After 33 stitches to her head and days spent recovering, doctors allowed Margaret to go home to her husband Charles Sweeny and their young family. "In 2013, Margarets stepdaughter-in-law Lady Colin Campbell claimed the duchess had told her it was American airline executive Bill Lyons but I think I have stumbled upon the most likely truth. The real scandal of the Duchess of Argyll is that she was a victim of "She. Obviously, Margaret had to choose just one manbut she threw a cruel curveball at her lovers. 'Headless men' in sex scandal finally named | UK news | The Guardian As the lyrics go: Youre Mussolini / Youre Mrs Sweeny. . She began appearing on television programs, making a cameo appearance on the talk show After Dark to discuss the Grand National horse race. Sex, scandal and a headless man - the story of Scotland's 'dirty duchess' When the Duke realized what he was looking at, nothing was the same ever again. When the beautiful textile heiress Margaret . Margarets presence in the photos shocked the dukebut more was on the way. Oh, and it was in Downton Abbey, too. But there were disturbing indications of what really happened. Another, racier Polaroid, showing the Duchess pleasuring a man, was also produced. He had claimed then that shed had 88 lovers over the course of their marriage, with a judge in the divorce proceedings adding that the Duchess had a sex perversion. My encounter with the 'Dirty Duchess' - The Telegraph On our left in the image atop, is the Duchess of Argyll, Margaret Campbell. But there will be no press release or big [imagesource: Bleecker Street] I have a lot of guides you can check out if you really want to get into the weeds, but here's a quick run-down on what's out there: Polaroid has started making cameras and film once more, and some of the new film is compatible with vintage Polaroid cameras. The centre of the country's first major slut-shaming case, socialite Margaret, Duchess of Argyll . One rumour suggests it was the former Minister of Defence, Duncan Sandys (who later became the son-in-law of Winston Churchill). Were always looking for your input! Yet far from empathy, this led her to acts of cruelty; a maid of hers once said she treated her dogs better than she did her staff. Mum in hysterics over Hermes driver's proof of delivery photo & EVERY parent can relate, Im trolled by older women after having a surprise baby at 15 - but I got As at my GCSEs weeks later, Ive no regrets, I told my dad I was moving out so he converted the garage into a stylish mini apartment for me so I wouldnt leave, Youve been cleaning your contact lenses all wrong - the quick trick that will get your lenses clean in seconds. In several photos, Margaret was wearing only a string of her trademark pearls. So when the press got wind of the truly sordid details of the case, all bets were off. [1] Sony Pictures Entertainment. But scorching scandal hit her incredibly young. The titillating tale is coming to a small screen near you, as the BBC is making it into a drama series titled A Very British Scandal, following on from A Very English Scandal, starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw: The series focuses on the acrimonious divorce that rocked the aristocracy and delighted the tabloids with its salacious details. The couple married in 1951, but their marriage soon turned sour after the Duke accused Margaret of being unfaithful. Because Margarets private stash of photos was now public evidence, newspapers of the day got a full view of the single most infamous snap in Margarets collection: One where she was kneeling down in front of a headless man. Strapped for cash, she wrote a memoir, Forget Notbut people considered it embarrassing and too full of name-drops. The couple divorced in 1947, and she went on to become engaged again to Lehman Brothers banker Joseph Thomas, although they never married. because the Ministry of Defence had the only Polaroid camera in Britain at the time. 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. BBC's A Very British Scandal writer says 'Dirty Duchess' was 'destroyed by sexual morals' Read More Related Articles. Margaret Campbell was a British socialite who was embroiled in a sex scandal during the 1960s and became known as the "dirty duchess." . Another, racier Polaroid, showing the Duchess pleasuring a man, was also produced. In 1930, her parents presented her at court as a debutante, which was basically their way of saying she was ready to mingle with men and get married. Although Prince Aly Khan loved to shower Margaret with affection and gifts, it was Kidston who really took her fancyeven though it was Kidston who was most dangerous of all. Mystery lover ID'd in Duchess of Argyll sex photo - UPI.com The photographs were taken on her newly-bought Polaroid camera, then commercially available in America in 1948, and the headless man (not so headless in additional snaps) had his own stash of . The story of the Dirty Duchess' pearl necklace in Claire Foy's new divorce drama. