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 an English furniture maker, a former chairman of the auction house

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is owned by Groupe Artémi ...

UK, and with his sister,

Lady Sarah Chatto Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones; born 1 May 1964) is the only daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. She and her brother, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, are the onl ...

, maternal first cousin of

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

. He is the only 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

Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017), was a British photographer and filmmaker. He is best known for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in '' Vogue'', '' Vanity F ...

, and a grandson of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

. When he was born, he was fifth in the

line of succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 a ...

; , he is 24th, and the first person who is not a descendant of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

Early life and education

David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones was born on 3 November 1961, in Clarence House, London, the son of

and

. He was baptised on 19 December 1961 in the Music Room at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. His godparents are his aunt

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish,

Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket Patrick Terence William Span Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket, (8 September 1923 – 28 May 1975), was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II and Deputy Master of the Household of the Royal Household (1954–1975). Lord Plunket was born into an old Anglo-Iri ...

Lord Rupert Nevill Lord Rupert Charles Montecute Nevill (29 January 1923 – 19 July 1982) was Chairman of the British Olympic Association from 1966 to 1977 and then its President until his death. As a courtier, he was treasurer and later private secretary to Prin ...

, and Simon Phipps. At the age of five, Snowdon began lessons in the Buckingham Palace schoolroom with his cousin Prince Andrew.Viscount Linley
Publisher: ''Mandy's Royalty. Org''. retrieved 22 May 2013. He went to several independent schools: first, to Gibbs Pre-Preparatory School in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

in London, now known as

Collingham College Collingham College is an independent, co-educational school, founded as Collingham Tutors in 1975, by Old Etonian John Marsden and Nicholas Browne. Collingham is situated in London's Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is directly betwe ...

. Followed by the pre-preparatory section of Ashdown House School, East Sussex, then on to Millbrook House School, near Abingdon, in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...

, and finally to

Bedales School Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of con ...

, 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. Snowdon has one full sister,

(''née'' Armstrong-Jones), and two paternal half-sisters, Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal (''née'' Armstrong-Jones) and Polly Fry. Snowdon also has a half-brother, Jasper Cable-Alexander, son of his father and Melanie Cable-Alexander, an editor at '' Country Life'' magazine.

Professional life

Snowdon opened a workshop in

Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley, Mole Valley District and the non-metropolitan district, council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughl ...

, 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 The word ''bespoke'' () has evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Originally, the adjective ''bespoke'' described tailor-made suits and shoes. Later, it described anything commissioned t ...

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 Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a danger ...

Harrods Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to ot ...

, and overseas, including the

Bespoke Collection The Bespoke Collection is a wine producer and lifestyle brand based in Yountville, California in the United States. The company comprises two wine labels: Blackbird Vineyards and Recuerdo Wines, and a wine, art and design gallery called Ma(i)sonr ...

. 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, Snowdon took up the post of chairman of

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). In the past Snowdon dabbled in the restaurant business with his friend and second cousin

Patrick Lichfield Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield (25 April 1939 – 11 November 2005) was an English photographer from the Anson family. He inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960 from his paternal grandfather. In his professional practice ...

; they established a restaurant called Deals in Chelsea, London. According to Princess Margaret's biographer, Theo Aronson, Snowdon 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

Snowdon's father was originally a member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

by virtue of his being granted a peerage. When the House of Lords was reformed in 1999 and most hereditary peers lost their seats, he was given a life peerage. An offer of a life peerage was made to all hereditary peers of the first creation (those for whom a peerage was originally created, as opposed to those who inherited a peerage from an ancestor) at that time. The second earl, accordingly, did not inherit a place in the House of Lords along with his title. However, in 2018 Snowdon became a candidate in a by-election to fill a vacancy among the ranks of the

crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

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, Snowdon 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, Snowdon took legal action against the ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' newspaper for an article accusing him of "rowdy behaviour in a pub". He was eventually awarded £30,000 damages. On 8 October 1993, Snowdon married the Hon. Serena Alleyne Stanhope (born 1 March 1970,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...

, Ireland), daughter of

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 ...

(later the 12th

Earl of Harrington 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 ...

) at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. There were 650 guests in attendance. Through her father, Stanhope descends from

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 in ...

, one of the illegitimate children of

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 o ...

. Snowdon and his wife have two children: * 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), an

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

alumnus, who studied product design engineering at

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when ...

* Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones (born 14 May 2002 at

in London), a former student at St Mary's, Ascot and Tudor Hall School, Banbury, who is currently studying at

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The university was named ...

. From 2000 until 2002, Snowdon, his wife and son lived at

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official L ...

with his mother, Princess Margaret, in her declining years. On 8 April 2002, Snowdon, along with the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

, the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was ...

, and the Earl of Wessex, "stood guard" at the lying-in-state of their grandmother,

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

. This Vigil of the Princes had taken place only once before, during the lying-in-state of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...

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 Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

. The first confirmation that the royal in the extortion attempt was indeed Viscount Linley, as Snowdon was known at the time, came from the journalist Nicholas Davies. Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan tried to extort £50,000 from Snowdon in September by threatening to release video footage showing sex acts and cocaine use (allegedly by Snowdon and a male royal aide) on a mobile phone. Snowdon 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, Snowdon's daughter, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, was a bridesmaid at the

wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship si ...

. In 2012, Snowdon's son, styled by courtesy as Viscount Linley since January 2017, was appointed by the Queen as a

page of honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The on ...

. The Snowdons have three homes: a flat in Chelsea, London; a cottage on the Daylesford estate in Gloucestershire; and the Chateau d'Autet in the

Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from w ...

, Provence. The Earl 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 Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The ter ...

The Earl of Snowdon

Honours

UK Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon

6 February 1977:

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...

UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon

6 February 2002:

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'or de la Reine Elizabeth II) or the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

6 February 2012:

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

Arms

Published works

* Linley, David. ''Classical Furniture''.

Harry N. Abrams Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michae ...

, 1993. . * Linley, David. ''Extraordinary Furniture''.

, 1996. . * Linley, David. ''Design and Detail in the Home''.

, 2000. . * Linley, David; Charles Cator and Helen Chislett. ''The Enduring Beauty of Spectacular Furniture''. The Monacelli Press, 2009. . * Miller, Judith. Foreword by David Linley. ''World Styles from Classical to Contemporary''.

Dorling Kindersley Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media c ...

, 2005. . *

Niagara Foundation The Niagara Foundation is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2004, dedicated to the mission of fostering civic conversations and sustained relationships between people of different cultures and faiths, and part of the Alliance for Shared Value ...

. Introductions by Viscount Linley, Julian Smith, and Peter Strokes. ''Early Architecture of the Town and Township of Niagara''. Dundurn Press, 2015. . * Reginato, James. Foreword by Viscount Linley. ''Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats.'' Rizzoli, 2016. .

References

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 (1961–), Son of Princess Margaret Rose and 1st Earl of Snowdon
( National Portrait Gallery photographs) {{DEFAULTSORT:Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of 1961 births Living people

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

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