Vice Queen

If you’re keeping up with the best and brightest that Netflix has to offer, then you’ve most likely caught up with the third season of The Crown. Anglophile or not, it’s difficult to not want to stay abreast of the series, considering the talent and the period costuming. It’s is apparent that great care has been taken to recreate the most notable looks documented throughout the history of the actual Crown. Some liberties taken for less documented side stories. All in all a great visual history of fashion up until the sixties.

Watching the series, as with most shows, presents the obvious quandary—which character to favor? Who do you resonate with enough to stay invested in the series? For me, it is an obvious choice. Princess Margaret, hands down. With her knack for drama and comfort with the spotlight, her character was afforded more opportunities for fashion exploration than any other—even the queen.

From Vanessa Kirby to Helena Bonham Carter, the role of Princess Margaret remains memorable not only for the performances and enviable Crown Jewels, but for the story as well. You’re not just watching a rebellious vice queen in action. Draped in brocade, and dripping in jewels, you are witnessing the heartbreak of a star whose birthright robbed her of the right to shine.

Margaret is the naturally dazzling diva in furs and feathered hats, while her sister wore understated florals and matching pastels. It seems rare for families to breed more than one peacock per flock, though sibling rivalry often prevents a beautiful bird from prevailing without the loss of a few feathers, sometimes those being those responsible for flight.

For those of us who feel the need for expression through dress, Princess Margaret represents our eternal spirit animal. Behind the chicest sunglasses of the time, and under the most luxurious cold weather protection, Margaret’s character’s style choices are representative of her mood and her place in the world. Her fashion is her shield against those who would underestimate her, or, god forbid, those who would dare stand in her way. Let it be a lesson, though you may not be queen, you can still reign supreme in the right outfit and state of mind.