One night only! PRINCESS & THE POPSTAR

A new memoir spills on Margaret's secret tryst with a famous heartbreaker

-  Judy Kean

It sounds more fantastical than fiction and would certainly have caused controversy had it appeared as a storyline on The Crown.

But the secret one-night stand between Princess Margaret and crooner Eddie Fisher was kept under wraps for decades until the singer's famous daughter blurted it out on a TV show.

Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher was telling the truth when she revealed that her dad had enjoyed a night of passion with the Queen's younger sister, confirms a new book by Eddie's ex-wife.

Terry Richard's memoir Beauty Queen Dreams explains that Eddie - whose previous wives included Debbie Reynolds and Dame Elizabeth Taylor - told her in detail about the steamy encounter he'd had with Margaret shortly before the Queen's coronation.

"Eddie never talked about Princess Margaret in public, he respected her too much," says Terry, 69. "But he told me about their encounter many, many times during our marriage. He looked back on it with great affection."

American Eddie was a 24-year-old global superstar back in May 1953 when he travelled to the UK for a series of performances to promote his latest song, including headlining at a charity ball in London.

"He was a teenybopper idol," tells Terry. "I guess you could call him the Harry Styles of his day. Princess Margaret was a big fan. After he landed, he received a note from her saying she was looking forward to meeting him at the ball."