All she can see is how sexy that danger seems. She wrote later in life: I had wealth, I had good looks. The daughter of a textile millionaire, she dazzled with her beauty (green eyes, fair skin, red lipstick), devil-may-care social strategy (she double-booked men for the evening), and nouveau riche accoutrement (she was chauffeured to and from school in a Rolls-Royce, skied at St. Moritz, and wore gowns from Norman Hartnell). From her greed is good heyday to her post-divorce denouement cavorting with a series of freaky Italian lovers, it was Ivana, all along, who gilded the Trump name. Fashion designers and socialites clamoured around the duchess. Margaret Argyll, the only child of a self-made Scottish millionaire, was a society beauty who her husband alleged had slept with 88 men, including two cabinet ministers and three royals. She was thought to be the inspiration for Cole Porters 1934 song Youre the Top. Yes, Margaret was spoilt and accustomed to getting whatever she wanted. The Channel 4 documentary "proved" that Sandys is the 'headless man', based on a claim from Margaret that the only Polaroid camera in the country at the time had been lent to the Ministry of Defence. As part of proceedings, Lord Denning, who had compiled a government report on one of the decades other scandals, the Profumo Affair, was tasked with investigating Margarets sexual partners in more depth: primarily this was because ministers were concerned Margaret might be a security risk if shehadbeen involved with senior government figures. Home. Lauren Pazienza, Whose Shove Allegedly Killed a Beloved Manhattan Vocal Coach, Argues She Is Getting a Raw Deal. Fighting in the Fog: Who Won the Battle of Barnet? A Channel 4documentary in 2000 claimed that the Headless Man was in fact two different men Sandys and Fairbanks Jr but it seems this may be one secret Margaret carried with her to her grave. Inside Wealth-Conference Con Man Anthony Ritossas Wild Web of Lies, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodwards Daughters Appreciated the Fuck Hut Detail Too. The financial circumstances of this one-time society darling were now much reduced; she had moved into an apartment in Grosvenor House from where, every night, she would still set out to West End parties to gallery openings, book launches and celebratory dinners. The pairs marriage disintegrated as quickly as it came about: both husband and wife were serially unfaithful, and Margaret forged papers suggesting her husbands children from his previous marriages were illegitimate. Most famous of said scandals was the infamous divorce case bought by Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. When the CEO of Scholastic died suddenly last year, he left control of the family empire to a former colleaguehis ex-girlfriend. She struck an archaic figure at these 1980s social events, being perfectly groomed and coiffed, bejewelled and couture-clad, with ramrod deportment, but in an era when informal post-hippie was the fashionable vibe. SPONSORED LINKS After tying the knot the couple lived in luxury, skiing in St Moritz, sailing in the Bahamas and holidaying in St Tropez. 16:57 GMT 27 Dec 2021. Though she did once say "the only Polaroid camera in the country" was kept at the Ministry of Defence. If Margaret, Duchess of Argyll gets away with this, what will all women do?, I thought he was such a bastard, Margaret told George Hume in a 1990 interview. [14], The Duchess counter-petitioned the divorce, accusing the Duke of committing adultery with her stepmother, Jane Corby Wigham. She radiates that discomfort and shame, until we feel it ourselves. Together they are absolutely the essential things in life.) She was also game to offer a hot-take dripping in condescension. [22] In 1990, unable to pay the hotel bills, she was evicted and, with the support of friends and her first husband, moved into an apartment. Its a pity the drama does not have time to explain the years of fame that came before her disgrace, and which shaped her. He is still married, yet he has no qualms about asking her father (Richard McCabe) for her hand and a loan. Inside the sad decline of 'Fairy Floss Girl': How the racegoer who shot to fame when Kyle Sandilands gushed that Student who refused to enter arranged marriage was stabbed in the chest with a metal spike by her uncle and Theatre issues trigger warning for production which 'involves the handling of a cooked egg'. Margaret, Duchess of Argyll with her poodle in 1989. The 26-year-old turned herself in this week following a search that captivated certain corners of New York. Argyll forged a deed of sale before their marriage to gain him access to some of Margarets money. Margaret with her first husband, Charles Sweeny, on their wedding day at Brompton Oratory, 1933. But shes iconic, says Phelps, who is thrilled that U.S. viewers will learn of this unconventional woman when A Very British Scandal premieres. But she would be remembered for just one thing: the so-called 'divorce of the century', which ended her marriage to the Duke of Argyll in 1963. She was brave in the war and did not complain about falling 40 feet down a lift shaft when she went to visit her chiropodist on Bond Street. Pay the b-b-bills its what youre for.. to "You're Mussolini / You're Mrs Sweeny". [14] It is claimed that this analysis proved that the man in question was Fairbanks, then long married to his second wife, but this was not made public. There promises to be more raciness in the second episode, which airs tonight, with Claire Foy recreating the Duchess of Argyll's infamous naked Polaroid, in which she was pictured pleasuring a naked man, whose head was cropped out of the frame. To convey all that is an impossible task but Foy manages to hint at so much not the detail, but the substance. The case soon became a tabloid sensation, with Margaret dubbed the dirty duchess and the identity of the headless man in the Polaroid pictures being widely speculated on (Sir Winston Churchill's