In April 1953, a decorated former RAF officer named Peter Townsend caused a stir by proposing to Princess Margaret, who was 15 years his junior. Townsend was also a commoner and a divorcé—both ...

Her tender touch betrayed their secret, as Margaret attentively brushed fluff from the dashing officer's jacket. Until then, Group Captain Peter Townsend and the Princess had been forced to hide ...