Margaret “Margo” Durrell entered the world on 4 May 1919 in Kurseong, a hill station in Bengal, then part of British India. She was the only daughter of Louisa and Lawrence Samuel Durrell, and the younger sister of the future novelist Lawrence Durrell and elder sister to naturalist Gerald Durrell. Her earliest memories were shaped by the vibrant colonial landscape, but her childhood was soon defined by loss when her father died unexpectedly. This tragedy prompted Louisa to move her young family first to England and later to the island of Corfu, setting the stage for the adventures that would make the Durrell name famous.
The Move to Corfu and a Family of Characters
In 1935, when Margo was sixteen, Louisa decided to transplant the family to Corfu, seeking a healthier climate and a simpler life. Corfu became the idyllic backdrop for the Durrell family’s escapades, immortalised in Gerald Durrell’s classic memoirs My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives, and The Garden of the Gods. Within these pages Margo appears as the whimsical, good-natured sister, more interested in sunbathing, cosmetics and romance than in her brothers’ literary or zoological pursuits. Her light-hearted portrayal belied a spirited and independent young woman whose outlook was ahead of her time. Corfu’s relaxed atmosphere gave her a taste for freedom, laughter and unconventional living, qualities that defined her life well beyond those years.
Love, War and Restless Travels
The outbreak of the Second World War scattered the Durrells across the globe. Margo’s first marriage, to Royal Air Force pilot Jack Breeze in 1940, took her to South Africa, Mozambique and Ethiopia. The itinerant life of wartime spouses introduced her to new cultures and tested her resilience. After the war the marriage ended, and she continued to roam, living for a time in Cairo and later marrying Malcolm “Mac” Duncan. This second marriage also ended in divorce, but Margo’s willingness to embrace change and new beginnings remained a constant.
Settling in Bournemouth and an Unexpected Zoo Connection
By 1947 Margo had returned to England and purchased a large house in Bournemouth. She converted it into a boarding house, throwing herself into the work of managing tenants and maintaining an unpredictable household. This period of her life, bustling with comic misadventures and eccentric lodgers, would eventually provide the material for her own memoir. During these years her brother Gerald was laying the groundwork for his famed wildlife conservation work. For a time he even housed some of his early animal collection in her garden and garage, an unplanned but fitting contribution to what would become the Jersey Zoo.
Author of Whatever Happened to Margo?
Although overshadowed by her brothers’ literary reputations, Margo possessed a sharp wit and a storyteller’s eye. In the 1960s she drafted a humorous manuscript based on her experiences as a landlady. The pages lay forgotten until her granddaughter discovered them decades later. Published in the mid-1990s as Whatever Happened to Margo?, the book sparkles with the same warmth and eccentric charm that made the Durrell family famous. It captures the chaos of post-war Britain, the unpredictable tenants, and Margo’s resilient humour in the face of daily mishaps. Readers were delighted to find that the vivacious sister from Gerald’s books had her own distinct voice and perspective, proving she was more than merely a supporting character in her brothers’ stories.
Life Beyond the Public Eye
Despite her literary success late in life, Margo never sought the spotlight. She preferred the quiet satisfaction of her Bournemouth home and the company of friends and family. She remained a beloved figure among the Durrells, frequently visited by Gerald and maintaining affectionate ties with her scattered siblings. Her life was marked by independence and adaptability: she moved across continents, endured personal upheavals, and built a livelihood on her own terms.
Legacy and Cultural Portrayal
Margo’s vivacious personality continues to charm audiences through the numerous adaptations of Gerald’s Corfu trilogy. On screen she has been portrayed as the carefree, sun-loving sister, most recently in the ITV series The Durrells (2016–2019), where Daisy Waterstone captured her combination of light-heartedness and quiet strength. These portrayals have helped ensure that Margaret Durrell’s spirit endures as part of the family’s enduring appeal.
A Life of Independence and Warmth
Margaret Durrell’s story is one of quiet determination and gentle rebellion. She lived through an era of immense change, from colonial India to post-war England, and consistently chose her own path. Whether running a lively boarding house or travelling across continents, she approached life with humour and courage. Though she died in Bournemouth on 16 January 2007 at the age of eighty-seven, her legacy lives on in her own memoir and in the affectionate memories preserved by her brothers. Margaret Durrell reminds us that the most compelling lives are often those lived away from the limelight—full of resilience, adventure and an infectious zest for life.
Conclusion
Margaret Durrell was far more than the playful sister depicted in her brothers’ works. She was a traveller, a landlady, a writer and an independent spirit who shaped her own destiny. Her ability to adapt, laugh and persevere through war, travel and personal change makes her life a fascinating testament to the human capacity for reinvention. Today, readers and viewers continue to be drawn to her story, finding in it a warm and spirited example of a life well and truly lived.
