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David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from David Linley)

The Right Honourable

The Earl of Snowdon
Armstrong-Jones in 2022
BornDavid Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones
(1961-11-03) 3 November 1961 (age 64)
Clarence House, London, England
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1993; sep. 2020)​
Issue
Parents
OccupationEntrepreneur
EducationBedales School

David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (born 3 November 1961), styled as Viscount Linley until 2017 and known professionally as David Linley, is a member of the British royal family, an English furniture maker, and honorary chairman of the auction house Christie's. He is the only son of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, and through his mother a grandson of King George VI, nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, and first cousin of King Charles III. When he was born, he was fifth in the line of succession to the British throne; as of 2026, he is 26th.

Early life and education

[edit]

David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones was born at 10:45 am on 3 November 1961 at Clarence House, London,[1] the son of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. He was baptised on 19 December in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace.[2][3][4] His godparents were his aunt Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket, Lord Rupert Nevill, and Simon Phipps.[2]

At the age of five, Armstrong-Jones began lessons in the Buckingham Palace schoolroom with his cousin Prince Andrew.[5] He attended several independent schools: first Gibbs Pre-Preparatory School in Kensington, London, now known as Collingham College;[6] followed by the pre-preparatory section of Ashdown House School in East Sussex, then Millbrook House School near Abingdon in Oxfordshire,[7] and finally Bedales School, where he developed a passion for arts and crafts. From 1980 to 1982 he studied at Parnham House in the small town of Beaminster in Dorset, training as a wood craftsman.[8]

He has one full sister, Lady Sarah Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones), and two paternal half-sisters, Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal (née Armstrong-Jones) and Polly Fry.[9] He also has a half-brother, Jasper Cable-Alexander, son of his father and Melanie Cable-Alexander.[10]

Professional life

[edit]
Linley store in Burlington Arcade, London, 2015

Armstrong-Jones opened a workshop in Dorking, where he designed and made furniture for three years before setting up his own company, David Linley Furniture Limited (now known as Linley). The firm produces bespoke furniture, upholstery, and interior design pieces noted for their neoclassical appearance and use of inlaid woods. He has written numerous books and lectured internationally.[11] His work is sold in retail outlets in Belgravia, Harrods, and overseas, including the Bespoke Collection.[12] He borrowed from his company by causing it to make loans, accruing about £3 million in debts. The situation was resolved by the sale of controlling shares for £4 million in 2012,[13] through which he lost control of the company.[14]

On 1 December 2006, Armstrong-Jones became chairman of Christie's UK, having joined the board in 2005 as a non-executive director.[11] In 2015, his position was changed to honorary chairman of Christie's EMERI (Europe, Middle East, Russia, and India).[15]

Armstrong-Jones dabbled in the restaurant business with his friend and second cousin Patrick Lichfield. They established a restaurant called Deals in Chelsea, London.[2][16] According to Princess Margaret's biographer, Theo Aronson, Armstrong-Jones had a flair for the networking side of business and was successful in attracting customers.[2]

Candidacy for the House of Lords

[edit]

Armstrong-Jones's father was originally a member of the House of Lords by virtue of his being granted a hereditary peerage. When the House of Lords Act 1999 unseated most hereditary peers, those whose peerage had been newly created for them, rather than inherited, were offered life peerages to allow them to remain in the Lords. Accordingly, the first Earl Snowdon was also created Baron Armstrong-Jones and retained his seat until his death in 2017. His son then inherited the earldom but not the life peerage or the seat.

In 2018, Armstrong-Jones became a candidate in a by-election to fill a vacancy among the crossbench hereditary peers.[17] Only hereditary peers were eligible to stand, and only the 31 hereditary crossbenchers sitting in the Lords at the time were eligible to vote. Unlike other candidates, he did not submit a statement with his announcement of candidacy.[18] He later withdrew from consideration. Reportedly, his candidacy had "raised eyebrows" because of his relation to the royal family.[19]

Personal life and family

[edit]
Pictured with his daughter in 2017

During the 1980s, Armstrong-Jones had an eight-year relationship with Susannah Constantine, as discussed in her autobiography.[20]

On 8 October 1993, Armstrong-Jones married the Hon. Serena Alleyne Stanhope (born 1 March 1970, Limerick, Ireland), daughter of Viscount Petersham (later the 12th Earl of Harrington) at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. There were 650 guests.[21] Through her father, Stanhope descends from Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, one of the illegitimate children of Charles II of England.[22]

Armstrong-Jones and Stanhope have two children:

From 2000 until 2002, Armstrong-Jones, his wife and son lived at Kensington Palace with his mother, Princess Margaret, during her declining years.[25] On 8 April 2002, Armstrong-Jones, along with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex, "stood guard" at the lying-in-state of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.[26] This Vigil of the Princes had taken place only once before, during the lying-in-state of George V in 1936.

