The sad reality of Princess Margaret's marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones

She was a glamorous princess with A-list friends and a rebellious streak. He was an equally charismatic and well-connected photographer and filmmaker.

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones had the makings of a perfect match, but their romance soon unravelled.

As the latest episode of The Windsors explores, the royal couple's marriage was plagued with scandal and infidelity that played out in the media spotlight.

LISTEN: In 'The Rebel Princess', The Windsors podcast takes a closer look at Princess Margaret's colourful life. (Post continues.)

The Queen's younger sister met the society photographer at a dinner party in 1958.

"He was a very flamboyant figure, very charismatic. You can see what Princess Margaret saw in him," explains Juliet Rieden, author of The Royals in Australia.

Their romance was sealed through a series of private portrait sessions, during which Armstrong-Jones produced the now infamous 'near naked' birthday photo of the princess.

In 1960, the pair's engagement was announced; in May that year, they wed at Westminster Abbey, in the first British royal wedding to be broadcast on television.

"I suspect joining the Royal Family was a little bit of a yoke around Antony Armstrong-Jones' neck and life, because he was used to a wild life and I suspect he had to change the way he behaved," Rieden observes.

Listen to The Windsors to find out how this royal romance took a downward turn.