Who Is David Armstrong-Jones, Earl Of Snowdon? How Was He Involved In The Queen’s Funeral?

David Armstrong-Jones, The Earl of Snowdon may be one of the lowkey members of the royal family despite having grown up in Kensington Palace. As a matter of fact, his father was the first ‘commoner’ to marry into the royal family in centuries. David Armstrong is the son of the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, and her ex-husband Antony Armstrong-Jones.

At the time of his birth, he was fifth in the line of succession to the throne. In the current line of succession, he holds 24th place. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth took place on Monday, September 19, and everyone including members of the royal family said their final goodbye to the monarch. David was present right beside the other royals. Let’s get to know more about Earl of Snowdon and his duties at the funeral.

Who Is David Armstrong-Jones?

David Armstrong-Jones was born on November 3, 1961. He is the son of Princess Margaret who died in 2002 in London because of a stroke at the age of 71. Not only The Earl and Lady Sarah grew up alongside the Queen’s children, but they also went on holidays with King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew. Lord Snowdon even took classes alongside Prince Andrew in Buckingham Palace’s schoolroom. Before launching his own company, David Linley Furniture Limited, he had a shop in Dorking where he built and designed furniture. His brand is now known as Linley. It is highly prestigious and has designed for high-profile clients like Elton John and Valentino.

“I inherited my love of design from my father, the Earl of Snowdon, who was always fascinated by pushing the boundaries of an object – working out how to make it touch the ground in two places rather than three.” David told Telegraph.

David Armstrong-Jones married Serena Armstrong-Jones, who has been the Countess of Snowdon since 1993. The couple has two children – Margarita Armstrong-Jones and Charles Armstrong-Jones. After the death of Antony Armstrong-Jones in 2017, David became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon.

What Were His Duties At The Queen’s Funeral?

David Armstrong-Jones performed the funeral rituals along with the other royals of the family. King Charles III walked behind his mother’s coffin as it moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for her funeral service. The coffin was carried on a 123-year-old gun carriage and was pulled by 98 Royal Navy sailors. It involved a total of about 6,000 representatives from all three Armed Forces – the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force.

The Earl of Snowdon was among the members of the royal family who walked behind the gun carriage. In the front, there was the King with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Just behind him, followed by the Queen’s grandsons, Peter Phillips, Prince William, and Prince Harry. Next was the Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence; the Duke of Gloucester; and her nephew, the Earl of Snowdon.