In 2011, Armstrong-Jones's daughter was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. In 2012, his son, styled by courtesy as Viscount Linley since January 2017, was appointed by the Queen as a page of honour.[27]

Armstrong-Jones in the procession to the lying in state of his aunt Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

He has three homes: a flat in Chelsea, London; a cottage on the Daylesford estate in Gloucestershire;[28] and the Château d'Autet[29] in the Luberon, Provence.

In February 2020, Armstrong-Jones and Stanhope announced their separation and stated that they intended to divorce.[30]

In September 2022, Armstrong-Jones took part in the procession to Westminster Hall for the lying-in-state of his aunt, Queen Elizabeth II,[31] and in the procession to Westminster Abbey for her funeral.[32]

In the summer of 2024, he began a relationship with art dealer, advisor, and curator Isabelle de la Bruyère (born September 1971).[33] She is a great-granddaughter of French aircraft designer and Olympic sailor Louis Charles Breguet and has a son from a previous relationship.[33] The couple have made public appearances together, one of the first being at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2025.[34]

[edit]

In 1990, he took legal action against the Today newspaper for an article accusing him of "rowdy behaviour in a pub". He was awarded £30,000 in damages.[35]

In October and November 2007, rumours circulated online suggesting that a member of the British royal family was the victim of blackmail. The first confirmation that the royal involved was Armstrong-Jones came from the journalist Nicholas Davies.[36] Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan attempted to extort £50,000 from him in September by threatening to release video footage showing sex acts and cocaine use (allegedly involving Armstrong-Jones and a male royal aide) on a mobile phone.[36] Armstrong-Jones contacted the police. Strachan and McGuigan were arrested after showing their footage to an undercover detective,[36] and at trial were sentenced to five years in prison.[37]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

[edit]

Titles and styles

[edit]
  • 3 November 1961 – 13 January 2017: Viscount Linley[38]
  • 13 January 2017 – present: The Right Honourable The Earl of Snowdon

Honours

[edit]
Date Appointment Ribbon Note
6 February 1977 Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
6 February 2002 Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
6 February 2012 Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
6 February 2022 Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
6 May 2023 Recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon
Notes
Aside from the earl's coronet displayed here, he is also entitled to display the coronet of a child of a daughter of the sovereign.[39]
Crest
A stag statant Gules attired collared and unguled Or between two arms embowed in armour the hands Proper each grasping a fleur-de-lis Or.
Escutcheon
Sable on a chevron Argent between in chief two fleurs-de-lis and in base an eagle displayed Or four pallets Gules.
Supporters
Dexter a griffin and sinister an eagle each with wings elevated and addorsed Or.[40]
Motto
A Noddo Duw A Noddir (Welsh: "What God wills will be")

