Antony Armstrong-Jones, Princess Margaret’s ex-husband, has died at the age of 86. Queen Elizabeth has been informed of her former brother-in-law Lord Snowdon’s death. But Buckingham Palace has not released any additional statements regarding his death. As of yet, it isn’t known what caused his death; however, a spokesperson for the Armstrong-Jones family stated Queen Elizabeth’s former brother-in-law died peacefully at home.
Antony Armstrong-Jones, a photographer, married Princess Margaret on May 6, 1960 and was styled Earl Snowdon and Viscount Linley. Princess Margaret died on February 9, 2002 at the age of 71. The princess and Lord Snowden had two children. David Armstrong-Jones was born in November 3, 1961 and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones was born May 1, 1964.
Princess Margaret may have married Antony Armstrong-Jones, but the love of her life was Group Captain Peter Townsend. Queen Elizabeth denied Princess Margaret’s request to marry the divorced Group Captain.
Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon’s marriage ended in 1978 with a public and messy divorce. Margaret had begun an affair with Roddy Llewellyn. Lord Snowdon carried on an affair with journalist Ann Hills, it is believed, from 1976 through 1996.
Lord Snowdon quickly remarried, taking as his bride Mary Lindsay-Hogg on December 15, 1979. Armstrong-Jones second wife, formerly married to film director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, became Countess Snowden. The couple had one daughter, Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, born on July 17, 1979.
Countess Snowdon and Lord Snowdon separated in 2000. It was discovered that Lord Snowdon had fathered a son, Jasper William Oliver Cable-Alexander, in 1978 with journalist Melanie Cable-Alexander.
In the 1960s, Lord Snowdon took on the position of artistic advisor of the Sunday Times magazine and in the 1970s was recognized as one of Britain’s most respected photographers.
Lord Snowdon was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and awarded the Hood Medal of the Society in 1978 and the Progress Medal in 1985. Interestingly enough, Kate Middleton was recently made an Honorary Member of the Royal Photographic Society.
Armstrong-Jones was the first commoner in a long while to marry a King’s daughter. Kate Middleton, also a commoner, married Prince William in lavish ceremony befitting a Royal at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
As senior members of the Royal family, it is unlikely Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles will attend any funeral or memorial service held for Lord Snowdon. There is no reason for Prince William, Prince Harry, or Kate Middleton to attend any service held for Princess Margaret’s former husband.
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