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She was a daughter of Sir Francis Hugh Stewart (d 1921) a colonial merchant in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Lady Frances Stewart (d1962) Marjorie was one of seven children. Her mother, Lady Stewart was an advocate of Indian independence and served as Honorary Secretary of the National Indian Association. She also stood for parliament on their return to England.
Marjorie started her acting career at a young age and by the age of five, made her theatrical debut and continued to perform in various West End plays. In 1938, the Wells journal described her, ´ Miss Stewart’s natural waist measurement is only twenty one and a half inches. With the return of Edwardian fashions and smaller waistlines, she is the subject of considerable envy´. In 1939 after the outbreak of World War Two, her career changed when she joined the SOE. Employed initially as a lift operator, she quickly rose to the position of secretary to SOE Controller Patrick Howarth. Her primary contributions were administrative, though she played a key role in planning operations and possibly training female spies. Her connection with Operation Postmaster was mainly behind-the-scenes, involved in strategic planning rather than direct action.
Stewart met Gustavus Henry March-Phillipps during the war and married him on 18 April 1942, shortly after Operation Postmaster. Subsequently, March-Phillips was killed later that year, and Stewart was left a widow. She gave birth to their daughter, Henrietta Sophia March-Phillipps, on June 15, 1943. After the war, she returned to her acting career and worked with at least 22 other productions. In November 1957 she married Major Sir John Stanley Vincent Marling, son of Sir Charles Murray Marling and Lucia Slade. Her married name then became Marling.
After leaving the SOE in 1946, Stewart resumed her acting career, taking on small roles in various films through the 1950s.
In the 2024 film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Stewart was portrayed by Eiza González.It is important to note that many aspects of her portrayal are clearly fictionalised, including her direct participation in field operations and her depicted marksmanship skills. Her Husband, Gus March- Philips is also portrayed in the film by Henry Cavill.