Who is the Earl of Snowdon and why is he divorcing Serena, the Countess of Snowdon?
THE Earl of Snowdon, nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, has announced he and his wife are to “amicably” divorce.
Here’s what we know about the couple and their 26-year-long marriage.
Who is the Earl of Snowdon?
The Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, is the nephew of Queen Elizabeth II and son of the late Princess Margaret.
His mother Margaret, the Queen’s sister, died in 2002 and he became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon following the death of his father, celebrity photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, in 2017.
When the Earl of Snowdon was born in 1961, he was fifth in line to the throne. He is currently 21st in line.
In 2018, the Earl controversially applied to become a member of the House of Lords.
The peer was known as David Armstrong-Jones or Viscount Linley until his father, who became the first Earl of Snowdon after marrying the Queen’s sister, died.
Lord Snowdon is a furniture maker and was previously the boss of top auction house Christie’s.
His parents married in 1960 and divorced in 1978.
When was his wedding to Serena Armstrong-Jones?
David and Serena married on October 8, 1993, at St Margaret’s Church in Westminster.
The couple had met several years earlier when Serena’s father, Viscount Petersham, commissioned David to design furniture.
At the time of the couple’s engagement in May 1993, the Earl’s father said: “Both David and Serena are very lucky, especially as they share so many common interests, from their love of the arts generally to the enjoyment of outdoor sports, from architecture to ballet and from fashion to furniture design.”
The 650 guests at the wedding included the Queen, David’s divorced parents, Princess Diana and the Aga Khan.
Why are the couple getting divorced?
A spokesman for the Earl announced news of his divorce, saying that the split was “amicable”.
He said: “The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced.
“They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family.”
Do they have children?
David and Serena have two children Viscount Linley, Charles Armstrong-Jones, 20, and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 17.
Charles is heir apparent to the Earldom of Snowdon and 22nd in the line of succession to the British throne, after his father.
He uses his father’s subsidiary title of Viscount Linley as a courtesy title.
In 2012, his grand-aunt Queen Elizabeth II appointed him to be her First Page of Honour.