SERIOUS illness made Princess Margaret a frail and reclusive figure in the last few years of her life.

But before her first stroke, she performed sterling work on behalf of the nation.

As a young woman she was one of the most glamorous personalities of her generation.

And while she shone in the limelight of the attention focused on her, it would be wrong to remember her solely as a fun-loving princess.

Her love for the Caribbean, for example, is equated with stories of parties at her holiday retreat on the island of Mustique.

But in the 1960s she was a hugely popular figure in the West Indies. In a series of official visits she helped pave the way for independence for Caribbean states and helped ensure they retained links with Britain and became committed members of the Commonwealth.

As much as any other figure in the post-war years, she helped shape the reform of the Royal Family bringing it into the modern world and closer to the people.

Her contribution in the 1950s and 1960s to the modernisation of the monarchy was as significant as Princess Diana's in the 1980s and 1990s.

She retained, at all times, a realisation of not only the privileges her status brought, but also the responsibilities they entailed.

She was fully aware of her duty to the nation, characterised by her unsung support for charities, by her unswerving loyalty to her sister, and above all by her decision to renounce love for the well-being of the monarchy.

It is a pity that her death has come at a time when the Queen is about to embark on a long series of tours, starting with trips to Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia, to mark her Golden Jubilee.

It will be difficult for her to enjoy celebrations when her beloved sister has passed away so close to the 50th anniversary of her father's death, and when her mother's health is a cause for concern.