Princess Margaret was a firecracker. Everyone who met her said so. She had this piercing blue gaze and a wit that could cut through a room like a knife, but there was one thing people always noticed the second she walked in. She was tiny. Honestly, she was much smaller than she looked in those grainy newsreels or even in the high-def recreations we see on TV today. If you’ve ever wondered how tall was Princess Margaret, the answer isn't just a number on a ruler; it’s a huge part of how she built her entire public persona.
She stood exactly 5 feet 1 inch tall.
That’s about 155 centimeters. In the world of the Windsors, where her sister Queen Elizabeth II was a modest 5'4" and her father King George VI was 5'9", Margaret was noticeably the "runt" of the litter, though she certainly never acted like it. She spent her whole life making sure her height didn't dictate her presence.
The 5'1" Powerhouse: Why Her Height Mattered
Being five-foot-one in a family of giants (relatively speaking) creates a certain dynamic. Margaret wasn't just short; she was "delicate." That was the word the press loved to use. But "delicate" implies a weakness that Margaret simply didn't possess. She was a woman who smoked sixty cigarettes a day and could outdrink most of the men in her social circle at Mustique.
There’s a funny thing about the way she carried herself. She had this impeccable posture—shoulders back, chin up—that made her seem at least three inches taller than she actually was. It’s a classic trick of the trade for petite royals. If you stand like you own the room, people forget they're looking down at you.
High Heels and Royal Protocal
Margaret was almost never seen in flats. Never. She favored high-heeled pumps, usually in classic styles that added a solid three to four inches to her frame. This brought her closer to eye level with her sister, the Queen. If you look at photos of the two of them together, you’ll notice that Margaret often wore hats that were slightly taller or more vertical in design. This wasn't an accident. It was a calculated fashion choice to bridge the gap.
👉 See also: Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper: The Affair That Nearly Broke Hollywood
She also had a trick with her hemlines. By keeping her skirts slightly shorter than the standard royal length of the time, she created the illusion of longer legs. It's a styling tip that petite women still use today, but Margaret was doing it in the 1950s with the help of designers like Christian Dior. She loved the "New Look"—that cinched waist and voluminous skirt—because it emphasized her tiny 18-inch waistline while adding enough "weight" to her silhouette so she didn't get lost in the crowd.
The "Polly Pocket" Royal vs. The Crown's Portrayal
Pop culture has a weird relationship with Margaret’s height. In The Crown, Vanessa Kirby played the younger Margaret. Kirby is 5'7". That is a massive difference. When Kirby stood next to Claire Foy (who is 5'4"), the height dynamic was completely flipped from reality. In real life, Margaret had to look up at Elizabeth. On screen, she was often looming over her.
Helena Bonham Carter, who took over the role later, is 5'2". That was much more historically accurate. Bonham Carter actually spoke about how Margaret’s height influenced her performance. She realized that because Margaret was small, she had to be "big" in every other way—big voice, big personality, big jewelry.
How Tall Was Princess Margaret Compared to Her Husbands?
The height difference in her romantic life was pretty striking, too. Her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon), wasn’t a particularly tall man by modern standards, standing around 5'8" or 5'9". But next to Margaret, he looked like a beanpole. Even more dramatic was her famous "almost-husband," Peter Townsend. Group Captain Townsend was a dashing war hero and stood about 6 feet tall.
When they were photographed together, the height gap was charming to the public but likely a logistical headache for the royal photographers. They often had Margaret stand a step higher on a staircase or positioned the camera at a lower angle to minimize the foot-long difference between them.
✨ Don't miss: What Really Happened With the Death of John Candy: A Legacy of Laughter and Heartbreak
The Physicality of a Petite Princess
It wasn't just about the clothes or the heels. Margaret’s height affected her health and her lifestyle in ways people don't often consider. Being 5'1" meant that weight gain showed up quickly, which is perhaps why she was so disciplined about her diet for much of her youth. She was famous for her "long breakfasts" in bed—mostly just coffee and fruit—to maintain that bird-like frame.
However, as she aged, her petite stature became a bit of a burden. She suffered from various health issues, including a series of strokes later in life. When you are that small, mobility issues can feel even more restrictive. By the time of her final public appearances, often in a wheelchair, the vibrant, towering personality of the 5'1" princess seemed physically diminished, which was heartbreaking for a public that remembered her as the "glamour girl" of the monarchy.
Misconceptions About Her Stature
A lot of people think she was even shorter—some rumors claimed she was barely 4'10". That’s not true. The 5'1" measurement is the official one recorded in royal biographies, including the definitive work by Christopher Warwick.
Why the confusion?
- The Queen Mother: Her mother was also very short (about 5'2"), so when they stood together, there was no "tall person" for reference.
- The Jewelry: Margaret wore massive, heavy tiaras, like the Poltimore Tiara. These pieces were so large they sometimes made her head and neck look smaller by comparison.
- The Furniture: Royal palaces are built for giants. Huge ceilings, massive thrones, and oversized carriages make anyone look like a doll.
Style Lessons from a 5'1" Icon
If you are on the shorter side, Princess Margaret is actually a fantastic case study in "power dressing" for petite frames. She understood proportions better than almost anyone in the 20th century.
🔗 Read more: Is There Actually a Wife of Tiger Shroff? Sorting Fact from Viral Fiction
- Monochrome is your friend. Margaret often wore one color from head to toe. This creates a vertical line that doesn't "cut" the body in half, making the wearer look taller.
- The Power of the Waist. She always defined her waist. Even when she moved into the looser styles of the 60s and 70s, she ensured the tailoring reflected her actual shape.
- Scale the Accessories. While she loved big diamonds, her handbags were always small. A giant tote bag would have swallowed her whole. She stuck to small top-handle bags that fit her scale perfectly.
Margaret once famously said, "When my sister and I were growing up, she was the one who had to be good, and I was the one who had to be fun." Part of that "fun" was her rebellious fashion and her refusal to be overlooked just because she was the smallest person in the room.
Actionable Takeaways for Royal Enthusiasts
If you’re researching Margaret or looking to emulate her style, keep these specific details in mind. She wasn't just "short"; she was a master of optical illusion.
Verify the Source: If you see a photo where she looks tall, check her feet. She was likely wearing 4-inch "stiletto" style heels, which were her signature in the late 50s.
Study the Proportions: Look at photos of her at the 1953 Coronation. Even in those heavy robes, her 5'1" frame isn't lost. This is due to the internal structure of the garments—royal dressmakers like Norman Hartnell literally built corsetry into her clothes to keep her upright and visible.
Context Matters: When comparing her to modern royals, remember that the average height has increased since the 1930s. At 5'1", she was short for her time, but today she would be considered exceptionally petite. For comparison, Kate Middleton is 5'9" and Meghan Markle is 5'6". Margaret would have barely reached their shoulders.
Ultimately, Princess Margaret’s height was a footnote to a much larger story. She lived a life that was loud, colorful, and frequently controversial. She proved that you don't need to be tall to cast a very long shadow over history. If you're ever looking at royal memorabilia or vintage fashion, remember that those iconic dresses were made for a woman who was barely five feet tall, but who carried the weight of the monarchy with more "big energy" than almost anyone else in the palace.