The Truth About Princess Margaret's Overdose Scene in 'The Crown'
Princess Margaret continues to steal the show in Season 3 of The Crown, but amid her enviable parties, romantic exploits, and sassy demeanor, her story closes on a grim note in the finale.
Episode 10 shows the queen's younger sister, portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter, in a helpless spot: The paparazzi had just outed her affair with Roddy Llwellyn, which brought her already-crumbling marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones to its end. On top of that, Armstrong-Jones had already moved on with another woman, Lucy Lindsay Hogg.
Unsure how to cope with this new low, the princess takes a "quite critical" amount of nitrazepam, a sedative or sleeping pill, and seems to overdose in the show. The Crown doesn't go into explicit detail, but we're led to believe Margaret attempted suicide, although her motive in the show is never made clear. She survives and recovers at home.
"Did you mean it?" the queen asks Margaret, to confirm whether she intended to take her own life.
"I don't know. Possibly," she responds.
So what happened in real life?
Margaret's rumored overdose was never confirmed.
The truth is, we really don't know whether or not Princess Margaret intended to overdose; it was all based on speculation. According to The Guardian, a 1996 biography on the queen stated Margaret tried to end of her life in 1974. Time reported that the royal "suffered a nervous breakdown" as her marriage to Lord Snowdon was falling apart. However, the royal family denied the rumors, per The Telegraph in 2002.
In a separate report published the same year, Caroline Davies wrote for The Telegraph, "At the height of her distress, and unable to sleep, she took a handful of Mogadon tablets and anxious staff found they were unable to wake her." But Margaret's friends have repeatedly denied the event.
The princess herself said she was just trying to sleep.
Princess Margaret later said of the event, according to The Telegraph, "I was so exhausted because of everything that all I wanted to do was sleep . . . and I did, right through to the following afternoon."
She died in 2002 at the age of 71.
Helena Bonham Carter also weighed in.
The actress told The Hollywood Reporter that show creator Peter Morgan wouldn't have included that dark moment in Margaret's life "if there wasn't enough [proof]." She also revealed that the adaptation seen in the final cut of The Crown was a lot shorter than what was originally filmed.
"I think she suffered from real depression, Margaret. I think her friends pretty much confirmed that. She had a total breakdown when her marriage went bust, and I think she took the sleeping pills. I don't think she particularly was thinking straight. We had a longer version to the scene and that was in, but a lot was cut. What she wanted was the pain to stop because she was in such a dark place. It is shocking to know that, but I think it's a real admission of vulnerability. People who are that conspicuous are as vulnerable as anybody."
The Crown Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. Watch
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 24-hour treatment referral hotline at 800-662-HELP (4357) or visit FindTreatment.samhsa.gov for free and confidential help. In the case of a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
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