We've long been fascinated by Princess Margaret's stand-out style and commitment to pushing the beauty boundaries of royal tradition – so we were hardly surprised to learn that she was hailed as a style icon from as early as her teenage years. In fact, it's been revealed that way back in 1949, when the 19-year-old Princess went on holiday to the Italian island of Capri, royal fans were so keen to find out more about her English-rose beauty look that they broke into her hotel room to find out her favourite products! Risky business.
The world was intrigued by the beautiful Princess Margaret
The result? It was revealed that Margaret's manicure of choice came courtesy of classic nail polish brand Peggy Sage – which still sells its popular colours today. We're still hunting for the exact shade, but we're hoping for a classic cherry red, if her bright fashion preferences were anything to go by. She was also found to wear Lenthéric's Tweed perfume, known for it's earthy, woody scent.
MORE: 6 fashion tips we’re borrowing from the ever-stylish Princess Margaret
During the recent documentary Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal, fashion historian Beatrice Behlen said of the fascination around her: "She became an icon. She went to Italy, and people were just totally hounding her. They actually broke into her hotel room to find out what nail varnish she was wearing, and that was recorded in the press. That wasn't expected. In England the press was always much more reverent."
Margaret was a fashion and beauty icon throughout her life
And in a 1949 issue of Life magazine that we uncovered, Margaret's beauty preferences were confirmed. "An Italian newspaper woman had managed to slip into the Princess' hotel suite and discovered that she was reading a book called Busman's Honeymoon, using Tweed perfume and Peggy Sage nail polish," it reads.
READ MORE: This is the very touching way Princess Margaret used to describe her sister the Queen
Princess Margaret's penchant for products clearly never waivered, as she was spotted wearing everything from punchy coral lipsticks to bright blue eyeshadow throughout her life. She even wore bold red lipstick to sit for her 17th birthday portrait back in 1947. And what a colourful legacy she left behind…