A gift from The Queen’s late sister is going up for auction at the end of June.
Princess Margaret, The Queen’s younger sister, gave her then-boyfriend, Roderick Llewellyn, a piano as a gift during their relationship in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The piano was made in the 1890s by Mitchell & Briggs, who held a Royal Warrant.
The Princess’s relationship with Llewellyn began in 1973 when he was 25, and she was 43. Though she was still married to Anthony Armstrong-Jones at the time, their marriage had already broken down, and both had had several affairs.
When pictures of Margaret and Llewellyn taken on Mustique, her favourite island escape, were shared in 1976, a public scandal erupted. Princess Margaret and her husband divorced in 1978, and her relationship with Llewellyn continued until the early 1980s.
Margaret gave Llewellyn many gifts throughout their relationship, though the piano was quite special. Both Llewellyn and the Princess adored singing and performing, and would often sing together. He attempted to pursue a career in music, though it did not work out.
After they broke up, Llewlleyn married Tatiana Soskin in 1981; they have three daughters together. He did keep the piano for a bit, though he loaned it out to a friend.
The piano was then bought by Harry Selfriedge biographer Lindy Woodhead in the mid-1980s. She had hoped to learn how to play the piano but never made a go of it.
Piano Auctions will be selling the piano on 28 June 2022 in Bedford. It is predicted that the piano will sell for somewhere between £5-7,000.
Margaret and Llewellyn stayed friends after they broke up and stayed in contact until her death in 2002.
Llewellyn was a gardener when he met the Princess, and his love of gardening has continued throughout his life. He is also a journalist and an author.
