Lady Sarah Linley
by Susan Flantzer
The bride and groom met on a movie set. He was an actor and she was a wardrobe assistant. He was the son of an actor and a theatrical agent. She was the daughter of a princess and the granddaughter of a king. He played a prince (one of her cousins) in a film.
Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Armstrong-Jones was born on May 1, 1964, at Kensington Palace in London, England. Her parents were Princess Margaret, younger daughter of King George VI, and Antony Armstrong-Jones. Her father was created Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley on October 6, 1961, so Sarah is entitled to the courtesy title Lady Sarah. Sarah has an older brother, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon.
Sarah and her brother attended Bedales School where Sarah developed an interest in art. Her interest in art led her to attend Camberwell College of Arts followed by coursework in Printed Textiles at Middlesex Polytechnic, before completing her studies at Royal Academy Schools where she won the Winsor & Newton Prize for emerging artists in painting and drawing in 1988 and the Creswick Landscape Prize in 1990.
Daniel Chatto St. George Sproule was born on April 22, 1957, at the Princess Beatrice Hospital in Richmond, London, England. His father was actor Thomas Chatto Sproule (stage name Thomas Chatto) and had a career in television, commercials, and on the stage. His mother was the theatrical agent Ros Chatto, born Rosalind Thompson. Daniel studied English at Oxford University and graduated in 1979. In 1987, Daniel’s name was legally changed to Daniel St. George Chatto. With both of his parents in show business, it was not unusual for Daniel to try his hand at acting. One of his roles was as Prince Andrew in an American TV movie Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story. His acting career lasted from 1981-1988. See his filmography at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154192/
In 1983, Daniel had a small role in the film Heat and Dust which was filmed in India. Sarah was working on the film as an uncredited wardrobe assistant and it was on the film set that the couple first met.
Internet Movie Database: Heat and Dust
Wikipedia: Heat and Dust (film)
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Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, Lord Linley and Lord Snowdon at the Royal College Art in November 1991 in London, England. Lordsnowdonretro Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images.
Sarah and Daniel’s romance blossomed in 1986, three years after their first meeting, and the two were often spotted going to the theater or art galleries. By 1989, Daniel had given up acting for art and had his own successful show at the Cadogan gallery in 1992. The two took painting trips together and shared a love of books and travel.
The couple’s wedding on July 14, 1994, was a small, low-key affair at St. Stephen’s Walbrook, a small 17th-century church in London built by Sir Christopher Wren. The church was chosen by Sarah and Daniel because they wanted a romantic and intimate place to get married. There was seating for only 200 people, and children were not invited due to the dimensions of the church. The bride chose not to use a royal carriage, red carpet, or have bells ringing. Daniel was so worried about being punctual that he arrived at the church 90 minutes before the beginning of the ceremony. Sarah arrived with her father Lord Snowdon, and her three bridesmaids: her half-sister Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, her cousin Zara Philips and her friend Tara Noble Singh. The bride’s arrival was almost overshadowed by the arrival of the bride’s more recognizable relatives, the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were appearing at the same place, although not together, for the first time since Prince Charles’s admission of adultery the previous month.
The bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses were designed by Jasper Conran. Many consider Sarah’s dress to be one of the most beautiful royal wedding dresses. The dress was made with yards of draped white georgette fabric with a ruched bodice and a three-meter train. The bridesmaids’ dresses were nearly identical. Sarah’s veil was held in place with the Snowdon Floral Tiara, a gift to Princess Margaret from her husband for their wedding. To enhance the floral effect, some greenery was added amongst the diamond flowers.
8/28/14: An update about Lady Sarah’s tiara from The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor. See
Tiara Thursday: The Snowdon Floral Tiara
Lady Sarah wearing the Snowdon Floral Tiara, Photo Credit – orderofsplendor.blogspot.com
As the bride entered the church, the hymn “Ye Holy Angels Bright” was sung. The ceremony was adapted from the “Book of Common Prayer” of 1928. Other hymns sung during the ceremony were “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er The Sun” and “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus.” After their marriage vows, the couple exchanged simple gold rings. The ceremony took only 30 minutes and the newlyweds caught everyone by surprise when they left the church unannounced. Even the driver was not at his place which made the couple laugh while they waited for the car. After the ceremony, there was a reception at Clarence House which the Princess of Wales did not attend. The couple spent their honeymoon in India, which was where they first met.
Lady Sarah And Lord Linley
The couple has two children: Samuel David Benedict Chatto born July 28, 1996, in London, England and Arthur Robert Nathaniel Chatto born February 5, 1999, in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II stays in close contact with both of her sister’s children and their families are invited to royal functions and usually spend Christmas at Sandringham. Arthur Chatto and his cousin Charles Armstrong-Jones, both grandsons of Princess Margaret, have served Queen Elizabeth II as Pages of Honor.
Sarah and Daniel both still pursue their careers as painters and their work can be seen at the websites of the galleries that represent them:
Lady Sarah Linley Young
Unofficial Royalty: Lady Sarah Chatto
Wikipedia: Daniel Chatto
Lady Sarah Linley Md
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