This Day in History: 9 February 2002
Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 71 at King Edward VII Hospital. She suffered a stroke and developed heart problems before she could be rushed to hospital. Though the funeral was not a State occasion, it was attended by dignitaries as well as by family members and friends. She accompanied the royal family on their visit to South Africa in 1947.