Published works

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  • Linley, David. Classical Furniture. Harry N. Abrams, 1993. ISBN 978-0810931886.
  • Linley, David. Extraordinary Furniture. Harry N. Abrams, 1996. ISBN 978-0810932579.
  • Linley, David. Design and Detail in the Home. Harry N. Abrams, 2000. ISBN 978-0810940536.
  • Linley, David; Charles Cator and Helen Chislett. The Enduring Beauty of Spectacular Furniture. The Monacelli Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1580932592.
  • Miller, Judith. Foreword by David Linley. World Styles from Classical to Contemporary. Dorling Kindersley, 2005. ISBN 978-0756613402.
  • Niagara Foundation. Introductions by Viscount Linley, Julian Smith, and Peter Strokes. Early Architecture of the Town and Township of Niagara. Dundurn Press, 2015. ISBN 978-1927371404.
  • Reginato, James. Foreword by Viscount Linley. Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats. Rizzoli, 2016. ISBN 978-0847848980.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Its a boy!". Evening News (London). 3 November 1961. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aronson, Theo (2013). Princess Margaret: A Biography. Thistle Publishing.
  3. ↑ "Princess Margaret and husband". Getty Images. March 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  4. ↑ de Courcy, Anne. "The Princess and the Photographer". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Viscount Linley Archived 2 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine Publisher: Mandy's Royalty. Org. retrieved 22 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Viscount Linley in school uniform, Gibbs School, Kensington, London, 4 October 1968 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Publisher: Heritage Images. Com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Archive - Tuesday, 6 May 2003 - Prep school set to close Publisher:The Oxford Mail. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Architecture: The school that got lost in the woods - Peter Dunn on". 12 January 1994.
  9. ↑ Reporter, Andrew Alderson, Chief (31 May 2008). "Lord Snowdon, his women, and his love child". Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Bates, Stephen (13 January 2017). "Lord Snowdon obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  11. 1 2 "David Linley appointed chairman of Christie's UK" (PDF) (Press release). Christie's. 3 November 2006.
  12. ↑ Schneider, Sara (February 2012). "Northern California Weekend" (PDF). Sunset: 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  13. ↑ White, Anna (5 April 2012). "David Linley loses control of furniture business". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  14. ↑ Woods, Judith (3 July 2012). "Viscount Linley: 'Sure, I wheel and deal.'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  15. ↑ "Corporate Announcements". Press Archive. Christie's website. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "The Earl of Lichfield (obituary)". The Daily Telegraph. 12 November 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  17. ↑ "Crossbench hereditary peers' by-election" (PDF). House of Lords. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Queen's nephew seeks election to Lords". BBC News. 19 June 2018.
  19. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (4 July 2018). "Earl of Devon elected to the Lords in a poll of his hereditary peers". The Guardian.
  20. ↑ Constantine, Susannah (29 September 2022). Ready For Absolutely Nothing. Michael Joseph. ISBN 9780241555200.
  21. ↑ Green, Michelle. "Windsor Knot". People. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  22. ↑ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 1796. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  23. ↑ Ostler, Catherine (20 August 2024). "As Tatler marks the anniversary of Princess Margaret's birth, meet her granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the most prominent member of the Royal Family you've never met". Tatler. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  24. ↑ Hamilton, Sophie (14 April 2025). "Princess Margaret's only granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones talks style and jewels in exclusive interview". Hello!. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  25. ↑ Syal, Rajeev (10 February 2002). "Children spent much of last years with mother". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  26. ↑ Bates, Stephen (9 April 2002). "Grandsons hold vigil as public files past". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  27. ↑ Walker, Tim (March 2012). "The Queen turns a page for Viscount Linley's son". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  28. ↑ Tyzack, Anna (24 November 2011). "My perfect weekend: David Linley". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  29. ↑ Purnell, Sonia (29 June 2003). "My passion for Provence". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011.
  30. ↑ "Earl of Snowdon: Queen's nephew and his wife to divorce". BBC News. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  31. ↑ Garrett, Olivia (15 September 2022). "The little known royal walking beside Prince William and Prince Harry as they follow the Queen's coffin". Cambridge News. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  32. ↑ Ng, Kate (19 September 2022). "Who is David Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon at the Queen's funeral?". The Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  33. 1 2 Jureidini, Ben (6 June 2026). "Who is Isabelle de la Bruyère? The art world power player who joined boyfriend David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl Snowdon, at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's royal wedding". Tatler. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  34. ↑ Dye, Eleanor (6 June 2026). "Earl of Snowdon and his girlfriend Isabelle de la Bruyère make rare public appearance alongside royal family at Peter Phillips' wedding". Hello!. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  35. ↑ Higham, Nick (14 September 2012). "Analysis: The Royal Family's history of legal action". BBC News. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  36. 1 2 3 May, Julia (November 2007). "Queen's nephew 'victim' of blackmail". The Age (Australia). Archived from the original on 1 November 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  37. ↑ Edwards, Richard (2 May 2008). "Royal blackmail plotters jailed for five years". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  38. ↑ "No. 53385". The London Gazette. 28 July 1993. p. 12599.
  39. ↑ "Styles of the members of the British royal family Documents". Heraldica. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  40. ↑ Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 4406.
[edit]
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