Lord Snowdon Dies Aged 86

Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon died at the age of eighty-six on January 13 at his home in Kensington, a statement released by his family has announced.

Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones was born on 7 March 1930 in London to Ronald Armstrong-Jones and Anne Messel. He had an older sister, the Viscountess Vesci, and a younger brother, Peregrine. His father Robert was a barrister and he is also a descendent of Linley Sambourne, a Victorian cartoonist. In his youth, Antony suffered from polio and had to be taken to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary for six months.

Lord Snowdon had a career in photography and became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

In February 1960, it was announced that he was engaged to the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, after she had to part from Peter Townsend on the grounds that he was a divorcee. Their wedding took place on 6 May that same year at Westminster Abbey, upon which he was created Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley. He was the first commoner to marry a daughter of a king in 450 years.

The couple had two children, David and Sarah, who were born in 1961 and 1964 respectively. However, Antony and Margaret divorced in 1978 and Lord Snowdon married Lucy-Lindsay Hogg that same year, although ended up divorcing her in 2000. They had a daughter together, Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal (née Armstrong-Jones), who was born in 1979. Lord Snowdon also has two further children, Polly Fry (b. 1960) and Jasper Cable-Alexander (b. 1998).

Lord Snowdon’s son David will take his place as the second Earl of Snowdon, and his grandchildren are now Viscount Linley and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Antony Armstrong-Jones 1st Earl of Snowdon, Death.

2 Responses to Lord Snowdon Dies Aged 86