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Who was Marie-Luce Jamagne?

Including why her husband attracted media attention

MARIE-LUCE Jamagne was a Belgium actress and wife to Peter Townsend - the famous love interest of a royal.

The couple met after Princess Margaret was forced to turn down the marriage proposal of Peter Townsend.

The couple shared three children together during their marriage
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The couple shared three children together during their marriageCredit: Getty
Marie Luce Townsend - the National Opera of Paris and the Arop pay a tribute to Serge Lifar with a representation at the Garnier palace
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Marie Luce Townsend - the National Opera of Paris and the Arop pay a tribute to Serge Lifar with a representation at the Garnier palaceCredit: Getty

Who was Marie-Luce Jamagne?

Marie-Luce Jamagne was an actress born and raised in Belgium.

She was born into a wealthy family and was an heiress to a vast tobacco fortune.

The couple met in Belgium 1958 and by 1959 they had tied the knot.

Many people claim the young lady bore a striking resemblance to Princess Margaret who he was forbidden to marry.

Read more on Princess Margaret

During her marriage to Peter Townsend, the couple shared three children together.

They had a two girls and one boy.

Their daughters were named Isabelle and Marie-France Townsend and their son, was named Pierre.

Their daughter, Isabelle, found success in the 1980s as a model and actress.

She became a Ralph Lauren model in the late 1980s, forging a career that would span over a decade.

After she decided to follow in her mothers footsteps and pursue a career in acting, Isabelle became a stage actress, touring Europe with her company.

Marie Luce Jamagne, Peter Townsend's wife is presently in Paris where she is starring in the film Merci Natercia
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Marie Luce Jamagne, Peter Townsend's wife is presently in Paris where she is starring in the film Merci NaterciaCredit: Alamy
Who was Marie-Luce Jamagne?

How old was Marie-Luce Jamagne when she married Peter Townsend?

Marie-Luce Jamange was just 20-years-old when she tied the knot with Peter Townsend.

Peter at the time was 45, meaning there was a 25 year age-gap between the two.

Despite Peter's very public relationship with Princess Margaret and concerns surrounding their age gap, the couple remained together until Peter passed away in 1995.

The Crown Season 1. features the love story of Princess Magaret and Peter Townsend
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The Crown Season 1. features the love story of Princess Magaret and Peter TownsendCredit: NETFLIX

When did Marie-Luce Jamagne pass away?

Marie-Luce and Peter Townsend led a quiet, private life away from the public eye.

As a result, not much is known about her life besides being a devoted wife and mother to her family.

Peter Townsend died June 1995 in Saint-Leger-en-Yvelines, France, from stomach cancer.

Marie-Luce passed away in the same year following the death of her beloved husband Peter.

Before the couple passed away, the pair had decided to settle in Belgium where they raised their family together.

This meant they were able to escape much of the UK media attention bought on by Peter's relationship with the royals.

However, Peter's forbidden romance with Princess Margaret is spoke of in Modern times, long after their death due to the history being documented in the Netflix hit series, The Crown.

The pair are said to have met in Belgium after Peter officially split from Princess Margaret, but the exact details of their meeting have never been revealed.

RAF Group Captain Peter Townsend, was in a relationship with Princess Margaret, pictured following the announcement that he is to have an armed bodyguard after a series of anonymous threatening letters, October 5th 1955
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RAF Group Captain Peter Townsend, was in a relationship with Princess Margaret, pictured following the announcement that he is to have an armed bodyguard after a series of anonymous threatening letters, October 5th 1955Credit: GETTY

Who was Peter Townsend?

Peter Townsend was a former Group Captain in the British Royal Air Force.

After leaving the armed forces, Peter spent much of his later years writing non-fiction books.

He also served as an equerry to King George VI from 1944 to 1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to 1953.

He is well known for his romance with the late Queen Elizabeth II younger sister, Princess Margaret.

It was reported that Peter described the Princess as:

A girl of unusual, intense beauty

Peter Townsend

The romance with Princess Margaret was forbidden and his marriage proposal refused due to his divorce status; which was against the royal rules of the time.

Princess Margaret was warned that she would lose her royal title if she went against royal protocol to marry Peter Townsend.

In the end, she chose to keep her title, ending her relationship with Peter altogether.

After that he met and married Marie-Luce Jamagne and they remained together until he died in 1995, with her dying shortly after.

The Princess was said not to have attended the funeral of Peter Townsend in ST Leger-En-Yvelines 1995
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The Princess was said not to have attended the funeral of Peter Townsend in ST Leger-En-Yvelines 1995Credit: Getty

What did Marie-Luce-Jamagne do for a living?

When it comes to Marie-Luce's acting, she is most known for her role in Merci Natercia! which was released in 1960.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

However, it appears she did not take on more acting roles after this.

Following her short acting stint, Marie-Luce decided to focus on her family life.

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