British businessman and peer (b. 1961)
David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (born 3 November 1961), styled asViscount Linley until 2017 and known professionally asDavid Linley , is a member of theBritish royal family , an English furniture maker, and honorary chairman of the auction houseChristie's .[ 1] Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon andPrincess Margaret , and through his mother a grandson of KingGeorge VI and first cousin of KingCharles III . When he was born, he was 5th in the line ofsuccession to the British throne ; as of 2025[update] Elizabeth II , his aunt.
Early life and education [ edit ] David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones was born on 3 November 1961, atClarence House , London, the son ofPrincess Margaret andAntony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon . He was baptised on 19 December 1961 in the Music Room atBuckingham Palace .[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] Queen Elizabeth II ,Lady Elizabeth Cavendish ,Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket ,Lord Rupert Nevill , andSimon Phipps .[ 2]
At the age of five, Linley began lessons in the Buckingham Palace schoolroom with his cousinPrince Andrew .[ 5] Kensington in London, now known asCollingham College .[ 6] Ashdown House School , East Sussex, then on to Millbrook House School, nearAbingdon , inOxfordshire ,[ 7] Bedales School , where he developed a passion for arts and crafts. From 1980 to 1982 he studied atParnham House in the small town ofBeaminster in Dorset, for craftsmen in wood.[ 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] [ 10]
Linley store inBurlington Arcade , London, 2015 Linley opened a workshop inDorking , 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 makesbespoke furniture, upholstery, and interior design products known for theirneoclassical appearance and use of inlaid woods. He has written numerous books and lectured around the world.[ 11] Belgravia ,Harrods , and overseas, including theBespoke Collection .[ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
On 1 December 2006, Linley took up the post of chairman ofChristie's UK, having joined the board in 2005 as a non-executive director.[ 11] [ 15]
Linley dabbled in the restaurant business with his friend and second cousinPatrick Lichfield ; they established a restaurant called Deals inChelsea , London.[ 2] [ 16] Theo Aronson , Linley had a flair for the networking aspect of business and was successful in getting people to come through the doors.[ 2]
Candidacy for the House of Lords [ edit ] Linley's father was originally a member of theHouse of Lords by virtue of his being granted an hereditary peerage. When theHouse 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 offeredlife 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 ina by-election to fill a vacancy among the ranks of thecrossbench peers.[ 17] [ 18] [ 19]
Personal life and family [ edit ] Pictured with his daughter in 2017 During the 1980s, Linley had an eight-year relationship withSusannah Constantine , as discussed in her autobiography.[ 20]
In 1990, Linley took legal action against theToday [ 21]
On 8 October 1993, Linley married the Hon.Serena Alleyne Stanhope (born 1 March 1970,Limerick , Ireland), daughter ofViscount Petersham (later the 12thEarl of Harrington ) atSt. Margaret's Church, Westminster . There were 650 guests in attendance.[ 22] Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton , one of the illegitimate children ofCharles II of England .[ 23]
He and his wife have two children:
From 2000 until 2002, Linley, his wife and son lived atKensington Palace with his mother, Princess Margaret, in her declining years.[ 26] Prince of Wales , theDuke of York , and theEarl of Wessex , "stood guard" at the lying-in-state of their grandmother,Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother .[ 27] Vigil of the Princes had taken place only once before, during the lying-in-state ofGeorge 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 ofblackmail . The first confirmation that the royal in the extortion attempt was Viscount Linley came from the journalistNicholas Davies .[ 28] [ 28] [ 28] [ 29]
In 2011, Linley's daughter,Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones , was a bridesmaid at thewedding 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 apage of honour .[ 30]
The family has three homes: a flat inChelsea , London; a cottage on theDaylesford estate in Gloucestershire;[ 31] Château d'Autet [ 32] Luberon , Provence.
