By the early Seventies he had captivated Virginia, the 36-year-old Viscountess Royston. 'Of course, Mustique is the island of love,' he boasted. Island of love: Prince William and Kate Middleton are among the famous names that have enjoyed nights at Basil's Bar in recent years, While working as a car mechanic on the neighbouring island of St Vincent, where he grew up, Basil was involved in a horrific smash that nearly killed him. 'My book will shock the high society of Mustique as it will tell the truth about celebrities at play,' he says. a little bit of a rebel. Nowadays, though, he is coy about his amorous adventures, nor does he want to talk about the swathe he cut through the bedrooms of the British aristocracy all those years ago. Contributors for the BBC’s ‘deeply personal’ account of her life will include childhood friend Lady Anne Glenconner, who later became Margaret’s lady in waiting; Basil Charles, the owner of a bar on the Caribbean island of Mustique who met the Princess in the 1970s; and authorised biographer Christopher Warwick. When he finally regained consciousness, Basil remembered nothing of his benefactor, and knew only that he'd had a life-saving operation during which one of his kidneys was removed. August 1930 auf Glamis Castle, Schottland; 9. We both decided it was fate. Tennant, who was intent on mixing the islanders with British high society, went on to invite Basil to Scotland. Their romance endured for nine years, with both Basil and Virginia insisting that marriage was never on the cards. ', Cocktails galore: Basil's Bar is situated on the beach in Mustique, But an indignant Basil countered: 'No, it's not. This season of The Crown explores their relationship. Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret in season four of The Crown. Others, however, are less sanguine at the prospect of Basil's no-holds-barred book. If you don't tell the truth, why would you write a book?'. Basil was proud of his nickname, 'Smokey'. Basil went on to romance a French Canadian called Marie Jose LeBlanc, and has since had another child with an unnamed woman. As it happened, the first person to drive by and see Basil's prone body was Hugo Money-Coutts, the Eton-educated son of Lord Latymer (of the great private banking dynasty), who had the presence of mind to get him to hospital. und Tochter von König Georg VI. ® 50/50 Add-On and Cash Calendar are registered trademarks. Wills drank Prince's Poison (vodka and cranberry juice) and Kate sipped Pina Coladas flavoured with local rum. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, PICTURED: Three victims of FedEx gunman, 19, who had been fired and interviewed last YEAR by FBI before he shot dead eight people - as his mom says 'she feared he wanted suicide-by-cop', 'Who needs a gun that fires 100 rounds? Here, for the first time, BASIL CHARLES — … In his honour, it was named Basil's Bar. 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Everyone behaved beautifully. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. While the show has been known to take liberties, this religious flirtation is indeed based in fact. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Mike Tindall Shared a Photo of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth Will Sit Alone at Philip's Funeral. According to a Mustique insider, those early years at Basil's Bar were filled with marathon parties and lost days, when Basil and Virginia slept off the excesses of the night before. Sunshine court: Basil (circled) with Princess Margaret, the Hon. Dazzle was the one who encouraged her to make the switch, going so far as to arrange a meeting between Margaret and the Catholic Cardinal George Basil Hume at a 1988 dinner party. As Tennant recalls mischievously, 'I sat him next to Raine Spencer (Princess Diana's stepmother) because she was the whitest person I'd ever seen and he was the blackest. 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', Back in Mustique, though, neither Virginia nor Basil were troubled by any thoughts of colour or race. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, CI, GCVO, CD (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II.. She spent much of her childhood with her parents and sister. Basil's success was that he didn't get carried away by being black and think that everyone would succumb physically. And in any case, Basil - now living in a beach house with a vast four-poster bed - already had a bona fide aristocrat on his arm. 'Bill Gates was sitting at the edge of my bar one morning. I mean, the ladies.'