By Katherine Tinsley
1:39pm PDT, Aug 20, 2025
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Princess Margaret had a reputation for enjoying extravagant parties, alcohol and cigarettes. But that doesn't mean she was necessarily the life of the party. Former
Vanity Fair editor
Graydon Carter recently opened up about a disastrous dinner party with
Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister.
Keep reading to see what he had to say…MORE:
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Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter wrote about his encounter with Princess Margaret in his memoir, When the Going Was Good, noting that socialite Reinaldo Herrera told him he would "adore" the late Countess of Snowdon. "Reinaldo went through a number of advance items that Margaret would require for the night. These included bottles of Famous Grouse whiskey, Highland Spring mineral water and barley water," Carter wrote of the dinner party he hosted for the princess.
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Before Princess Margaret — who was accompanied by Colin Tennant and her lady-in-waiting, Anne Glenconner — arrived, Graydon Carter practiced his curtsy. "You were to lean forward from the waist, hold her hand gently, and say, 'Ma'am.' That was it. … I practiced my bow in front of the mirror a few times," Carter shared, adding that "the evening was choreographed in a manner that would have made the master of the New York City Ballet tip his hat."
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Although Princess Margaret didn't seem impressed by the gathering, she also didn't appear eager to leave. "In time, we sat down for dinner. Starter, main course, dessert. And then Margaret just stayed. And stayed… smoking and drinking," Graydon Carter revealed. "She wasn't being particularly festive. She wasn't being particularly un-festive. She was just staying."
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Due to protocol, guests couldn't eat until Princess Margaret ate, leave the table until she excused herself or call it a night until she left the party. "10:30 p.m. went by, and then 11 p.m. People were starting to panic," Graydon Carter wrote. "Nobody was supposed to sit for dinner until Margaret did. And nobody was to rise from the table until she did."
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Graydon Carter wrote that columnist Peggy Noonan had an unpleasant interaction with Princess Margaret while greeting her. "Peggy Noonan leaned over in a half curtsey … and I guess she nicked her gently in the shin, whereupon Princess Margaret shrieked, 'You've wounded me. You've wounded me,'" he claimed.
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Graydon Carter wrote that by the end of the evening, when Princess Margaret finally departed, his guests shared the look that "survivors of a difficult airplane landing have as they step onto the tarmac."
