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The Right Honourable The Earl of Snowdon
Snowdon in the procession to the lying in state of his aunt Elizabeth II in 2022
Born	David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones (1961-11-03) 3 November 1961 (age 63) Clarence House, London, England
Spouse(s)	Serena Stanhope ​ ​(m. 1993; sep. 2020)​
Issue	Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones
Father	Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Mother	Princess Margaret
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Education	Bedales 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 UK. He is the only son of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon and Princess Margaret, and through his mother a grandson of King George VI and first cousin of King Charles III. When he was born, he was 5th in the line of succession to the British throne; as of May 2023, he is 25th, and the highest who is not a descendant of Queen Elizabeth II, his aunt.

Early life and education

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

At the age of five, Linley began lessons in the Buckingham Palace schoolroom with his cousin Prince Andrew. He went to several independent schools: first, to Gibbs Pre-Preparatory School in Kensington in London, now known as Collingham College. Followed by the pre-preparatory section of Ashdown House School, East Sussex, then on to Millbrook House School, near Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, and finally to 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, for craftsmen in wood.

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. He also has a half-brother, Jasper Cable-Alexander, son of his father and Melanie Cable-Alexander, an editor at Country Life magazine.

Professional life

Linley 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), where he makes bespoke furniture, upholstery, and interior design products known for their neoclassical appearance and use of inlaid woods. He has written numerous books and lectured around the world. His work is sold in retail stores in Belgravia, Harrods, and overseas, including the Bespoke Collection. He borrowed from his company by causing it to make loans, acquiring some £3 million in debts, a situation eventually resolved by the sale of controlling shares for £4 million in 2012; he thereby lost control of the company.

On 1 December 2006, Linley took up the post of chairman of Christie's UK, having joined the board in 2005 as a non-executive director. In 2015, his position was changed to honorary chairman of Christie's EMERI (Europe, Middle East, Russia, and India).

Linley dabbled in the restaurant business with his friend and second cousin Patrick Lichfield; they established a restaurant called Deals in Chelsea, London. According to Princess Margaret's biographer, Theo Aronson, Linley had a flair for the networking aspect of business and was successful in getting people to come through the doors.

Candidacy for the House of Lords

Linley's father was originally a member of the House of Lords by virtue of his being granted an hereditary peerage. When the House of Lords Act 1999 unseated most hereditary peers, those whose peerage had been newly created for them (as opposed to inherited from a relative) 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 in the Lords until his death in 2017, whereupon his son inherited the earldom but not the life peerage or the seat.

In 2018, Linley became a candidate in a by-election to fill a vacancy among the ranks of the crossbench peers. Only hereditary peers are eligible to stand in this election, and only the 31 currently sitting in the Lords as crossbenchers are eligible to vote. Unlike other candidates, he did not write a statement accompanying his announcement of candidacy. He later withdrew from consideration for the seat. Reportedly, his candidacy had "raised eyebrows" due to his relation to the royal family.

Personal life and family

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

On 8 October 1993, Linley 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 in attendance. Through her father, Stanhope descends from Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, one of the illegitimate children of Charles II of England.

He and his wife have two children:

• Charles Patrick Inigo Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (born 1 July 1999 at Portland Hospital in London), an Old Etonian who studied product design engineering at Loughborough University
• Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones (born 14 May 2002 at Portland Hospital in London), a former student at St Mary's School Ascot and Tudor Hall School, Banbury, who is currently studying at Oxford Brookes University.

From 2000 until 2002, Linley, his wife and son lived at Kensington Palace with his mother, Princess Margaret, in her declining years. On 8 April 2002, Linley, 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. This Vigil of the Princes had taken place only once before, during the lying-in-state of George V in 1936.

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

In 2011, Linley's daughter, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 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.

The family has three homes: a flat in Chelsea, London; a cottage on the Daylesford estate in Gloucestershire; and the Château d'Autet in the Luberon, Provence.

He and his wife separated in February 2020, and a spokesperson confirmed they are to obtain a divorce.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

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

Honours

Date	Appointment	Ribbon	Note
6 February 1977:	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
6 February 2002	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
6 February 2012	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
6 February 2022	Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
6 May 2023	King Charles III Coronation Medal

Arms

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. 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. Motto A Noddo Duw A Noddir (Welsh: "What God wills will be")

