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February 4th 1968: Launched and delivered to Seaspeed, Dover, England. Undertook 2 ½ hours of sea trials.
June 11th 1968: Made her maiden test flight from Dover - Boulogne followed by further trials before returning to Cowes for completion.
Stéphane Poulain Collection
July 31st 1968: Officially named PRINCESS MARGARET.
August 1st 1968: Commenced service between Dover - Boulogne.
 Roy Thornton Collection
August 4th 1968: Off service with damaged skirt and oil leak.
August 8th 1968: Returns to service.
November 1968: Withdrawn for fitting of Mk II skirt.
Stéphane Poulain Collection
March 1969: Visited the Pool of London.
October 17th 1971: Holed in rough seas and 30 ft of skirt is damaged. Taken out of service for repairs.
October 29th 1970: Returned to service.
September 18th 1978: Leaves Dover for stretching at Cowes but is forced to turn back because of rough seas.
 Roy Thornton Collection
September 19th 1978: Finally leaves Dover for Cowes where she is lengthened, modified and up rated to MK III status.
April 23rd 1979: Newly stretched re-launched at Cowes.
May 1st 1979: Arrives back in Dover, then visit’s the Pool of London.
 Roy Thornton Collection (left) and the Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
January 23rd 1981: In thick fog, collided with the Prince of Wales Pier at Dover. Taken out of service for repairs.
October 25th 1981:Registered to Hoverspeed Ltd., Dover. Commenced service between Dover - Calais/ Boulogne.
March 30th 1985: In rough seas, a force 7 south-westerly wind, very heavy drizzle and 8 to 10 foot swell whilst passing the western entrance, inbound from Calais, blown onto the Southern Breakwater at Dover. Four passengers lost their lives and a hole, 50 feet long, was torn in the crafts starboard side, reaching into the hull as far as the car - deck bulkhead. The craft was held from drifting onto the Prince of Wales Pier by the Dover lifeboat ROTARY SERVICE which later and with the aid of the DHB tug DEXTROUS helped berth the hovercraft.
June 1986: Hoverspeed was sold to Sea Containers.
Roy Thornton Collection (left and middle) and the Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
June 30th 1991: Final day in service between Dover - Boulogne.
Roy Thornton Collection (left) and Stéphane Poulain (right) 
 © Stéphane Poulain
October 1st 2000: Together with her sister, PRINCESS ANNE, made their final flights from Calais and were retired from service to be replaced by Seacat's and Superseacat's.
© Ray Goodfellow
Princess Margaret on her last day of service. © Stéphane Poulain
October 2000: Laid up in the Hovercraft Museum at HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent, Hampshire.
Princess Margaret laid up at the hovercraft museum in April 2006. © Ray Goodfellow
Rumours flew around that the two SR-N4 hovercraft PRINCESS MARGARET and PRINCESS ANNE were reported sold. Though the new owners were not officially identified online gossip suggested the craft may have been sold possibly as a source of engine parts for the gas-turbine powered heritage vessel BRAVE CHALLENGER. This vessel was built as a private yacht for Stavros Niarchos based on the Vosper Thonycroft Brave Class MTB's. It requires Proteus engines as fitted to the hovercraft and can operate at speeds up to 60 knots.
November 7th 2005: All Hoverspeed operations ceased.
2006: The SR.N4 craft remain in storage at the former HMS DAEDALUS - for sale, and their future is still uncertain.
Currently the Princess Margaret is complete with her propellers in place unlike her sister The Princess Anne.
Both craft, externally at least, are in a very sad state.
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Technical Data
History
