Newly released files detailing Princess Margaret's wedding to Lord Snowdon have raised a few eyebrows amongst royal-watchers. The documents made intoxicating reading, it seems, as they show the Princess spent twice as much on booze and cigarettes for the lavish reception as she did on food.
The bill for alcohol at the 1960 event was £1,227, the equivalent of £15,000 in today's money. The total cost of the reception came in at £26,000 (£327,000 in 2003 terms).
MPs at the time were highly critical over the cost to the taxpayer, despite the fact that the event created an enormous surge in national pride. The royal couple's nuptials were watched by over 300 million people in 13 countries.
Politicians were concerned about the expense, however, particularly after the newlyweds decided to use the royal yacht Britannia for their six-week honeymoon in the West Indies. This cost was underwritten by the taxpayer to the tune of £10,000. The row was eventually diffused when the Queen Mother and the Conservative Government agreed to foot the bulk of the bill themselves.
The newly declassified files also reveal that Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was branded a "troublemaker" by the British embassy in Chile, after taking part in students union activities there in 1966. Other documents disclose that Prime Minister Harold Macmillan wrote a personal letter of apology to the Queen, after the John Profumo sex scandal.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
