It's over for Margaretha and Robin

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July 12, 1958

The romance between Princess Margaretha of Sweden and Robin Douglas-Home, a jazz pianist, is over, according to an announcement from the Royal Palace.

Robin, 26, is the son of the Hon. Henry Douglas-Home, second son of Charles, 13th Earl of Home and his former wife, Lady Margaret Spencer, daughter of the 6th Earl Spencer.

Lady Margaret has served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and Princess Alexandra of Kent.

Robin, a nephew of the present Earl of Home, had planned to travel from London to Stockholm, hoping "to wrote a happy ending of his year-long courtship" with the pretty 23-year-old Princess Margaretha, according to United Press International.

Princess Margaretha and her family are at the Swedish royal family's summer residence, Solliden, on the island of Oland.    A spokesman for the Princess said Margaretha spoke to Mr. Douglas-Home for ten minutes.  Their engagement was broken off during the conversation.

Margaretha was said to be "shocked" to learn of Douglas-Home's decision to not travel to Stockholm.  Her mother, Princess Sibylla, was also shocked.

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The princess was keeping to her room and was "reported to be near a nervous breakdown."

Spokesman  Count Goesta Lewenhaupt told three representatives of the Swedish, American and British press that "for Princess Margaretha the romance with Home has been a very serious thing, and of course she is upset by the latest developments." 

He said he expected the princess to stay at the villa for the rest of the summer and then "perhaps go abroad for awhile."

Lewenhaupthaupt had invited the press to "refute" reports that Margaretha's mother had "at the last moment" had forbidden Margaretha to marry Douglas-Home.

Princess  Sibylla and King Gustav VI Adolf left the decision of becoming engaged or not up to Margaretha.



Spokes