Antony Armstrong-Jones cheated on Princess Margaret many times, but a 2004 DNA test revealed the secret child he fathered, born during his honeymoon.

A Royal Love Story That Hid A Stunning Secret

When Princess Margaret married celebrated photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, their wedding was watched by millions around the world. He was the first commoner to marry the king's daughter in centuries, and the glamorous couple seemed to embody a modern royal future. Decades later, however, a DNA test uncovered a secret that had begun before their marriage and came to light because of a child born while they were still on their honeymoon.

Princess Margaret Lived In Her Sister's Shadow

Princess Margaret was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. While Elizabeth prepared for the throne, Margaret became known for her beauty, wit, and love of glamorous social circles. Her personal life attracted enormous public attention throughout the 1950s.

Alexandra Studio, Wikimedia Commons

Her First Great Romance Ended In Heartbreak

Before meeting Antony Armstrong-Jones, Margaret fell deeply in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend. Because Townsend was divorced, their relationship became one of Britain's biggest royal controversies. When that romance ended, Margaret eventually moved forward with someone very different.

Daventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer, Wikimedia Commons

Antony Armstrong-Jones Was Unlike Previous Royal Suitors

Antony Armstrong-Jones was an ambitious photographer who had built a respected career photographing artists, actors, and members of high society. He had also photographed members of the royal family before becoming romantically involved with Margaret. His creative world seemed exciting compared with traditional aristocratic circles.

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They Kept Their Romance Mostly Private

Their relationship developed quietly during 1959. Only a small circle of friends knew they were seeing one another before their engagement became public. That secrecy allowed the romance to flourish without constant media attention.

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A Fairy Tale Wedding Captivated Britain

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones married at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 1960. The ceremony became the first royal wedding to be televised, drawing an enormous international audience. Millions believed they were witnessing the beginning of a glamorous new chapter for the royal family.

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Their Honeymoon Looked Perfect

After the wedding, the newlyweds boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia for a six-week honeymoon in the Caribbean. Newspaper coverage focused on the romance and luxury surrounding the trip. Unknown to the public, another story connected to Armstrong-Jones was about to unfold back in Britain.

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A Baby Was Born While They Were Away

On May 28, 1960, only weeks after the wedding, a baby girl named Polly was born. At the time, everyone believed she was the daughter of inventor Jeremy Fry and his wife Camilla Fry. There appeared to be nothing unusual about the birth.

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Nobody Suspected A Royal Connection

Because Camilla was married to Jeremy Fry, Polly grew up believing Jeremy was her father. The child had no public connection to Princess Margaret or the royal family. The secret remained hidden for decades.

Jack de Nijs for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

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The Fry Family Were Close Friends

Jeremy Fry was far more than an acquaintance of Armstrong-Jones. The two men were close friends, and Jeremy had even been expected to play a major role in the royal wedding celebrations. That friendship would later make the revelation even more remarkable.

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Camilla Fry Was At The Center Of The Mystery

Polly's mother was Camilla Fry, a talented artist and member of Britain's artistic social circle. She was married to Jeremy Fry when Polly was conceived. Years later, evidence showed Armstrong-Jones, not Jeremy, was Polly's biological father.

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Rumors Never Fully Disappeared

Within some social circles, whispers about Polly's parentage lingered for years. Those rumors never reached the level of confirmed public fact. Most people simply accepted that Jeremy Fry was her father.

Evening Standard, Getty Images

Polly Began Asking Difficult Questions

As an adult, Polly became increasingly curious about persistent rumors surrounding her birth. She wanted certainty rather than speculation. Advances in DNA testing finally made that possible.

anonymous, from The National Archives UK, Wikimedia Commons

The DNA Test Changed Everything

In 2004, Polly underwent DNA testing that showed Antony Armstrong-Jones was her biological father. She was 45 years old when she learned the truth. The discovery completely reshaped her understanding of her family history.

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The Timing Shocked Everyone

The revelation carried another extraordinary detail. Polly had been born during Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret's honeymoon because she had been conceived before the wedding. That timeline made headlines around the world.

Eric Koch for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

Polly Described The Discovery Honestly

In 2008, Polly wrote publicly about learning the truth. She explained that discovering the man she had always believed was her father was not actually her biological parent had been deeply painful. At the same time, she said she wanted to move forward with her life rather than remain consumed by the revelation.

Jack de Nijs for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

Armstrong-Jones Initially Rejected The Story

After reports first emerged, Armstrong-Jones denied that he had taken a DNA test confirming Polly's paternity. Jeremy Fry also publicly rejected the claim during his lifetime. The controversy continued for several years.

Gzen92Bot, Wikimedia Commons

An Admission Finally Came

Following Jeremy Fry's death, Armstrong-Jones eventually acknowledged that Polly was indeed his biological daughter. That admission effectively settled years of speculation. The long-running mystery was finally resolved.

Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

Princess Margaret Faced Many More Difficult Years

The marriage did not remain the glamorous partnership many had imagined in 1960. Both Margaret and Armstrong-Jones were later linked to relationships outside their marriage, and the couple gradually drifted apart. Their separation became public in 1976.

Michael Yada, Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons

Divorce Ended The Marriage

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon divorced in 1978. It marked the first divorce involving a senior member of the British royal family in many decades. By then, the public image of their marriage had changed dramatically.

National Media Museum from UK, Wikimedia Commons

Polly Had No Royal Upbringing

Although she was Armstrong-Jones's biological daughter, Polly had grown up outside the royal spotlight. She built her own life as a writer and interior designer. Her connection to one of Britain's most famous families emerged only in middle age.

Jack de Nijs for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

She Continued To Respect The Family That Raised Her

Learning the truth did not erase Polly's relationship with Jeremy Fry. She repeatedly expressed affection for the man who had raised her throughout childhood. Her story became one of complicated family bonds rather than simple scandal.

PA Images, Getty Images

The Story Renewed Interest In Snowdon's Private Life

The DNA revelation prompted renewed attention to Armstrong-Jones's complicated personal history. Biographers and historians revisited long-standing stories about his relationships and marriage. The discovery added another chapter to an already eventful life.

Getty Images, Getty Images

Historians Still View The Marriage As A Turning Point

Princess Margaret's marriage represented a more modern image of the monarchy at the time. Yet the private realities behind that image proved far more complicated than the public ever imagined. The story continues to fascinate royal historians today.

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The Secret Stayed Hidden For More Than Four Decades

Very few family stories remain concealed for nearly half a century. Advances in DNA testing changed what could be proven and what remained only rumor. In Polly's case, science finally answered a question that gossip never could.

Mirrorpix, Getty Images

One DNA Test Rewrote Royal History

Princess Margaret's marriage has long been remembered for its glamour, celebrity, and eventual collapse. Yet one of its most astonishing chapters was unknown until 2004, when a DNA test revealed that Antony Armstrong-Jones had fathered a daughter with Camilla Fry before the wedding, and that child happened to be born while the royal couple were celebrating their honeymoon. It remains one of the most extraordinary family revelations connected to the modern British monarchy.

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