Charles Armstrong-Jones is one of four grandchildren of the late Princess Margaret, who was the Queen’s sister. Although a key part of the extended Royal Family, he keeps his life very much out of the public eye, with a private Instagram account. Here is everything we know about the 25-year-old musician.
Who is Charles Armstrong-Jones and his parents?
Charles was the third (out of four) youngest grandchildren of the late Princess Margaret. She had two children called Lady Sarah Chatto and David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon. Charles is the son of David and his ex-wife Serena, the Countess of Snowdon; who divorced in 2020 after 26 years of marriage. At the time, a spokesman for the Snowdons said: "The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced. They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family."
Charles has a 22-year-old sister called Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, who last year graced the cover of Tatler to mark her 21st birthday.
Where was Charles born?
Charles Armstrong-Jones is known as Viscount Linley and is the only one of Princess Margaret’s grandchildren to have a title. He inherited the title upon the death of his grandfather, Antony Armstrong-Jones. One day, Charles will be the 3rd Earl of Snowdon, inheriting the title when his father David dies.
How is Charles Armstrong-Jones related to the late Queen?
As the sister of his late grandmother Princess Margaret, The Queen was Charles great aunt; making him her great nephew. The two were believed to have a great bond, particularly after his grandmother Princess Margaret died.
Has Charles Armstong-Jones performed any royal traditions?
In 2012, the late queen appointed him to be her first page of honour. This ceremonial role required him to carry the long train of the Queen’s robes at state occasions, such as the Order of the Garter service. That role stopped in 2015 and he has barely been seen in public, but was photographed in the press at the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018. And he was also seen in 2022 at the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey, although he did not form part of the main family procession. Since then it is believed he has taken part in no Royal responsibilities and is rarely photographed in other Royal family events.
Did Charles Armstrong-Jones ever spend Christmas with the late Queen?
It is believed that he did use to spend Christmas with the rest of the Royal Family at Sandringham.
Could Charles ever be King?
It is very unlikely that Charles could be King as he is 26th in the Line of Succession, with his sister Lady Margarita being 27th in line to the throne.
Charles Armstrong-Jones education
Charles attended Eton College and was in the same year as his cousin Arthur Chatto, the second son of his aunt, Lady Sarah Chatto. The cousins are reported to be good friends. After Eton, Charles went on to study Product Design Engineering at Loughborough University.
What does Charles do now?
He is a musician. In an interview in Tatler last year, his sister Lady Margarita – who was a bridesmaid at Prince William and Princess Kate's wedding in 2011 said of her brother: “He is very into his orchestral music. He is self-taught and he can sing, play the piano and the guitar. It’s wonderful,’ adding: “somehow he combines it all together – including online choirs – on his laptop into one piece of music.’
What does Charles Armstrong’s father David do?
David Armstrong-Jones founded his own company making bespoke furniture under his professional name, David Linley, in 1985. He has written books about furniture and styling the home. It was in fact through his work that David first met his now ex-wife Serena, when her father, Viscount Petersham, commissioned David to design furniture.
As for his relationship with his late mother, Princess Margaret, in a 2018 Alain Elkann interview, he said: “I loved being around my mother. In the house were very interesting people from all walks of life, there was creativity and music. She played the piano by ear, and at Christmas she held the Sacred and Profane buffet and people would play."
Suzanne Baum is an award-winning beauty editor, with columns across numerous outlets, including the Metro, Women's Fitness, the Independent and Yahoo. Having written about beauty for over 20 years, Suzanne regularly reports on the latest beauty news; from trialling out new beauty innovations and aesthetic treatments to writing on the best products for women and men.