedatives -- which was based on a real event when Llewellyn left on an impulsive trip to Turkey as her ladies-in-waiting kept Lord Snowdon away from her as she recovered.
It is when she is recovering in the episode that the Queen talks to her of her own misgivings of her life as queen. But as Margaret tells her, she has been calm and stable, that the royalty papers over the cracks.
It is with these final moments and the election upheavals from 1974 to 1976 that set the stage for what many describe as the age of turmoil in post-war Britain. As coal workers striked, as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) rose, it also set the stage for the rise of Margaret Thatcher, who will no doubt play a big role in the season to come.
All episodes of Season 3 of 'The Crown' are now streaming on Netflix.