. Virginia's children became honorary citizens of Mustique and attended the local school with Basil's children. In the beginning, the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret was at the center of showrunner Peter Morgan's plot; fast-forward to season four, and the younger royals (and in particular Charles and Diana) are featured much more prominently. 'I ended up by the roadside, unconscious.'. Dazzle later related to a priest friend how the princess … “To many people, Princess Margaret was the black sheep of her generation of royals. Please Play Responsibly. 'I went to Hugo and thanked him. Gelliceaux Bay, which was Princess Margaret’s favourite. Its official website baldly states that the company is 'dedicated to protecting the island's privacy'. He is a central figure in episode seven, titled ‘The Hereditary Principle’, which focuses on Princess Margaret and her discovery of a painful family secret. The moment a reservation is made, their credentials are checked thoroughly. Now, however, this secrecy is threatened and the stars are quaking in their jewelled Louboutins because 62-year-old Basil is publishing his memoirs. The Cotton House was, after all, the only hotel on the island at the time. I had no idea who this man was,' he admits. Princess Margaret, British royal, the second daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. He generously gave Virginia and Basil a share in Basil's Bar, where Virginia became Queen Bee and Basil was the genial host; resplendent in long, flowing kaftans, always imposing, never judgmental. The comments below have been moderated in advance. In real life, she began vacationing on the island in the '60s, having been gifted a 10-acre plot of land there by Mustique's then-owner, Colin Tennant (now Lord Glenconner), on which she built a … Her mother was Maureen Guinness, one of three sisters dubbed 'the glorious Guinness girls', and her father was Basil Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, the 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava. For the past 30 years, celebrities ranging from Prince William to Amy Winehouse, Mick Jagger to Kate Moss, the late Princess Margaret to the Beckhams have knocked back a cocktail at his beachside bar. the late Archbishop of ‘Vestminster, knowing him since his days as Abbot of Ampleforth. The staff are amazing and the music is epic. And Basil was such a success as its barman that in 1969, Tennant put him in charge of his own establishment, an open-sided Balinese pavilion set on the rocks in Britannia Bay. 'I personally don't care what secrets Basil is going to tell,' says former model Vicki Hodge, the blue-blooded daughter of Sir John Hodge. When he was well enough, he and a friend decided to try their luck on Mustique, which had only lately been developed by the Scottish aristocrat Colin Tennant. . Now one of the most famous barmen in the world, the story of how Basil came to serve cocktails to the late Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Amy Winehouse, Mick Jagger and Kate Moss, is a unique one. 'There will be revelations in the book, some of them shocking, but I'm not afraid to write it,' he says. relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret, Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of the headstrong Margaret, Princess Margaret's Scandalous Birthday Portrait, The True Story of Princess Margaret's Lung Surgery, Andrew Parker Bowles Once Dated Princess Anne, Inside Princess Margaret's Relationship with Diana. I'm not sweating at the thought of his memoirs, but some people definitely are.'. 'I tried to swerve away from an old man, and collided into a car,' he says. 'I thought it was time to tell the truth. I think they will be very entertaining,' he says. In particular, the latest season shines a spotlight on the royal's relationship with a Catholic priest named Derek Jennings following her breakup with Roddy Llewellyn. Basil Charles, the man they call The King of Mustique, is the godfather of the glitterati. Tennant - now Lord Glenconner - is similarly relaxed. In the 2018 BBC documentary The Rebel Royal Basil Charles, former owner of Basil… In the BBC's 2018 documentary The Rebel Royal, Basil Charles, the former owner of Basil's Bar on Mustique, said of the princess, "She wanted to have … The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The trickle of information that has come out of the island includes tale after tale of unbridled revelry (often enhanced by illegal substances). He had propelled the tiny island to notoriety by presenting the beautiful but flighty Princess Margaret with a parcel of land there as a wedding present. In 1960, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the sister