son-in-law, Duncan Sandys, was one of them, as it was reported only the Minister of Defence had access to a Polaroid camera). During her marriage to Sweeney, she had three children, one who was a stillborn girl, as well as a son Brian and a daughter Frances (who went on to marry the Duke of Rutland), and she also suffered eight miscarriages. The Duchess, Margaret Campbell, was a British socialite known for her lavish lifestyle and a string of high-profile affairs. As such, Margaret developed a stammer for which she was treated unsuccessfully by Lionel Logue, King George VI's speech therapist. Meeting by chance on a train, Argyll told Margaret of some of his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War Two, omitting the fact that the trauma had left him reliant on alcohol and prescription drugs. How King Charles and Prince William Plan to Protect the Monarchy Against an Uncertain Future, The daughter of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani was overwhelmed as a child by a wave of tragedy and looked for a gasp of air to breathe, even as sharks circled all around. Now, she tells, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. [5] Such had been the publicity surrounding her Norman Hartnell wedding dress that the traffic in Knightsbridge was blocked for three hours. His number Youre The Top namechecked the Colosseum, the feet of Fred Astaire and Mrs Sweeny. And Margaret was so beautiful and so rich. She was bad and childish in the way she tried to demonise others to get her own way but she holds an important place in social history. What few knew then was that she had been pregnant before, aged just 15 the result of a love affair with a teenage David Niven. The Duchess, Margaret Campbell, was a British socialite known for her lavish lifestyle and a string of high-profile affairs. [4] He continued: "Her attitude to the sanctity of marriage was what moderns would call 'enlightened' but which in plain language was wholly immoral. By Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images. Vile moment baby is given a vape to inhale by her laughing mum - who lashes out on Facebook slamming anyone who Ukraine 'hits major Russian air base in fresh strike' a day after kamikaze drone crashed down just 68 miles from 'I'm glad the contract expired': Heston Blumenthal's fury as Waitrose ends 12-year partnership with him 'after ISIS fanatic jailed over the gruesome beheading of two Scandinavian women hikers in Morocco that shocked the Police will quiz missing aristocrat and her boyfriend for another 36 hours to try and get answers on missing House votes to block 'woke' Biden plan pushing retirement planners to invest in ESG in 401ks. I apparently fell onto my knees and cracked the back of my head against the wall". The full depth of his cruelty comes as a shock, though. Fulke Warwick and Max Aitken became engaged to her, but she broke off these engagements before marrying Charles Sweeny, a handsome American golfing hero. The Duchess, Margaret Campbell, was a British socialite known for her lavish lifestyle and a string of high-profile affairs. And what were the infamous Polaroid photos that proved so contentious? Imagine the courage that takes., Shes a hot mess. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. But the duke soon showed his true colours, with rumours of gambling and drug and alcohol addiction, as well as a vile temper. The ensuing divorce case was splashed across newspaper front pages. The dukes reputation suffered somewhat less, but he was asked to withdraw his membership of Whites. After the historic case she never remarried, and lost much of her fortune in later life. [8], In 1943, Margaret had a near-fatal fall down a lift shaft. Thats when I began entertaining. My daughter had married a duke. Far from being envious of her lifestyle during the economic depression, the British public adored Margaret Whigham. The movie star was named as Margarets lover, one of the 88 men on the list that the Duke produced in court. Famed for her beauty, Margaret moved through the. Campbell expects his new duchess to underwrite the castle restorations, for the benefit of his sons with Oui-Oui. The Headless Man in the salacious pictures of the duchess disclosed in the divorce case has never been definitively identified. [18], The Duchess wrote a memoir, Forget Not (published by W. H. Allen Ltd in 1975) which was reviewed negatively for its name-dropping and air of entitlement. Nobody, nobody, nobody. Glamorous top lawyer, 27, is arrested and charged with multi-million dollar fraud: Cops search her flamboyant Another close call! Margaret carried on, though her final chapters were still quite sad. Life was so simple. The claim was watertight and Margaret knew she would be unsuccessful but wanted to give her rival a run for the money. I could ask whoever I wanted. The toxic love affair between the Duke and Duchess started with Margaret divorcing her then-husband to marry Ian, who would become the Duke of Argyll. . The only women who had glamorous lives were film stars, princesses or members of the aristocracy. 25 Feb/23. According to Lord Wheatley, the judge on the case, he had the morals of a tomcat. A wealthy heiress and one of the most colourful figures of the swinging sixties, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, married the Duke of Argyll, her second husband, in 1951. Ian Campbell, as he then was, needed cash. [15] She dropped her case the day of the hearing due to lack of a witness, and later had to pay a judgment of 25,000 to her stepmother, who sued her for libel, slander, and conspiracy to suborn perjury. And, as Phelps describes, it wasnt just legal support that Margaret lacked. Her husband accused her of having dozens of lovers: He estimated the total at 88. The pictures had been discovered by her husband, who allegedly hired a locksmith to gain access to his wife's private papers. Born in 1912, the only child of a self-made Scottish millionaire, Margaret was described by her biographer Lyndsy Spence as 'a daddy's girl with an absent father, living with a jealous mother who sought to remind Margaret of her every shortcoming'. [1], Ethel Margaret Whigham was the only child of Helen Mann Hannay and George Hay Whigham. Long afterwards, it was claimed that there were actually two "headless men" in the photographs, Fairbanks and Sandys, the latter identified on the basis of the Duchess's statement that "the only Polaroid camera in the country at that time had been lent to the Ministry of Defence". Everyone's got old and fat." While granting the divorce, the judge said of Margaret that she 'was a completely promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men. 