Roddy Llewellyn

Sir Roderic Victor Llewellyn, 5th Baronet (born 9 October 1947), is a British baronet, garden designer, journalist, author, and television presenter. He had an eight-year relationship with Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II.

Llewellyn was born in Crickhowell, Brecknockshire, the younger son of Sir Harry Llewellyn, 3rd Bt. (d. 1999), an Olympic gold medallist in show jumping, and his wife, the Hon. Christine Saumarez (d. 1998). He was educated at Shrewsbury School and then received a National Certificate in Horticulture at Merrist Wood College. In 2009, he succeeded his elder brother, Dai, to the Llewellyn baronetcy.

In 2012, Llewellyn discussed his early life at Gobion Manor and later, at Llanfair Grange, with some sadness. His parents were often away at equestrian events, and his nanny, Rebecca Jenkins, became his muse, encouraging the boy's gardening. By age 7, he was sent to Hawtreys, a boarding school.

Beginning in 1973, Llewellyn, then aged 25, began an affair with Princess Margaret, then 43. They had met in Scotland at the Café Royal in Edinburgh in September 1973. Margaret's biographer Theo Aronson made this comment some years later, "He was well-mannered, well-spoken, and amusing; above all, he was very sweet-natured."

In 1976, photographs of the couple in Mustique led to a scandal. In the tabloids, he was referred to as her "toy boy". Llewellyn issued a public statement which said, "I much regret any embarrassment caused to Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family, for whom I wish to express the greatest respect, admiration and loyalty".

The much publicised eight-year relationship was a factor in the dissolution of the princess's marriage to the Earl of Snowdon. After Princess Margaret's break-up with Llewellyn, she destroyed all of their correspondence, according to her then chauffeur, David Griffin.

According to Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner, quoted in the 2018 documentary Elizabeth: Our Queen, the monarch discussed Llewellyn with her after Princess Margaret's funeral in 2002. She offered Lady Glenconner thanks for having introduced her sister to him because "he made her really happy".

On 11 July 1981, Llewellyn married Tatiana Soskin, a daughter of film producer Paul Soskin. The couple have three daughters, Alexandra, Natasha, and Rosie. Alexandra, the eldest, is a designer and artist.

Llewellyn has said, "I have always been fascinated by plants...They give me an enormous amount of solace."

It was apparently his nanny, Rebecca Jenkins, who introduced him to gardening. When the family removed to Llanfair Grange, Llewellyn said, "we had huge lawns and wonderful views. It was pretty country...it had a big vegetable garden and fabulous trees." Throughout Llewellyn always regarded himself as part of that rich Welsh heritage beneath the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Llewellyn runs his own company, Roddy Llewellyn's Garden Design. ...

Source: Article "Roddy Llewellyn" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.