Princess Margaret’s emotional instability, allegedly stemming from fetal alcohol syndrome, may have contributed to a disturbing ‘self-harm’ incident.
September 24, 2025, Published 11:44 a.m. ET
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Princess Margaret’s Health Decline in Her Last Years
In her later years, Princess Margaret’s health deteriorated following a lifetime of excessive drinking and smoking.
During the harrowing incident, Princess Margaret’s physical and mental health were in a steep decline. After years of heavy drinking and smoking, she suffered a debilitating stroke in 1998.
Margaret was further distressed following the sale of her beloved residence, Les Jolies Eaux, which she had gifted to her son David and his wife on their wedding day in 1996. Despite being a cherished location for her, the couple deemed it too cumbersome to maintain and placed it on the market.
She was granted a final visit to the home, after which her daily routine was dramatically altered until her passing in February 2002.
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Margaret’s Steam Baths
Margaret had a final opportunity to visit her Caribbean retreat in 1999 before it was sold.
In a tragic twist, her visit coincided with an open house at the property, forcing her to watch potential buyers tour her treasured escape before making offers. According to Meryle Secrest’s Princess Margaret and the Curse, Margaret had been advised to exercise regularly to combat fluid retention, a result of her drinking.
Although she eventually ceased her exercise routine because she felt it ruined her hairstyle, she turned to steam baths at home, believing they would similarly alleviate her condition. One particularly grim morning, overwhelmed by grief over losing her Caribbean home, Margaret requested one of her steam baths.
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Tragically, Margaret was discovered with her feet caught in the scorching water of the tub.
Secrest explains that Les Jolies Eaux lacked a central hot water system and instead used localized heaters known as “geysers” in bathrooms and the kitchen. Janie Stevens, a long-serving lady-in-waiting and close friend, recalled waiting for an unusually long time for Margaret to call her to assist with dressing after her bath. Concerned, she decided to check on her, only to find an alarming scene behind the bathroom door.
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Queen Elizabeth’s Intervention
After two weeks of grappling with her burns, Queen Elizabeth insisted that her sister receive specialized treatment in London.
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The bathroom filled with steam as Margaret sat half in the tub, unaware of the intense pain due to probable shock. Her long-time assistant, along with a detective, attempted to pull her from the scalding water, but her feet were severely burned, with skin left adhering to the tub as the water receded.
Despite the dire nature of her injuries, Margaret insisted on retiring to bed, pulling the curtains closed around her. After two weeks of meticulous caregiving for her wounds, Queen Elizabeth mandated that she be transferred to a burn treatment clinic in London.
While the precise circumstances of the incident remain unknown to anyone aside from Margaret herself, she later recounted that her foot became wedged to the tub as she realized the water was excessively hot. However, Stevens reported not hearing any call for help.
Secrest theorized that the incident might have been a final stand of resistance from an emotionally volatile Princess Margaret, who had previously expressed suicidal thoughts during tumultuous periods in her life. The author has implied that Margaret’s “despair and acts of self-harm” were possibly triggered by her depression stemming from both the loss of her cherished home and the destructive cycles of alcohol consumption.
While she physically healed, it is reported that she “never truly walked again,” according to her devoted lady-in-waiting.
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