Serena Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon (''née'' Stanhope; born 1 March 1970) is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat. She is the estranged wife of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, who is the son of

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

and thus a cousin of King Charles III.

Early life and education

She was born as The Honourable Serena Alleyne Stanhope in Limerick, Ireland, the daughter of the then

Viscount Petersham Earl of Harrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1742. History The earldom of Harrington was granted in 1742 to William Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington, the former Secretary of State and then Lord President o ...

and his wife Virginia Freeman-Jackson, a debutante. Her parents divorced when she was 13 years old. She has one older brother. Through her father, she is a descendant of King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

's illegitimate child,

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, (28 September 16639 October 1690) was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and his mistress Barbara Villiers. A military commander, Henry FitzRoy was appointed colonel of the Grenadier Guards i ...

. She spent most of her childhood between Chelsea with her father and her father's girlfriend (and later wife) Anita Howard, Countess of Suffolk, and Monaco with her mother. She went to St Mary's School, Wantage, where she was described as being "more interested in lacrosse than Latin". After leaving St Mary's School, she went on to study art in Italy. She also attended a

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wit ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Career

In 1989, she joined Sotheby's as a trainee. She then worked as a publicist for

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...

until August 1993, two months before her wedding. She subsequently had her own shop called 'Serena Linley Provence'. The store closed in 2014.

Marriage and children

On 8 October 1993, she married David Armstrong-Jones (then known as

Viscount Linley A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

), the only son of

and a nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, at

St Margaret's Church, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey, is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster a ...

. They had met when her father commissioned Linley to design a walnut dining table for his Chelsea house. There were 650 guests in attendance at the wedding, including

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, Jerry Hall, the

Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...

, and Constantine II of Greece. In addition, there were an estimated 5,000 spectators in the streets. She wore a $9,000 dress designed by Bruce Robbins, noted for its resemblance to Princess Margaret's 1960 Norman Hartnell wedding dress, and the 'Lotus Tiara', which was on loan from her mother-in-law, Princess Margaret. Her going-away outfit was designed by Robinson Valentine. They have two children together: * Charles Patrick Inigo Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (born 1 July 1999 at

Portland Hospital The Portland Hospital for Women and Children is a private maternity hospital on Great Portland Street, City of Westminster, London, England, owned by the Hospital Corporation of America. History The Portland was conceived by Barry Lewis, a p ...

in London), a former page of honour to Queen Elizabeth II. * Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones (born 14 May 2002 at

in London). When Viscount Linley became the Earl of Snowdon on the death of his father in 2017, she became the Countess of Snowdon. In February 2020, she and the Earl of Snowdon separated, and a spokesperson confirmed they will be getting a divorce.

Titles and styles

* 1970 – 1993: The Honourable Serena Stanhope * 1993 – 2017: Viscountess Linley * 2017 – present: The Right Honourable The Countess of Snowdon

References

Bibliography

* Montague-Smith, P. (editor). (1979). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Snowdon, Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of 1970 births Living people Armstrong-Jones family British countesses Daughters of British earls People educated at St Mary’s School, Wantage Stanhope family