Peter Townsend and Marie-Luce Jamagne married in December 1959, four years after Princess Margaret announced that she would not marry the former royal equerry. Townsend was 45; Jamagne was 20. Their wedding in Belgium began a marriage that lasted until his death in 1995 and brought them three children. Although his relationship with Margaret often dominates accounts of his life, his marriage to Marie-Luce belongs at the centre of his later biography. Together, they established a home in France while Townsend developed a second career as a writer, drawing on his experiences of war, travel and royal service.
Who Were Peter Townsend and Marie-Luce Jamagne?
Peter Townsend was a British Royal Air Force officer, decorated wartime pilot and royal aide. Born on 22 November 1914 in Rangoon, now Yangon, he served in the Battle of Britain and received the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross with a bar.
Marie-Luce Jamagne was Belgian. She shared Townsend’s enthusiasm for riding and had competed successfully in show jumping. Their relationship developed through his life in Belgium, where he had worked as an air attaché.
Their names are often linked to British royal history, but Marie-Luce was Townsend’s wife during the decades when France became his home and writing became a substantial part of his working life.
| Quick fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Husband | Group Captain Peter Woolridge Townsend |
| Wife | Marie-Luce Jamagne |
| Wedding date | 21 December 1959 |
| Wedding location | Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels, Belgium |
| Ages at marriage | Townsend, 45; Jamagne, 20 |
| Children together | Isabelle, Marie-Françoise and Pierre |
| Later family home | Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, France |
Townsend’s Life Before Their Marriage
From wartime flying to royal service
Townsend entered the royal household in February 1944 as an equerry to King George VI. An equerry is an officer who assists a member of the royal family with official duties and personal arrangements.
What began as a temporary appointment became a much longer period of service. After George VI died in 1952, Townsend continued working for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
He had already married Rosemary Pawle in 1941. They had two sons, Giles and Hugo, before their marriage ended in divorce in 1952. Marie-Luce therefore entered the life of a man who had experienced war, fatherhood, the demands of palace employment and the breakdown of a marriage.
Why he did not marry Princess Margaret
Townsend’s relationship with Princess Margaret faced religious and constitutional difficulties. He was divorced, his former wife was still alive, and Margaret’s position within the royal family made marriage a question extending beyond their personal wishes.
On 31 October 1955, Margaret announced that she had decided not to marry him. Her statement referred to Christian teaching on marriage and her duty to the Commonwealth.
That decision preceded Townsend’s wedding to Marie-Luce by more than four years. Keeping the sequence clear matters: his second marriage followed the end of the proposed royal marriage.
How His Relationship With Marie-Luce Developed
After travelling around the world, Townsend returned to Belgium in 1958 and worked on an account of his journey. Marie-Luce became an increasingly important companion during this period.
They attended the Brussels international exhibition, Expo 58, together. Her interests included literature, theatre and outdoor life, giving them common ground beyond their shared enjoyment of horses.
Their engagement was announced in Antwerp in October 1959. Before the news reached the newspapers, Townsend wrote to Princess Margaret to tell her.
The age difference was considerable, but it was only one distinction between them. Townsend brought an established career, two children and an unusually well-documented romantic history into the relationship. Marie-Luce was beginning her adult life.
Their Wedding in Belgium
Peter Townsend and Marie-Luce Jamagne married at the town hall in Watermael-Boitsfort on 21 December 1959. Mayor Jacques Wiener conducted the civil ceremony.
Townsend had turned 45 the previous month, while Marie-Luce was 20, giving them an age difference of approximately 25 years.
After a honeymoon in Switzerland, they settled in France. Their early married life included an apartment on the Quai Louis Blériot in Paris, followed by a house in Sainte-Gemme, west of the capital.
The wedding was a civil marriage outside the royal household. It also marked a practical change in Townsend’s circumstances: he was building a household abroad and finding work beyond the military and palace careers that had defined his earlier adulthood.
Children and a Home in France
The couple had two daughters and a son: Isabelle, Marie-Françoise and Pierre. Alongside the two sons from Townsend’s first marriage, they formed his family of five children.
Isabelle later became a fashion model and worked with Ralph Lauren. Her career gave her a professional identity separate from her father’s military and royal connections.
The family eventually made its home at Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, southwest of Paris. Townsend and Marie-Luce restored an old rural property called La Mare aux Oiseaux.
In his autobiography, Townsend described buying the partly ruined property and undertaking its reconstruction. Income from Duel of Eagles helped make the work possible. The house connects two important parts of his later life: the family he was raising and the books through which he earned his living.
A Second Career as an Author
Townsend’s life with Marie-Luce coincided with his development as a nonfiction writer. He also worked in the wine business, helping establish a French operation for an American wine-shipping firm.
His books covered subjects he knew through direct experience or extensive travel. Earth My Friend recounted his journey around the world. Duel of Eagles examined the Battle of Britain, while The Last Emperor explored the life of George VI.
His 1978 autobiography, Time and Chance, brought together his childhood, flying career, royal service and family life. He dedicated it to Marie-Luce and his children.
That dedication provides a direct expression of their place in his life. The memoir’s structure also gives his marriage its own space, carrying the narrative beyond the end of his relationship with Margaret.
Townsend died in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines on 19 June 1995, aged 80. His marriage to Marie-Luce had lasted approximately 35 years and six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Marie-Luce Jamagne Peter Townsend’s first wife?
No. His first wife was Rosemary Pawle, whom he married in 1941. Marie-Luce became his second wife in 1959.
How old was Marie-Luce when she married Townsend?
She was 20, while Townsend was 45. Their age difference was approximately 25 years.
Did Peter Townsend and Marie-Luce Jamagne have children?
Yes. They had three children together: Isabelle, Marie-Françoise and Pierre.
Did Peter Townsend ever marry Princess Margaret?
No. Margaret announced her decision not to marry him in October 1955. She later married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.
What did Townsend write about his own life?
His autobiography, Time and Chance, was published in 1978. It covers his military service, work for the royal household, relationships and later life in France.
Conclusion
Peter Townsend and Marie-Luce Jamagne’s marriage occupied more than three decades of his life. Their story includes raising three children, restoring a French home and the development of his writing career. Understanding those years gives a fuller account of Townsend—and places Marie-Luce within the family history they built together.
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