Published works

• 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

1. "Viscount Linley Appointed Hon. Chairman of Christie's EMERI". Christie's. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
2. ^ Aronson, Theo (2013). Princess Margaret: A Biography. Thistle Publishing.
3. "Princess Margaret and husband". Getty Images. 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. ^ "David Linley appointed chairman of Christie's UK" (PDF) (Press release). Christie's. 3 November 2006.
11. Schneider, Sara (February 2012). "Northern California Weekend" (PDF). Sunset: 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. "Corporate Announcements". Press Archive. Christie's website. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
15. "The Earl of Lichfield (obituary)". The Daily Telegraph. 12 November 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
16. "Crossbench hereditary peers' by-election" (PDF). House of Lords. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
17. "Queen's nephew seeks election to Lords". BBC News. 19 June 2018.
18. Elgot, Jessica (4 July 2018). "Earl of Devon elected to the Lords in a poll of his hereditary peers". The Guardian.
19. Higham, Nick (14 September 2012). "Analysis: The Royal Family's history of legal action". BBC. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
20. Green, Michelle. "Windsor Knot". People. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
21. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 1796. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
22. 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.
23. Bates, Stephen (9 April 2002). "Grandsons hold vigil as public files past". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
24. ^ 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. Tyzack, Anna (24 November 2011). "My perfect weekend: David Linley". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
28. Purnell, Sonia (29 June 2003). "My passion for Provence". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011.
29. Mackelden, Amy (17 February 2020). "Princess Margaret's Son, the Earl of Snowdon, Is Getting Divorced". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
30. "No. 53385". The London Gazette. 28 July 1993. p. 12599.
31. "Styles of the members of the British royal family Documents". Heraldica. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
32. Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 4406.

External links

• Linley website
• Linley-designed suites at the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow
• Linley-designed suites at Claridge's
• David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (National Portrait Gallery photographs)