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Ethel Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll ( ne Whigham, formerly Sweeny; 1 December 1912 - 25 July 1993) was a Scottish heiress, socialite, and aristocrat who was most famous for her 1951 marriage and much-publicised 1963 divorce from her second husband, Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. [11], Within a few years, the marriage was falling apart. Bettany plays the duke with an absolute absence of sympathy. This is a morality tale. Another, racier Polaroid, showing the Duchess pleasuring a man, was also produced. Margaret would realize her new husband, who was said to be a gambling and alcohol addict, was broke. You feel exposed.. The identity of the "headless man" involved in the Duchess of Argyll sex photo scandal that shocked the British public in 1963 has been revealed. I do not forget. Everyone knows her as Oui Oui, because she agrees to everything though Margaret childishly calls her Wee Wee. She was just 15 when the future movie star David Niven, two years her senior, got her pregnant while holidaying on the Isle of Wight, after which her father sent her to a London nursing home for a secret termination. I dont think anybody has real style or class any more, Margaret told The New York Times. (One series) The third comes very shortly after, at 29 minutes, just before Margaret takes Ian to meet her father for his approval of their marriage. A POLAROID picture was one of the key pieces of evidence in the scandalous divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. What Was the Sudeten Crisis and Why Was it So Important? Lord Denning, who was called upon by the government to track down the "headless man", compared the handwriting of the five leading "suspects", (Duncan Sandys; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; John Cohane, an American businessman; Peter Combe, a former press officer at the Savoy Hotel; and Sigismund von Braun, brother of the German scientist Wernher von Braun) with the captions written on the photographs. I had become a duchess and mistress of a historic castle. Admirers lined the route from Hyde Park Corner to their wedding at Brompton Oratory in 1933 and traffic in Knightsbridge came to a halt for three hours; 2,000 invited guests were joined by 2,000 gatecrashers. one of the most notorious, extraordinary and brutal legal cases of the 20th century. Then he attacks me. You can't help but feel exploited. [10], Granting the divorce, Lord Wheatley, the presiding judge, said the evidence established that the Duchess "was a completely promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men". [2], In 1928 the future actor David Niven, then 18, had sex with 15-year-old Margaret during a holiday at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Originally published in the January issue, on newsstands now. Campbell is on the make and Margaret is blind to it even when she is writing cheques to his creditors. She became a life-long patron of the designer, as well as Victor Stiebel and Angle Delanghe. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Margaret's racy sex life was judged immoral at the time but, as this three-part drama is at pains to show, she wasn't the only one at it. If you know a couple, one of whom is a bore, dont invite either of them, she advised. When the former husband and wife square off in a Virginia courtroom this week, it will mark the culmination of a divorce that has been without comparison in the annals of modern American celebrity. Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. The photo, in which the man was only captured from the neck down, became knows as the 'headless man' Polaroid. [7], She had three children with Sweeny: a daughter, who was stillborn at eight months in late 1933; another daughter, Frances Helen (born 1937, who married Charles Manners, 10th Duke of Rutland), and a son, Brian Charles (19402021). But the story is too good for me to tell it all to you you must watch the biopic. [27] It was reprinted in 1995 by Pan Books, and in 2021, to coincide with the TV series A Very British Scandal, by Swift Press. Margarets marriage to Ian, and the nasty, heavily publicized breakup that followedthe longest and costliest divorce proceeding in British history at the timedominate the shows three episodes. Her first marriage to Sweeny ended after the war as first he and later she started various affairs. It was like Princess Diana, Kim Kardashianthis globally famous beauty.. [9][10], According to Lyndsy Spence, a biographer of the Duchess, the Duke of Argyll forged a deed of sale (sometimes called a deed of gift, thus offering various items from Inveraray Castle as security) before their marriage in exchange for her money used to restore his family home at Inveraray, and wiretapped her car. At 15, she became pregnant by David Niven; a termination was arranged and this scandal hushed up. In some, she was entertaining an unidentified lover whose head had been cropped out of the picture and who came to be known as the 'Headless Man'. Ian filed for divorce, citing both the photos and a list of 88 men noted in her diary, men Ian suspected Margaret had slept with during their marriage. 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