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The Duke and Duchess of Argyll at their wedding in 1951. Is the government still hiding the truth about Britain's 'Dirty Duchess The Crown star Claire Foy swaps Queen for 'Dirty Duchess' with - mirror The Duke of Argyll had always been suspicious that his wife had a roaming eyespoiler: he wasnt wrongbut hed never quite been able to prove it. She had only one option. . Sex, Scandal and Private Polaroids: The Duchess of Argyll's Notorious She is remembered as a nymphomaniac socialite who disgraced the Establishment when her diaries and sexually explicit Polaroids were . She was infamous among the high-society set before she even married the Duke of Argyllbut after their incredibly messy divorce, she became one of the most notorious women in England. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. As one maid who worked for the family put it, all hell broke loose at that point. October 25, 2021. On brand for a high-class woman, and Margaret even quipped she was there to, put the point of view of the horse. . There was the duchess, wearing only a string of pearls, pleasuring a standing man while on her knees. The headless man was notorious because he appeared in two Polaroid photographs that had featured as evidence in . The Duchess refused to reveal who the man is, leaving the press to speculate about his identity. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Powder Her Face - Odyssey Opera After tying the knot at Caxton Hall register office, the Duke took her north to his ancestral seat, where they settled in the historic Inveraray . In the photographs, the Duchess of Argyll was very much not alone. Who was the Duchess of Argyll, Margaret Campbell? So when Wheatley eventually granted the divorce, he did it with biting cruelty, sneering that she was a completely promiscuous woman and wholly immoral in his final judgment. Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, died aged 80 in a nursing home in Pimlico, London, just a few days before the Major government decided to keep all the testimonies given to Lord Denning under wraps . One man who kept popping up in Margarets history was the Minister of Defense for Britain, Duncan Sandys, who would also go on to become Winston Churchills son-in-law. Unmasking the Dirty Duchess's secret lover - Independent.ie A Great British Scandal: The London Of Margaret Campbell, Duchess of The case left Margaret vilified by the press in a pre-sexual revolution Britain and branded the "Dirty Duchess," while her former husband, who was also accused of adultery, escaped similar . Margaret Campbell, born in 1912 to a Scottish millionaire, was a British socialite who frequented the 'best dressed' pages of many a magazine and was known . Then, looking at the cushion, And its not that sort of cushion. So one day while she was away in New York and he had ample time to sit and get more paranoid, he called up a locksmith and asked him to break into it. He was a notorious drinker and gambler, and was hooked on prescription medications to boot. Instead, they humiliated her. A Very British Scandal Is The True Story Of Duke And Duchess Of Argyll One of the images featured his wife naked but for a string of pearls, performing . A Very British Scandal - True story behind Claire Foy's new role But dont take this to mean Margaret was settling down. Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, remains fascinating among a certain set. Yet there was a far more likely culprit. & the free hacks that clean just as good, Mystic Meg zodiac signs latest: Riches in store for Capricorn & major changes await Gemini; plus weekly horoscopes, Im a psychologist - what your slippers really say about you and how I can tell if your personality type in seconds, Mrs Hinch cleaning fan reveals the 10p hack to banish stubborn limescale with NO scrubbing involved, I got dress-coded at work for not wearing a bra I confronted my boss and was left stunned by the response, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Getty Images. Instead of going for either Greville or Aiken, she dumped them both and went with another man entirely: The businessman and avid golfer Charles Sweeny. The Duchess and a very dirty divorce: The scandalous life of the Duchess of Argyle GRANTING the Duke of Argyll a divorce from his wife Margaret, the judge in the 1963 hearing painted a damning . . Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Following Kidstons passing, she got hastily engaged to Charles Greville, the uber-wealthy Earl of Warwickand accepted the proposal of another man, the publishing scion Max Aiken, near-simultaneously. Her father, in particular, was beside himself with rage. In October 2021 Tatler shared news of 'The Crown' star Claire Foy playing the so-called 'Dirty Duchess' in a three-part series 'A Very British Scandal', produced by BBC Blueprint Pictures. She suffered neglect from her mother, as well as a teen pregnancy that could have ruined her long before she became an eligible debutante. The future Duchess of Argyll was born Ethel Margaret Whigham on December 1, 1912, in Scotland to a millionaire father. . Even so, it paid off in a big way. Margaret's rumoured affair with the ex-press officer at the Savoy was named as one of the key affairs in the divorce proceedings. Who Was the Real Duchess of Argyll? - Town & Country On 22 March 1951, Margaret, 38 at the time, married Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Margaret may have been one of the most beautiful women of her generation, but to the Duke, she was just another wife he could intimidate, push around, and demean. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Her second husband - and the subject of the BBC's A Very British Scandal - was Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. Mayfair, the Duchess of Argyll and the Headless Man polaroids BBC One's follow up to the 2018 A Very English Scandal . And once she was finally free, Margaret let loose. But behind the scenes, she was already living a horror story. He had much darker ones, too. The Duke and Duchess of Argyll's divorce case was highly publicised, Margaret Campbell, The Duchess of Argyll, was accused of having over 80 lovers, The identity of the 'headless man' in the photo with Margaret Campbell has been speculated over the years, Claire Foy stars as Margaret Campbell in a Very British Scandal, Paul Bettany stars as Ian Campbell in A Very British Scandal. Sam Rollinson Plays the 'Scandalous' Duchess of Argyll in Tatler To describe this series of Polaroids in any way decent enough to publish is a Herculean effort. Even her friends thought she completely lacked a sense of humor, and she called herself a bird brain. Born on 1 December 1912, Margaret Whigham was the only daughter of a Scottish businessman and millionaire, George Hay Whigham and his wife, Helen Mann Hannay. The Crown star will take on Margaret Campbell, the duchess, opposite Paul Bettany's Ian Campbell, Duke of Argyll . For the beautiful daughter of a millionaire, it spelled instant infamy and would likely damage her reputation forever if it got out to her peers. The couple married in 1951, but their marriage soon turned sour after the Duke accused Margaret of being unfaithful. She kept mum on identifying any of the men she was in the photographs withthough there might have been a scandalous reason for this. "It exploded in a way that now in present day, we seem to have forgotten about.". She became a life-long patron of the designer, as well as Victor Stiebel and Angle Delanghe. 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 . Claire Foy is resplendent in pearl necklaces, pillbox hats, fur shawls and satin evening gloves as she reenters the unforgiving world of aristocracy to play the Duchess of Argyll for BBC One's A Very British Scandal. I let my sugar babies go through my dead wife's wardrobe - they love it and I find the experience 'therapeutic'. As a testament to just how popular Margaret was during her day, one version of the Cole Porter song Youre the Top mentions her by nameat least by the name she had in her first marriage. Margaret, the Duchess of Argyll on the June 1969 cover of Tatler. Lets just, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Scorned Facts About Farida, Egypts Rejected Queen, Infamous Facts About Edwina Mountbatten, The High-Society Rebel, No-Nonsense Facts About Sophia of Nassau, The Woman Behind The King. For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. Upon seeing the presented evidence in court, the judge, Lord Wheatley, said: There is enough in her own admissions and proven facts to establish that by 1960 she was a completely promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men. During the divorce proceedings, he listed 88 men who he believed his wife had an affair with, including Hollywood actors, two government ministers and three British royals. Upon finding this evidence, the Duke of Argyll turned right around and started divorce proceedings against Margaret. The situation scandalised conservative British society, and the so-called Dirty Duchess never fully restored her reputation after being branded a nymphomaniac by the Duke. Again, fair enough. Marrying Ian Campbell was like signing a deal with the Devil, and the Duke made sure Margaret knew it before the ink on their marriage contract was even dry. