Who plays Princess Margaret in the first two seasons?

Vanessa Kirby plays Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of The Crown. Her portrayal focuses on Margaret as the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, a glamorous and spirited royal whose personal choices often collide with institutional expectations.

The first season explores Margaret’s relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, a divorced former equerry to her father. Because royal marriage rules and family expectations made the relationship controversial, Margaret faces a painful choice between romance and her position within the royal household.

Kirby also portrays Margaret’s public confidence and private vulnerability. The character is shown as intelligent, socially magnetic, and frustrated by the limits placed on her as the monarch’s sister rather than the sovereign herself. Her story provides an important counterpoint to Elizabeth’s more formal constitutional role.

The part was recast as the character aged. Helena Bonham Carter played Margaret in seasons 3 and 4, while Lesley Manville portrayed her in seasons 5 and 6. Erin Doherty, one of the wrong options, played Princess Anne rather than Margaret.