to be structurally sound against storms and to allow for rainwater catchments. The flooring consists of decorative Caribbean ceramic tiles, in contrast with bamboo furniture pieces the princess imported from London. These combinations of styles were a deliberate artistic choice of Messel to create the Caribbean Messel architecture. In 2003, Tennant stated that the ‘house had considerable charm’, noting Messel's influence, "Oliver had instilled the essence of the West Indies in a little cottage. It gave Princess Margaret the greatest possible pleasure not to be reminded of the grandeur of what she was". The Princess was also involved in the interior design, choosing furnishings and decorations including Annigoni's portrait of her sister, the queen, which hung in the center of the house. Residents and guests Princess Margaret visited the villa frequently, beginning her affair with Roddy Llewellyn there. She had met Llewellyn through the Tennants (the Glenconners). In 1976, paparazzi captured images of the pair, creating a media scandal. Anne Tennant voiced her concerns to biographers about introducing the pair to each other after the affair was publicized stating, "heavens, what have I done?". The affair contributed to the, generally poor, press coverage the princess received. John Pearson noted in his biography of the royal family that many in Britain decried the expense of the princess's holidays, which saw her described as a "royal parasite". Later history In 1996 Princess Margaret gave the property to her son, David Linley, as a wedding gift, and perhaps partly to minimise death duties. Linley subsequently sold the villa in 1999 for £2.4 million, reportedly to the distress of his mother. The estate was sold to an American couple, with Irish links, who simplified the interior design, introducing Irish cultural elements. The villa is available to rent. Media appearances Les Jolies Eaux has been referenced in a number of television shows including in the third and fourth series of the Netflix's The Crown. The set production designer, Martin Childs, consulted the archives of Oliver Messel to accurately represent the interior design of Princess Margaret's estate and sought a similar structure for exterior shots eventually settling on a villa in southern Spain. Les Jolies Eaux was also featured in the second episode of the BBC documentary series, Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal. References External links Listing on Mustique's official site Royal residences in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Houses completed