But behind the scenes, she was already living a horror story. "She. 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. The future Duchess of Argyll was born Ethel Margaret Whigham on December 1, 1912, in Scotland to a millionaire father. The most extensive damage, however, was somewhere no one could yet see. But these boys were just practice for the man she was about to meet. 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. The Duchess of Argyll's story may have happened in 1963, but is more relevant than ever. 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. The Duchess of Argyll spent a fortune restoring Inveraray Castle in western Scotland, now full of secret doors, ancient weapons and priceless artwork. The mystery man in the explicit photo became known as the 'headless man' and his identity has been largely speculated. This was his third marriage - after wedding Janet Gladys Aitken and Louise Hollingsworth Morris Vanneck. 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. In their efforts to guess at the man, they dug up even more dirt on the duchess. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. Within just a few months of marrying the Duke of Argyll, Margaret had already realized shed made a mistake. 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 . Margaret, the Duchess of Argyll on the June 1969 cover of Tatler. . Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. As Margaret recalled, doctors thought she must have grabbed onto the elevator cablethis is what likely saved her lifebecause her fingernails were torn and bloody. 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. Not that men didnt try: By the end of the season, the court named her their debutante of the year and Margaret had her pick of suitors, any of whom would eat out of the palm of her hand if shed asked. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Photo Credit: . One of the men accused of being one of Margaret's lovers, and named on a list that the Duke of Argyll produced in court, was the Hollywood actor Douglas Fairbank Jr. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. You know, this despite the fact that Margaret had certainly been out among men for quite some time. The pictures were part of a legal case the duke drew up against the duchess as part of divorce proceedings, alongside a list of 88 men he accused her of having sex with behind his back. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. In the photographs, the Duchess of Argyll was very much not alone. He was a notorious drinker and gambler, and was hooked on prescription medications to boot. She suffered neglect from her mother, as well as a teen pregnancy that could have ruined her long before she became an eligible debutante. First, you need to get your hands on a camera. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Who was Margaret the Duchess of Argyll? Clearly, her second marriage was in deep troublebut no one had any idea what was really around the corner. But as soon as they were over their shock, Margarets parents knew exactly what they had to do. Duchess of Argyll divorce: What was the headless man Polaroid picture? 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. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Campbell even had a crumbling abode, Inveraray Castle, to match his moodiness. It was more than enough for the Duke of Argyll to file . She was known as the Dirty Duchess after her split from the 11th Duke of Argyll led to a bitter and scandalous divorce. With their parents and chaperones otherwise occupied with their own vacation, the teenagers managed to find ample time to, er, explore their personal landscapes. The Polaroid has since become known as 'the photo of the headless man', and the man's identity has long been the subject of speculation, with many books and programmes debating who he could have been. ", 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, The Duke and Duchess of Argyll at their wedding in 1951. The duchess, he declared, was "a highly sexed woman who ha. She is remembered as a nymphomaniac socialite who disgraced the Establishment when her diaries and sexually explicit Polaroids were . 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. Both of them, though, show her wearing her iconic three-string pearls, jewellery that she had inherited from her grandmother. When the dust cleared, luck prevailed. Ticket Price (15% VAT) . In the spring of 1931, Margarets carefree life came to an abrupt halt. The Polaroid has since become known as 'the photo of the headless man', and the man's identity has long been the subject of speculation, with many books and programmes debating who he could have been. Years ago, if youll remember, Margarets first husband Charles Sweeny claimed that her fall down an elevator shaft had fundamentally changed her personality and turned her into a nymphomaniac. The Golden Globe-winning actress plays Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll, who went through a high-profile, damaging and distressing public divorce. One of the images featured his wife naked but for a string of pearls, performing . To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. In the 1930s, the Duchess was one of the most photographed women in the world and a style icon for millions; by the 1960s she had gained notoriety and the moniker "the Dirty Duchess" through a series of high-profile marriages, divorces, infidelities, sexual escapades, and extravagant living habits. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? She said: "There have been rumours over the years about who he was. Destiny Rogers 21 December 2021. She kept mum on identifying any of the men she was in the photographs withthough there might have been a scandalous reason for this. a self-confessed wolf. . Some of the people she was accused of sleeping with were actually closeted gay men, yet if Margaret denied any of them as her lovers on those grounds, their (at the time criminal) secret would get out. Then again, right around this time, Margaret went off the deep end herself. On December 21 1960, the New York Daily News informed readers the Duchess of Argyll would soon jet home to London. 