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Im a cleaning whizz - three common products you need to ditch to save cash Comply with the table below to know Chuadanga to Khulna train ticket price for all classes. Naked polaroid photos of her performing oral sex on a "Headless Man" (ie a man . After completing her education in New York, she moved back to the UK, where her beauty and status as an heiress made her much in-demand on the social scene. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. With this disappointment in her wake, Margaret turned to a desperate ploy. forever 'the Dirty Duchess' in the eyes of the public . While Margaret may have been less than a perfect wife, she later blamed the split on Sweenys controlling nature. Friends claimed that, of all the people in her life except family, Margaret only trusted her pets. Although the couple's personal relationship had ended long before the divorce, The Duke of Argyll was furious at the numerous affairs Margaret had during their marriage. At the end of her rope, she came up with a diabolical plan. A photo of a 'headless' man was one of the key pieces of evidence used in the divorce case of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, which is due to be dramatised in the new BBC mini series A Very British Scandal. Is the government still hiding the truth about Britain's 'Dirty Duchess (Image credit: BBC) In 1963 the Duke initiated divorce proceedings after discovering a selection of nude polaroid pictures of his wife upon breaking into a locked cupboard whilst she was away . dirty celebrity royals You probably know all about the Duchess of Argyll, but I didn't. . Some peoples lives get strictly divided into before and afterbut nothing can hold a candle to what Margaret was about to experience. As she put it, All Charlie wanted in a wife was a pretty, brainless doll. The True Story Behind A Very British Scandal - Yahoo! The 2000 documentary by Channel 4 named Secret History: The Duchess and the Headless Man, pointed to two men (one in the 'headless' polaroid and another in a similar snap where a sex act was . It is rumoured that she bedded some of the most powerful men in Britain, including the married Duke of Kent and the film star Cary Grant: During this time, Campbell was courted by American investment bankers and art dealers and memorably wrote that she learnt that it was key to go to bed early and often in a relationship. Allegedly, she once invited a 17-year-old boy into Inveraray Castle for a bath and a drink, and then took off her clothes and climbed in with him. They also claimed that Duncan Sandys agreed to resign following the scandal, but that his resignation was refused. It was so secret that Margaret completely omitted this episode from her memoirs. In their efforts to guess at the man, they dug up even more dirt on the duchess. Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll - Wikipedia She was the belle of yet another society wedding, she had a title and a powerful husband, and people still considered her one of the best-dressed women in the world. Margaret Campbell, born in 1912 to a Scottish millionaire, was a British socialite who frequented the 'best dressed' pages of many a magazine and was known for her vibrant, confident personality . To find evidence of infidelity, he broke into Margaret's personal cupboard in their London house, where he found the infamous Polaroids along with letters and other private documents. Her last shred of dignity went soon after. For all that her name is synonymous with scandal, Margaret Campbell obsessed over class and often held court about the proper way to display yourself to the world. The Duke and Duchess of Argyll's infamous 1963 divorce captured the public's attention with its twists and scandalous revelations. Sure, Margaret never divulged the names of the headless man or her other lovers, but she sure did try to cash in on her own scandal. And when it came to Kidston, she was particularly ruthless. 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). It was the perfect recipe for disaster. [imagesource:wikicommons] 'The Dirty Duchess'. A Very British Scandal: inside the castle of the 'dirty duchess' in A POLAROID picture was one of the key pieces of evidence in the scandalous divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. In the late 80s, the Dirty Duchess found a new way to make some quick cash. Except the way she did it was cringeworthy: Soon, Margaret was giving paid tours of her home at 48 Upper Grosvenor Street, AKA the home where her ex-husband had first found those infamous photographs. Speaking to the Daily Record, author Lyndsy Spence said that she had conducted extensive research into Margaret Campbell's life for her book The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, which included speaking to a relative of the businessman Joe Thomas.