Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Princess Margaret’s only granddaughter, on the cover of Tatler magazine this Thursday. Luc Braquet
In 1951, renowned photographer and art director Cecil Beaton photographed Princess Margaret, sister of Elizabeth II, dressed in Dior to celebrate her twenty-first birthday. 72 years later, it is her only granddaughter, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, who poses for the cover of British magazine Tatler to celebrate her 21st birthday on May 14th. Despite her heritage and lineage – she is the daughter of David Jr. of Princess Margaret and 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and Serena, Countess of Snowdon, making her twenty-sixth in line to the throne – Lady Margaret Armstrong-Jones, although closely linked to the royal Attached to family, she lives a quiet life in Paris, where she shares an apartment in the Bastille district and studies fine jewelry at the prestigious Haute École de Joaillerie, a degree that she combines with her interest in photography. “Probably the photo is from my grandfather and grandmother’s jewelry,” he reflects in the publication.
His grandfather was Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, a renowned photographer who published his portraits in media such as Vogue or, more precisely, Tatler, and who married Princess Margarita on May 6, 1960. During the so-called swinging sixties (the happy sixties) actors, artists and stars of pop music took turns. They have also committed numerous infidelities and starred in several scandals. The marriage lasted 18 years. However, time would forget the screams, slamming doors and newspaper headlines and preserve the sheen of glamor that the couple aroused. When Lady Margarita was little, she remembers her grandfather taking family photographs: “He took portraits of us. He always had great cameras. His backgrounds were always simple and he let you be yourself. She always wore the same color, that became her style. Lighting is, as any photographer would say, the most important thing. It really captured the character of the people. She’s definitely an inspiration,” admits her granddaughter in Tatler.
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Although Lady Marguerite shared a name, she never met her grandmother. Princess Margaret died in February 2002, followed by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in March of the same year; a month later and with the names of both, Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones was born. In the publication, they highlight that Lady Margarita has “her grandmother’s curious gaze.” His quiet life outside of England and his absence from social media accounts also testify to his being an “artistic, fun and self-critical” individual who prefers anonymity to the limelight. Referring to her grandmother, Lady Margarita admits that “she is a big influence” as “she was very creative herself”. Her interest in the world of fashion and fine jewelry contrasts with her grandmother’s. The princess bought her wedding tiara at auction and once designed a coral and diamond necklace. His granddaughter shares these eccentricities: “I don’t like anything factory made or very perfect. I like things with personality.”
Since childhood, she has been present at some of the most important events of the British monarchy: at the age of eight, 12 years ago, she was one of the little bridesmaids who led Kate Middleton down the aisle with Prince William, and he even came out to show up to say hello to the balcony of Buckingham Palace. He has also spent many Christmases at Sandringham, as tradition dictates. She has attended the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh and of course her great-aunt Elizabeth II.
At Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, Marguerite Armstrong-Jones (right) was one of the bridesmaids, along with Grace Van Cutsem (left).Mark Cuthbert (UK Press via Getty)
The young woman studied at the most renowned private schools in London, such as the Garden House in Chelsea, the Catholic boarding school Saint Mary’s Ascot or the Tudor Hall. In the latter he took courses in photography, art history and jewelry design. Finally, after graduating from high school, he went to Oxford, where he also studied various artistic disciplines such as ceramics and watercolor. In September 2022 he moved to Paris where he currently resides.