He and his wife separated in February 2020.[ 33]
[ edit ] 3 November 1961 – 13 January 2017: Viscount Linley[ 34] 13 January 2017 – present:The Right Honourable The Earl of Snowdon Coat of arms of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon Notes Aside from the earl'scoronet displayed here, he is also entitled to display the coronet of a child of a daughter of the sovereign.[ 35] 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.[ 36] Motto A Noddo Duw A Noddir (Welsh : "What God wills will be")
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 ^ "Viscount Linley Appointed Hon. Chairman of Christie's EMERI" .Christie's . Retrieved7 June 2017 .^a b c d Aronson, Theo (2013).Princess Margaret: A Biography . Thistle Publishing. ^ "Princess Margaret and husband" .Getty Images . March 2017. Retrieved15 November 2017 .^ de Courcy, Anne."The Princess and the Photographer" .Vanity Fair . Archived fromthe original on 19 March 2015. ^ Viscount Linley Archived 2 March 2020 at theWayback Machine Publisher:Mandy's Royalty. Org . retrieved 22 May 2013.^ Viscount Linley in school uniform, Gibbs School, Kensington, London, 4 October 1968 Archived 4 March 2016 at theWayback Machine . Publisher:Heritage Images. Com . Retrieved 22 May 2013.^ Archive - Tuesday, 6 May 2003 - Prep school set to close Publisher:The Oxford Mail . Retrieved 22 May 2013.^ "Architecture: The school that got lost in the woods - Peter Dunn on" . 12 January 1994.^ 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 )^ Bates, Stephen (13 January 2017)."Lord Snowdon obituary" .The Guardian . Retrieved20 August 2025 . ^a b "David Linley appointed chairman of Christie's UK" (PDF) (Press release).Christie's . 3 November 2006.^ Schneider, Sara (February 2012)."Northern California Weekend" (PDF) .Sunset : 20. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved19 December 2012 . ^ White, Anna (5 April 2012)."David Linley loses control of furniture business" The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved15 November 2017 . ^ Woods, Judith (3 July 2012)."Viscount Linley: 'Sure, I wheel and deal.' The Daily Telegraph .Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved16 November 2017 . ^ "Corporate Announcements" .Press Archive . Christie's website. Retrieved15 November 2017 .^ "The Earl of Lichfield (obituary)" The Daily Telegraph . 12 November 2005.Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved16 November 2017 .^ "Crossbench hereditary peers' by-election" (PDF) . House of Lords. 15 June 2018. Retrieved7 April 2020 .^ "Queen's nephew seeks election to Lords" .BBC News . 19 June 2018.^ Elgot, Jessica (4 July 2018)."Earl of Devon elected to the Lords in a poll of his hereditary peers" .The Guardian . ^ Constantine, Susannah (29 September 2022).Ready For Absolutely Nothing . Michael Joseph.ISBN 9780241555200 ^ Higham, Nick (14 September 2012)."Analysis: The Royal Family's history of legal action" .BBC News . Retrieved8 April 2022 . ^ Green, Michelle."Windsor Knot" .People . Retrieved16 November 2017 . ^ Mosley, Charles , ed. (2003).Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood ISBN 0-9711966-2-1 ^ 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 . Retrieved22 October 2025 . ^ Hamilton, Sophie (14 April 2025)."Princess Margaret's only granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones talks style and jewels in exclusive interview" .Hello! . Retrieved22 October 2025 . ^ 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. ^ Bates, Stephen (9 April 2002)."Grandsons hold vigil as public files past" .The Guardian . London. Retrieved12 December 2011 . ^a b c May, Julia (November 2007)."Queen's nephew 'victim' of blackmail" .The Age (Australia) . Archived fromthe original on 1 November 2007. Retrieved16 November 2017 . ^ Edwards, Richard (2 May 2008)."Royal blackmail plotters jailed for five years" .The Daily Telegraph . Archived fromthe original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved16 November 2017 . ^ 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. Retrieved15 November 2017 . ^ Tyzack, Anna (24 November 2011)."My perfect weekend: David Linley" The Daily Telegraph . London.Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. ^ Purnell, Sonia (29 June 2003)."My passion for Provence" .The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived fromthe original on 14 February 2011. ^ Mackelden, Amy (17 February 2020)."Princess Margaret's Son, the Earl of Snowdon, Is Getting Divorced" .Harper's Bazaar . Retrieved17 February 2020 . ^ "No. 53385" .The London Gazette ^ "Styles of the members of the British royal family Documents" . Heraldica.Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved7 December 2021 .^ Debrett's Peerage . 2019. p. 4406.
Shared (royal family) England and Wales David Lammy ,Lord Chancellor Stephen Cottrell ,Archbishop of York Sir Keir Starmer ,Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Alan Campbell ,Lord President of the Council Sir Lindsay Hoyle ,Speaker of the House of Commons The Lord McFall of Alcluith ,Lord Speaker The Lord Reed of Allermuir ,President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Ambassadors and High Commissioners The Lord Carrington ,Lord Great Chamberlain The Duke of Norfolk ,Earl Marshal The Earl of Rosslyn ,Lord Steward The Lord Benyon ,Lord Chamberlain The Lord Ashton of Hyde ,Master of the Horse Scotland Northern Ireland Lords Lieutenant of counties and citiesHigh sheriffs of counties John McDowell ,Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)Eamon Martin ,Archbishop of Armagh (Roman Catholic)Dermot Farrell ,Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic) Michael Jackson ,Archbishop of Dublin (Church of Ireland) Sam Mawhinney,Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Lord Mayor of Belfast andMayors of boroughs in Northern Ireland Sir Keir Starmer ,Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Lindsay Hoyle ,Speaker of the House of Commons The Lord McFall of Alcluith ,Lord Speaker The Lord Carrington ,Lord Great Chamberlain The Duke of Norfolk ,Earl Marshal The Earl of Rosslyn ,Lord Steward The Lord Benyon ,Lord Chamberlain The Lord Ashton of Hyde ,Master of the Horse not including short-term appointments, visiting dignitaries and most peers
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 Luke Montagu, 12th 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 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 John Hely-Hutchinson, 9th Earl of Donoughmore After 1801
United
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 Grey, 8th Earl Grey William Lowther, 9th Earl of Lonsdale Conroy Ryder, 8th Earl of Harrowby Prince Regent King George IV King William IV 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 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 Queen Elizabeth II
Italics in entries mean the peer also holds a previously listed earldom of higher precedence
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