of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accepted as a wedding present Colin Tennant's gift of a 10-acre (40,000 m 2) plot of land, where she built a villa called Les Jolies Eaux. The rebel royal is now increasingly eclipsed by a new generation of princesses. They were invited to a Cotton House banquet for the Queen, dancing there together in front of her, and they routinely socialised with Roddy Llewellyn and Princess Margaret. It was only on Mustique that Margaret and Roddy could truly relax away from the Press. King of Mustique: Basil Charles at his bar, which has played host to all-night champagne-fuelled parties for the rich and famous over the past 30 years. Des Willie While the show has been known to take liberties, this religious flirtation is indeed based in fact. It was a delightful sight. 1,584 Likes, 23 Comments - Princess Margaret (@princessmargaretdiaries) on Instagram: “Princess Margaret relaxing with friends in Mustique, including Colin Tennant, Anne Glenconner,…” Princess Margaret is played by Helena Bonham Carter in season 4 of the Crown (Credits: Des Willie/Netflix) This came to a head, Botham writes, when Princess Margaret met Cardinal George Basil … We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. As the digital news director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers everything from the British royal family to the latest episodes of Outlander, Killing Eve, and The Crown. And this iron grip makes Basil's bravery in writing the book even more remarkable. Singer Dana Gillespie, the Princess's cousin Patrick Lichfield and later, her much younger lover Roddy Llewellyn all adored the island, where they could frolic without fear of public exposure. It's certain to be quite a read. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. 'They wanted the bar to become a private club. But alongside the drink-fuelled partying, there have been unexpectedly touching moments, too. Why Princess Margaret is proving to be 2021's unexpected fashion muse From Meghan to Holly Willoughby, everyone is channelling Princess Margaret's Mustique … * World’s Biggest 50/50 in home lotteries. Presence of mind: Hugo Money-Coutts (right), pictured with Colin Tennant, took Basil to hospital after a severe car accident. Februar 2002 in London) war die jüngere Schwester der Königin Elisabeth II. Princess Margaret with a friend on the beach in Mustique in 2002. Overview. He is, however, more willing to talk about the romance of the island where he has become an institution. 'I've seen a lot of things on Mustique, and there are a lot of stories, some of them shocking,' he says. Jennings himself was a good friend of Cardinal Basil Home. In Noel Botham's 2002 biography Margaret: The Last Real Princess, the author spoke with a colleague of Jennings's, who shared: A church colleague of Jennings's also told Botham that "Derek believed that at some point Princess Margaret would ask to be received into the Catholic Church"—an astonishing claim, given the Queen's role as the head of the Church of England—but Margaret never publicly converted. The buyer is an engaging character named Basil Charles, a native of Mustique whom we have first met as the barman in a beach-side watering hole when Margaret set up residence on the island. As the seasons of The Crown progress, the focus of the story shifts. He was six years her junior and already had two children by a local telephone operator. People wouldn't come for a barbecue because their gardeners were here. In 1978, Margaret reflects changing attitudes sweeping the country and gets a divorce. I was always proud that I kept my bar open until the last man fell...', In 1981, Basil bought out the bar from Tennant, fighting off a bid from Lord Lichfield and David Linley, Princess Margaret's son. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (geboren als Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret Rose of York, zeitweise HRH The Princess Margaret), CI, GCVO, aus dem Haus Windsor (* 21. Fascinated by the fearlessness of Viscountess Royston and her steamy liaison with a black man, high society welcomed the couple. It was an unconventional match, to say the least. Basil even admits that sometimes he can't tell the difference. The former Virginia Lyon - known as 'The Lyoness' - was a famous society beauty. It's because the wind changed once when I was running a barbecue and everyone got grey from the ashes.'