PRINCESS MARGARET
IT is now more than two years since into the world's press there began to trickle reports and speculations about the attachment, and the possible marriage, of Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend. During this time, except for a criticism of the press for plaguing the Group Captain (a criticism not altogether merited perhaps, since the Group Captain seems hardly averse from talking to reporters). the Spectator has made no comment since the matter was regarded as the private concern of Princess Margaret. This view cannot now be maintained, especially after the extra- ordinary announcement from Clarence House last week (a statement that no statement was to be made—yet) and the well-reported and photographed comings and goings of the Past few days. Newspapers of such standing as the Manchester Guardian and the Sunday Times have devoted leading articles to the subject, written from almost diametrically opposite Points of view. The affair has passed out of the realm of private into that of public concern, and there is no longer any virtue in abstaining from comment, however unpopular that comment May be and however greatly it is to be regretted that the Private life of Princess Margaret should be exposed to public discussion.
The course of events has on any view been highly unfor- tunate. Certain newspapers have assiduously inculcated the idea that Princess Margaret and Group Captain Townsend would be doing something almost heroic in marrying. This erroneous view has done a great deal to mould public opinion, the more so because the Group Captain is a commoner; and so the effect has been doubly unfortunate, because this fact is one Which few if any today think is a valid reason for opposing a marriage. Other things being equal it would be a wholly excellent thing for the Princess to marry a commoner. Nobody should underestimate the strains and stresses to be withstood by those perpetually in the public's adoring eye, and everyone Must sympathise with the desire of Princess Margaret to marry the person of her choice. But the unfortunate fact remains that by marrying Group Captain Townsend the Princess would indubitably be harming that Church of which she is a devout member and of which her sister the Queen is the Supreme Governor. The Archbishop of Canterbury has already been subjected to a flood of vicious criticism for doing (if he has in fact done so) what was nothing less than his plain duty to do.
Nor is it unlikely that Princess Margaret by marrying Group Captain Townsend would be harming the Monarchy. The Marriage would certainly give hurt and offence to many of the Queen's most loyal subjects both here in the United Kingdom and overseas, and one of the functions of the Monarchy, successful here as nowhere in the world, is above all to cement, not to divide. But with the great majority it is clear that, their natural kindly sentiment fanned into something closer to hysteria by the popular press,, the marriage would be fantastic- ally popular. The ettitude of unhealthy adulation, criticised by Christopher Hollis in a recent article in the Spectator, which the public adopts to the Royal Family would be wildly intensified by Princess Margaret's marriage to the Group Captain. But Princess Margaret herself is far too intelligent to suppose that her marriage would be right merely because the majority of the public is strongly in favour of it. Such an argument is indeed the reductio ad absurdum of democracy. Great matters are at stake here. The Sunday Times in its comment said that this 'is a controversy splitting Church and State more profoundly than anything for 300 years.' This is probably putting it too high. But the marriage would surely entail a certain amount of constitutional arrangement and almost certainly a withdrawal from Princess Margaret of some of her responsibilities—responsibilities which, during the past few years, she has shouldered so ably and so charmingly, to the admiration of the entire Commonwealth.
But things have gone very far, and owing to the hysterical clamour of the press it has recently, and rapidly, become impossible to see the matter in simple terms of black and white. If the marriage would be unfortunate, it is not at all clear that a failure to marry, though preferable, would be much less unfortunate in its effects. It takes no great effort of the imagina- tion to foresee how an announcement that Princess Margaret was definitely not going to marry the Group Captain would call down from the popular press a torrent of abuse upon the Archbishop of Canterbury and his fellow bishops, upon some of the Royal Family and possibly also upon certain members of the Government. It is too late to hope that the errors of approach and emphasis could be easily corrected. The fury of the popular press, owing to the fairly general misconception of the matter, not to mention the irresponsibility with which it has forced the issue right into the forefront of the popular imagination, would probably be echoed by the greater part of the public, although it is possible that Group Captain Townsend, were he inclined to do so, could prevent much of this by a personal announcement.
In the circumstances, now that the matter is rapidly approaching the point of crisis in a general atmosphere which serves to confuse the issues,almost beyond hope of disentangle- ment, we can only sympathise with those whose duty it is to make the decisions, and finally to wish, whatever the outcome of those deliberations, happiness to Princess Margaret.
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