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. The Duchess, Margaret Campbell, was a British socialite known for her lavish lifestyle and a string of high-profile affairs. 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. On brand for a high-class woman, and Margaret even quipped she was there to, "put the point of view of the horse". Amazon has even produced a series in 2022, A Very British Scandal, based on her electrifying court battle with her husbandin it, Claire Foy plays Margaret, while Paul Bettany plays Ian Campbell, the Duke of Argyll. His next idea would be the couples downfall. Among her conquests was a broken engagement with the Texan banker Joseph Thomas as well as a dalliance with the curator for the Met, Theodore Rousseau. One of the explicit photographs presented in court was a Polaroid of the Duchess, wearing nothing but her signature triple-string of pearls, standing next to an unidentified man. Margaret's rumoured affair with the ex-press officer at the Savoy was named as one of the key affairs in the divorce proceedings. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Even so, the court didnt thank Margaret for her classy silence. 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. Although Margarets experiences with Niven were her first time with a man, one time in her case was very much enough. The next years of Margarets life paved the way for the infamy she was about to achieve. For further updates, please refresh the page, Britain's most expensive house goes up for sale at jaw-dropping price, The gorgeous Georgian mansion - named The Holme - boasts 40-bedrooms, a tennis court, a library and a sauna. Fuji Instax is a separate, but also . In 1963, a judge dissolved the marriage of the aristocratic Duke and Duchess of Argyll, condemning the latter as a promiscuous woman with a "debased sexual appetite." Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. A decline that would end in a shocking incident. Margaret Campbell (ne Whigham) was born to a Scottish millionaire George Hay Whigham on 1 December 1912 and was enjoyed a privileged upbringing, spending much of . While we may never know who the 'headless' man was, A Very British Scandal aims to look at the story behind one of the biggest court cases in history, and the lives of the people involved. View our online Press Pack. He had much darker ones, too. with the Duchess portrayed by Clare Foy. While in the nursing home bathroom one day, Margaret had a severe fall that broke her neck. Margaret seemed poised to take the duke down with her, but on the very day of her hearing about his infidelity, she couldnt find a witness and had to drop her case. 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. 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Ian owed a lot of money due to his own gambling addiction and he calculated that Margaret's father might help him out financially. dirty celebrity royals You probably know all about the Duchess of Argyll, but I didn't. . She got a nightmare instead. Ian Duncan Campbell, the dashing Scottish peer known as the Duke of Argyll, sure fit the part: With a forbidding face and a brusque manner, Campbell seemed every bit a Byronic hero, and Margaret fell head over heels. 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. Getty Images. Well, guess what? Instead, she accused him of a heinous act. Even so, it paid off in a big way. In the late 80s, the Dirty Duchess found a new way to make some quick cash. And once she was finally free, Margaret let loose. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. 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. 'The Dirty Duchess'. Her love affairs led to her being branded the "dirty duchess" and her involvement in the . The couple married in 1951, but their marriage soon turned sour after the Duke accused Margaret of being unfaithful. Instead, they humiliated her. & 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). That May, she got word that her lover Glen Kidston had perished in a horrific plane crash. Best known for the explicit Polaroid . Another, racier Polaroid, showing the Duchess pleasuring a man, was also produced. With 88 possible lovers to choose from, the press had a field day hunting down who the man could be. Together they are absolutely the essential things in life. Even her friends thought she completely lacked a sense of humor, and she called herself a bird brain. By Hayley Maitland. When she was in her late 20s, Margaret was visiting her doctor on Bond Street when she fell a whopping 40 feet down an elevator shaft in a freak accident. Being sexy is no longer about natural looks - glamour girls & TV stars look like filters, its scary, says Sam Fox, Prince Andrew 'refusing to leave' Royal Lodge mansion for Frogmore - and is 'pleading with King Charles for a top role', Treat Mum to something special this Mother's Day gift ideas from 23. In his court papers, Argyll accused Margaret of sleeping with no fewer than 88 men over the course of their marriage. Margaret Campbell was a British socialite who was embroiled in a sex scandal during the 1960s and became known as the "dirty duchess." . 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. The centre of the country's first major slut-shaming case, socialite Margaret, Duchess of Argyll . So when the press got wind of the truly sordid details of the case, all bets were off. He had been flying through a dust storm when his entire plane broke apart beneath him, sending him to his end. The legacy of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll is tainted by scandal. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. "It exploded in a way that now in present day, we seem to have forgotten about.".