. RELATED: Inside Princess Margaret’s Marriage to Bisexual ‘Swordsman’ Tony Armstrong-Jones Play Video. By Wendy Leigh for MailOnline Updated: 06:03 EDT, 7 September 2009. But what do the rich and famous make of Basil's decision to spill the beans? Lesley Manville Will Play Princess Margaret, Best Photos of Princess Margaret & Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret's Famous Bathtub Photoshoot, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. He insists that he isn't worried about breaking the code of silence that governs the island. 'I've got nothing to be ashamed of. ™ Princess Margaret Home Lottery is a trademark. The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation | Charitable Registration: #88900 7597 RR0001. She struggled throughout her life to balance an independent spirit and artistic temperament with her duties as a member of Britain’s royal family. Denzel Washington once asked Basil Charles over a Mustique Mule. 'I'm longing to read Basil's memoirs. 'I saw that he had charm, I was looking for a barman at my hotel, The Cotton House, so I told him to stand in front of the bar,' he remembers. On a trip there last month with Kate Middleton, the couple's favourite port of call was Basil's, where a barefoot Wills and two friends belted out Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds. Virginia Royston herself passed away in 1988, at the early age of 46, from liver failure. Throughout the three decades that the bar has been open, and as all those famous faces have enjoyed behaving badly, the one constant has been Basil. The villa was designed by Oliver Messel for HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. 'He looked sweet, so I took him on.'. und Königin Elisabeth. Perhaps the most infamous story is that of the late actor John Bindon, whose party trick was balancing half-pint beer mugs - some say as many as five - on his private parts. What royals and celebrities get up to during their holiday on Mustique stays a secret because the tiny, privately owned island has banned the paparazzi. After three years as a widow, her life was transformed when she went on holiday to Mustique and fell in love with Basil. According to author Noel Botham’s book, Margaret: The Last Real Princess, Margaret wanted to convert to Catholicism but did not due so out of loyalty to Elizabeth. In 1988, Jennings arranged a dinner party at his home in Chelsea, London, where Cardinal Hume and Princess Margaret met. In the 2018 BBC documentary The Rebel Royal Basil Charles, former owner of Basil’s Bar on Mustique, remembered Margaret as “a trailblazer . Princess Margaret died of a stroke in 2002, and both Lady Sarah and David started a charity as a way to honor her, called the Princess Margaret Fund, which supports stroke research. Dominic Elliott, Colin Tennant, Nicholas Courtnay and, in front of him, Lady Anne Tennant. ', Tennant, now Lord Glenconner, was disarmed by Basil's infectious cheerfulness. 'Why should I be?'. 'I think the British society frowned on Virginia for going out with a black man,' says Basil's daughter Elizabeth Charles, now 38. I said: "Your gardener would take a bullet for you. What's more, any visitor booking the 50-minute flight from Barbados must do so through one of the island's two hotels. . In both season 3 and the recently released season 4, Princess Margaret escapes to Mustique when she needs a break. The Wednesday night jump ups are epic at Basil’s bar. Some 350 guests joined the aristocratic couple for their Eaton Square reception. The 1959 Deb Of The Year, wild and wilful, Virginia had married Philip, Viscount Royston, heir to the Earl of Hardwicke - 'Pips' to his friends - in a lavish wedding in 1968. 'Two couples who couldn't make babies came here and the women were immediately pregnant. From the first, Basil was at the heart of it all. Without giving any thought to what her family and fellow aristocrats might think, Virginia threw caution to the scorching Caribbean winds and moved - along with her two young children Joseph and Jemima - to the island to live with Basil. The private life of Princess Margaret will be the focus of a new two-part BBC documentary, after Vanessa Kirby’s starring role in The Crown piqued interest in the Queen’s younger sister. Back in the day: This shot from 1977 shows Queen Elizabeth arriving with Princess Margaret in Mustique. Nonetheless, he was so badly injured that he spent a year in hospital. Born into poverty as a fisherman's son, he might never have lived his remarkably glamorous life were it not for a motorbike accident at the age of 21. Basil has also let it be known that he won't be holding back when it comes to his memoirs. Prince Philip Had a Special Bond with JFK Jr. Royal Family Wearing Mourning Dress for Funeral, See the Guest List for Prince Philip's Funeral, Prince Charles Visit Prince Philip Memorial, Princess Eugenie Shared a Tribute to Prince Philip.