Princess Margaret's morning routine

She has been hailed as 'grander than the Queen' and was called 'Ma'am' even by her most intimate friends.

So it is perhaps of little surprise that Princess Margaret's morning routine was at one time fantastically decadent.

In her mid-20s the Queen's younger sister is said to have enjoyed breakfast in bed, an hour-long bath and a vodka 'pick me up' - all before 1pm.

The revelations are made in Ma'am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, a new biography of the royal by Craig Brown.

The book explains how aged around 25, Princess Margaret settled into a luxurious routine that reflected her taste for the finer things in life.

The day started with a meal brought to her in bed. At the time she is believed to have lived with her mother The Queen Mother in Clarence House. 

Afterwards she spent two hours listening to the radio and reading the newspapers while chain smoking, often leaving the papers scattered across the floor.

At 11am Margaret would have an hour-long bath for her drawn by a maid before having her hair and make-up done at her dresser.  

The book continues: 'As one would imagine of a Princess, she never wore any of her clothes more than once before having them cleaned.  

Exhausted by the morning, Margaret then went downstairs for a 'vodka pick-me-up' ahead of a four-course lunch with the Queen Mother. 

The excerpt about Princess Margaret's morning routine was shared thousands of times after it was posted on Twitter over the weekend.

It sparked dozens of comments from delighted readers who described the routine as 'goals'. One wrote: 'This post has made my day! Long may it reign - tiaras, long baths, and vodka breaks for all!'

Another tweeted: 'Where do I apply for mid-20th century Princess? I have both the skills and lack of drive required for the position.' 

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is reproduced here with permission.