Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon
Serena Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon (née Stanhope; born 1 March 1970), is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and the daughter-in-law of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and a niece-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Right Honourable
The Countess of Snowdon
Born Serena Alleyne Stanhope
1 March 1970 (age 48)
Limerick, Ireland
Title Countess of Snowdon
Spouse(s) David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon
Issue
Parents
Early life and education
Serena Alleyne Stanhope was born in Limerick, Ireland, the daughter of the then Viscount Petersham 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's illegitimate child, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, which makes her a distant cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales, and of other members of the British royal family.[1]
Stanhope spent most of her childhood between Chelsea with her father and her father's girlfriend Anita Howard, Countess of Suffolk, and Monaco with her mother.[2]
She went to St Mary's School, Wantage, where she was described as being "more interested in lacrosse than Latin".[2] After leaving St Mary's School, she went on to study art in Italy. She also attended a finishing school in Switzerland.[3]
Career
In 1989, she joined Sotheby's as a trainee. She then worked as a publicist for Giorgio Armani until August 1993, two months before marrying Viscount Linley.[3]
The Countess, then Viscountess Linley, had her own shop called "Serena Linley Provence".[4] The store closed in 2014.[5]
Marriage and children
Stanhope married David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, son of Princess Margaret and only nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 October 1993 at St Margaret's Church, Westminster. They met when her father commissioned Linley to design a walnut dining table for his Chelsea house.[2]
There were 650 guests in attendance, including Elton John, Diana, Princess of Wales, Jerry Hall, the Aga Khan, and ex-King Constantine of Greece.[6] In addition, there were an estimated 5,000 spectators in the streets.[2] Her diamond engagement ring and wedding band are from Wartski.[7] She wore a $9,000 dress designed by Bruce Robbins, noted for its resemblance to Princess Margaret's 1960 Norman Hartnellwedding dress, and "The Lotus Tiara" which was on loan from her mother-in-law, Princess Margaret.[8][9] Her going-away outfit was designed by Robinson Valentine.[10]
The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have two children:
Serena Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon (née Stanhope; born 1 March 1970), is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and the daughter-in-law of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and a niece-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Right Honourable
The Countess of Snowdon
Born Serena Alleyne Stanhope
1 March 1970 (age 48)
Limerick, Ireland
Title Countess of Snowdon
Spouse(s) David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon
Issue
Parents
- Charles Stanhope, 12th Earl of Harrington
- Virginia Freeman-Jackson
Early life and education
Serena Alleyne Stanhope was born in Limerick, Ireland, the daughter of the then Viscount Petersham 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's illegitimate child, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, which makes her a distant cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales, and of other members of the British royal family.[1]
Stanhope spent most of her childhood between Chelsea with her father and her father's girlfriend Anita Howard, Countess of Suffolk, and Monaco with her mother.[2]
She went to St Mary's School, Wantage, where she was described as being "more interested in lacrosse than Latin".[2] After leaving St Mary's School, she went on to study art in Italy. She also attended a finishing school in Switzerland.[3]
Career
In 1989, she joined Sotheby's as a trainee. She then worked as a publicist for Giorgio Armani until August 1993, two months before marrying Viscount Linley.[3]
The Countess, then Viscountess Linley, had her own shop called "Serena Linley Provence".[4] The store closed in 2014.[5]
Marriage and children
Stanhope married David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, son of Princess Margaret and only nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 October 1993 at St Margaret's Church, Westminster. They met when her father commissioned Linley to design a walnut dining table for his Chelsea house.[2]
There were 650 guests in attendance, including Elton John, Diana, Princess of Wales, Jerry Hall, the Aga Khan, and ex-King Constantine of Greece.[6] In addition, there were an estimated 5,000 spectators in the streets.[2] Her diamond engagement ring and wedding band are from Wartski.[7] She wore a $9,000 dress designed by Bruce Robbins, noted for its resemblance to Princess Margaret's 1960 Norman Hartnellwedding dress, and "The Lotus Tiara" which was on loan from her mother-in-law, Princess Margaret.[8][9] Her going-away outfit was designed by Robinson Valentine.[10]
The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have two children:
- Charles Patrick Inigo Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (born 1 July 1999 at Portland Hospital in London), a former page of honour to Queen Elizabeth II.[11] [12]
- Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones (born 14 May 2002 at Portland Hospital in London), who was a bridesmaid at the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[13]
