Her Royal Highness, the Princess Margaret died early this morning. Among her many roles for public life in this country, she was patron of the Royal Ballet. She has been credited by Ted Heath for not only being present at performances, but for understanding them and supporting young dancers. Gailene Stock who heads the Royal Ballet School complimented her for always thinking of the school and dancers.<P><B>King's daughter - but her life was no fairytale</B><BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>PRINCESS Margaret was a king's daughter with wealth and status - but her life was far from a fairytale.<P>Her romances made world headlines for more than 30 years. There was the war hero whose love she renounced for duty and status, the socialite she turned down, the brilliant photographer she married and divorced, the youthful gardener who wed another, and a succession of attendant males.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/02/09/uobit.xml&sSheet=/portal/2002/02/09/ixport.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P><B>Charles Nevin <BR>Guardian Unlimited<P>Saturday February 9, 2002</B><P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Princess Margaret, who has died aged 71, was the most striking illustration of the capricious and troubled relationship that beset the British and their monarchy in the second half of the twentieth century. <P>Not even the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, concentrated quite so many questions about the role and style of the royal family as that of Margaret Rose, second daughter of George VI, only sibling of Elizabeth II; for while both were creatures of their time, Margaret lived beyond hers into a more critical, ever less deferential era; and her life, above all, posed that essential question which Diana, in her own way, was trying to answer: what, exactly, is a princess for?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4352972,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

Obituary in Scotland on Sunday which mentions Margaret's love of dance and theatre.<P><A HREF="http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=159482002&rware=MWWVNRBGPAKV&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=3" TARGET=_blank> <B> Princess Margaret </B> </A><P>And in the Telegraph.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>She steadied Margot Fonteyn when the ballerina lost her balance after one royal curtsey too many, and on another occasion, after a ballet gala, told her that she would not comment on the performance until the television cameras ceased running, as "deaf people can often lip-read from the screen". Nureyev, she thought, was "a marvellous new species of animal a creature from the moon".<P><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2002%2F02%2F10%2Fnloyal10.xml" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A><p>[This message has been edited by Joanne (edited February 10, 2002).]

Ross Stretton gave a small speech at the beginning of the Memories Triple Bill at the Royal Opera House last night in which he paid tribute to Princess Margaret who had been president of Royal Ballet since 1957.

Obituary in The Scotsman concentrating solely on Princess Margaret's love of the Arts.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>IF THE Queen’s passion is for the greens and browns of the British countryside, Princess Margaret favoured the smell of grease-paint and the sound of an audience’s applause. The arts were the princess’s true love. While her sister surrounded herself with the dog-breeders and horse-trainers of the country set, Margaret was happiest in the company of actors, dancers, painters and musicians. Her taste in music ranged from the works of Tchaikovsky to the latest Broadway musicals and she was adept at playing both on the piano, often for the entertainment of family and friends. <BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=162792002&rware=JAVULUYFQAKV&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=1" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A>

A tribute season for Princess Margaret is planned. News in The Birmingham Post.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Birmingham paid its tributes yesterday to Princess Margaret with a book of condolence, prayers at the city's cathedrals and plans for a ballet season in her memory.<P><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020211006944&query=ballet" TARGET=_blank> <B>MORE </B> </A>

I'm sorry for the UK's loss......<BR>They say that Princess Margeret in her youth was every bit as beautiful,vivacious, glamorous,and popular as Princess Diana was. And from the articles,they were right.<BR> I wonder if her life would have been happier if she DID marry Townsend.....<p>[This message has been edited by angela (edited February 12, 2002).]

I'm not so sure, Angela. Things are not so simple. Princess Margaret chose an excerpt from Swan Lake as part of her funeral music.

The next season at the Royal Ballet will have some tributes to Princess Margaret.

Which Royal do you(Emma or anybody)think will step in as benefactor/patron of dance-to take over her duties?<P>[This message has been edited by angela (edited February 20, 2002).]<p>[This message has been edited by angela (edited February 20, 2002).]

That's an interesting question, Angela. Prince Andrew is patron of ENB in place of Princess Diana. I am not sure who would fit the bill - ie which of the main royals is interested in ballet?