v t e Current earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
Sorted by (historical) entity at time of grant
England	Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby William Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon William Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon Robert Fiennes-Clinton, 19th Earl of Lincoln Alexander Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk William Herbert, 15th Earl of Montgomery Alexander Feilding, 12th Earl of Denbigh Anthony Fane, 16th Earl of Westmorland Alexander Howard, 15th Earl of Berkshire Richard Bertie, 14th Earl of Lindsey Daniel Finch-Hatton, 17th Earl of Winchilsea John Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich Paul Capell, 11th Earl of Essex George Howard, 13th Earl of Carlisle Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury Daniel Finch-Hatton, 12th Earl of Nottingham Richard Bertie, 9th Earl of Abingdon Timothy Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland Richard Lumley, 13th Earl of Scarbrough Rufus Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle George Coventry, 13th Earl of Coventry William Child Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey
Scotland	Alistair Sutherland, 25th Earl of Sutherland Anthony Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness Stewart Douglas, 22nd Earl of Morton James Leslie, 22nd Earl of Rothes Henry Erskine, 18th Earl of Buchan Hugh Montgomerie, 19th Earl of Eglinton John Stuart, 21st Earl of Moray James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar Michael Douglas-Home, 16th Earl of Home James David Drummond, 10th Earl of Perth Simon Bowes-Lyon, 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne James Erskine, 16th Earl of Kellie George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington Andrew Stewart, 14th Earl of Galloway Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun Charles Hay, 16th Earl of Kinnoull Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss James Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie David Ogilvy, 14th Earl of Airlie Alexander Leslie-Melville, 15th Earl of Leven John Grant, 13th Earl of Dysart John Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Selkirk Patrick Carnegy, 15th Earl of Northesk Andrew Bruce, 15th Earl of Kincardine Anthony Lindsay, 13th Earl of Balcarres Filippo Rospigliosi, 12th Earl of Newburgh Alexander Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee Patrick Hope-Johnstone, 11th Earl of Annandale and Hartfell Iain Cochrane, 15th Earl of Dundonald James Keith, 14th Earl of Kintore Malcolm Murray, 12th Earl of Dunmore Alexander Leslie-Melville, 14th Earl of Melville Peter St John, 9th Earl of Orkney James Charteris, 9th Earl of March Ian Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield John Dalrymple, 14th Earl of Stair Harry Primrose, 8th Earl of Rosebery Patrick Boyle, 10th Earl of Glasgow
Great Britain	Robert Shirley, 14th Earl Ferrers William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth Peter Bennett, 10th Earl of Tankerville Charles Finch-Knightley, 12th Earl of Aylesford Richard Parker, 9th Earl of Macclesfield James Waldegrave, 13th Earl Waldegrave Charles Stanhope, 12th Earl of Harrington Quentin Wallop, 10th Earl of Portsmouth Guy Greville, 9th Earl Brooke George Hobart-Hampden, 10th Earl of Buckinghamshire Piers North, 10th Earl of Guilford Joseph Yorke, 10th Earl of Hardwicke Robin Fox-Strangways, 10th Earl of Ilchester Guy Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick William Sackville, 11th Earl De La Warr William Pleydell-Bouverie, 9th Earl of Radnor Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer Allen Bathurst, 9th Earl Bathurst George Villiers, 8th Earl of Clarendon Alexander Murray, 8th and 9th Earl of Mansfield Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 7th Earl Talbot Christopher Edgcumbe, 9th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Charles Fortescue, 8th Earl Fortescue Alexander Murray, 9th Earl of Mansfield George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon Edward Cadogan, 9th Earl Cadogan James Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury
Ireland	Kingdom of Ireland Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Waterford John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork William Anthony Nugent, 13th Earl of Westmeath John Brabazon, 15th Earl of Meath Alexander Feilding, 11th Earl of Desmond Roger Lambart, 13th Earl of Cavan John Boyle, 15th Earl of Orrery Derry Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda Peter Forbes, 10th Earl of Granard Ivo Bligh, 12th Earl of Darnley Myles Ponsonby, 12th Earl of Bessborough Thomas Butler, 11th Earl of Carrick Henry Boyle, 10th Earl of Shannon Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran Patrick Stopford, 9th Earl of Courtown John Savile, 8th Earl of Mexborough David Turnour, 8th Earl Winterton Robert King-Tenison, 12th Earl of Kingston Robert Jocelyn, 10th Earl of Roden David Vaughan, 9th Earl of Lisburne Patrick Meade, 8th Earl of Clanwilliam Randal McDonnell, 10th Earl of Antrim Thomas Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford George Dawson-Damer, 7th Earl of Portarlington Charles Bourke, 11th Earl of Mayo Michael Annesley, 12th Earl Annesley Andrew Cole, 7th Earl of Enniskillen John Crichton, 7th Earl Erne George Bingham, 8th Earl of Lucan John Lowry-Corry, 8th Earl Belmore Andrew Stuart, 9th Earl Castle Stewart Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 8th Earl of Donoughmore After 1801 Edmund Pery, 7th Earl of Limerick Nicholas Trench, 9th Earl of Clancarty Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse Charles Acheson, 7th Earl of Gosford Shaun Agar, 6th Earl of Normanton Richard Needham, 6th Earl of Kilmorey Francis Hare, 6th Earl of Listowel Richard Graham-Toler, 7th Earl of Norbury Edward Knox, 8th Earl of Ranfurly
United Kingdom	King George III Peter St Clair-Erskine, 7th Earl of Rosslyn Benjamin Craven, 9th Earl of Craven Rupert Onslow, 8th Earl of Onslow Julian Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney John Pelham, 9th Earl of Chichester Francis Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton John Herbert, 8th Earl of Powis Simon Nelson, 10th Earl Nelson Alexander Kent Grey, 8th Earl Grey William Lowther, 9th Earl of Lonsdale Conroy Ryder, 8th Earl of Harrowby Prince Regent David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto Charles Cathcart, 7th Earl Cathcart John Grimston, 7th Earl of Verulam Albert Eliot, 11th Earl of St Germans Mark Parker, 7th Earl of Morley Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford King George IV John Scott, 6th Earl of Eldon Frederick Curzon, 7th Earl Howe Keith Rous, 6th Earl of Stradbroke James Temple-Gore-Langton, 9th Earl Temple of Stowe Colin Campbell, 7th Earl Cawdor King William IV Thomas Anson, 6th Earl of Lichfield Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham Fergus Leveson-Gower, 6th Earl Granville Edward Howard, 8th Earl of Effingham David Moreton, 7th Earl of Ducie Charles Pelham, 8th Earl of Yarborough Queen Victoria Thomas Coke, 8th Earl of Leicester Anthony Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough William Byng, 9th Earl of Strafford Mark Pepys, 9th Earl of Cottenham Graham Wellesley, 8th Earl Cowley David Ward, 5th Earl of Dudley Hugh Montgomerie, 7th Earl of Winton John Russell, 7th Earl Russell John Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie John Wodehouse, 5th Earl of Kimberley Richard Wortley, 5th Earl of Wharncliffe Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns John Lytton, 5th Earl of Lytton William Palmer, 5th Earl of Selborne John Northcote, 5th Earl of Iddesleigh Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 5th Earl of Cranbrook King Edward VII Evelyn Baring, 4th Earl of Cromer Ivor Windsor-Clive, 4th Earl of Plymouth Edward Foljambe, 5th Earl of Liverpool King George V Harry Primrose, 4th Earl of Midlothian Michael Hicks Beach, 3rd Earl St Aldwyn David Beatty, 3rd Earl Beatty Alexander Haig, 3rd Earl Haig Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh Roderick Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith Patrick Jellicoe, 3rd Earl Jellicoe Peter Mackay, 4th Earl of Inchcape William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel King George VI Simon Bowes-Lyon, 6th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne Benedict Baldwin, 5th Earl Baldwin of Bewdley Peter Wood, 3rd Earl of Halifax Brer Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie David Lloyd George, 4th Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma Queen Elizabeth II Shane Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis Mark Cunliffe-Lister, 4th Earl of Swinton John Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee Simon Marquis, 3rd Earl of Woolton David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon Alexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton
Italics in entries mean the peer also holds a previously listed earldom of higher precedence

• 1961 births
• Living people
• Armstrong-Jones family
• People educated at Ashdown House
• People educated at Bedales School
• People educated at Gibbs School
• British people of German-Jewish descent
• People from Westminster
• British cabinetmakers
• Christie's people
• Earls of Snowdon
• Sons of life peers
• English businesspeople
• English furniture designers
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
• House of Windsor