Photographer and filmmaker Antony Armstrong-Jones was from the United Kingdom. Because of his first marriage to Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s only sibling, he was also known as Lord Snowdon. Although Armstrong-Jones was a skilled shooter, his portraits of well-known figures like Princess Diana, David Bowie, and Elizabeth Taylor are what made him most famous. The “National Portrait Gallery” in London is home to more than 100 of his photos. Don’t Count the Candles, a documentary he produced in 1968, received seven prestigious awards, including two Emmy Awards. A form of electric wheelchair invented by Armstrong-Jones, who was also a designer and inventor, was given a license in 1971. He received the “Progress Medal” and an “Honorary Fellowship” from the “Royal Photographic Society” in 1985. He received an “Honorary Doctor of Laws” degree from the “University of Bath” in 1989.
Early Childhood & Life
On March 7, 1930, Antony Armstrong-Jones was born in Belgravia, London, England. He comes from a line of well-known people. His maternal uncle Oliver Messel was one of the most well-known stage designers of the 20th century, in contrast to his paternal grandfather Sir Robert Armstrong-Jones, who was a well-liked psychiatrist and surgeon.
Ronald Armstrong-Jones, his father, was a lawyer. From his father’s first marriage to Anne Messel, who eventually rose to the status of Countess of Rosse, Armstrong-Jones was the only child. When he was only five years old, in 1935, his parents separated. While on vacation at his family’s Welsh country home during his school years, Armstrong-Jones got polio.
He went to ‘Sandroyd School’ in Wiltshire from 1938 to 1943, where he was classmates with Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia and Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia. Following that, he transferred to “Eton College,” where he competed in the “School Boxing Finals” after winning the “extra special weight” division.
The “Eton College Chronicle” made a few mentions of his talents and boxing prowess. After that, he attended “Jesus College” in Cambridge, where he played the coxswain and captained his boat to success in the 1950 “Boat Race.”
He began working as a photographer, setting up a darkroom in his London apartment. Armstrong-Jones was assisted by someone his stepmother knew who arranged a meeting between him and the renowned photographer Baron. Eventually, Baron took him on as an apprentice, and he subsequently served as one of Baron’s paid employees.
Following the purchase of his portraits by the British magazine “Tatler,” career photographer Armstrong-Jones rose to notoriety. He was given credit for the photos in the publication, which put him among some of London’s most well-known photographers.
He began writing for several other publications, such as “Queen” and “The Sunday Times Magazine.” He was a significant contributor to “Queen” magazine before transitioning to work as the creative director of “The Sunday Times Magazine” in the early 1960s. He demonstrated his versatility while working for publications by taking pictures of everything from fashion to portraits of people with mental illness.
When Armstrong-Jones was asked to take a picture of the recently crowned Queen, her husband Prince Philip, and their children Princess Anne and Prince Charles, he made his major breakthrough. His image of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip standing on a stone bridge over a lovely stream was subsequently described as evoking the romanticism of the eighteenth century.
He rose to fame as a photographer after his portraits of celebrities like Lynn Fontanne, Anthony Blunt, Marlene Dietrich, Princess Grace of Monaco, Barbara Cartland, Elizabeth Taylor, David Bowie, and Princess Diana were published in magazines like “Vanity Fair,” “Vogue,” and “The Daily Telegraph.”
He began experimenting with filmmaking after becoming one of Britain’s most renowned shooters. In 1968, he created his first movie, “Don’t Count the Candles,” a documentary about aging. Following its broadcast on CBS, the movie went on to receive seven prestigious accolades, including a few “Emmy Awards.”
The following few movies he helmed included “Born to be small,” “Love of a kind,” and “Happy being happy.” Armstrong-Jones did make movies, but his famed photography work took center stage. His pictures of well-known people were widely used in the early 2000s.
Tomas Maier, the creative head of “Bottega Veneta,” commissioned Armstrong-Jones to capture his Fall/Winter 2006 collection for the company’s advertising campaign in 2006. An internationally famous Italian fashion label is “Bottega Veneta.”
Many of his photos were shown in shows all over Britain. His works were displayed at the “National Portrait Gallery” under the heading “Photographs by Snowdon: A Retrospective.” Later, these images were shown at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States.
Important Additional Works
The renowned Grade II listed “Snowdon Aviary,” which is a part of “London Zoo,” was created in part by inventor and designer Antony Armstrong-Jones. Together with Frank Newby and Cedric Price, he created the building.
He was instrumental in 1969 in completing the concrete preparations for the “Investiture of the Prince of Wales.” His creation, a specific model of the electric wheelchair, received copyright protection in 1971.
Armstrong-Jones was renowned for his charitable endeavors, which he carried out through his nonprofit, the “Snowdon Trust.” The majority of his charitable efforts favored pupils with disabilities. He even participated in the “National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases” as a member, after which he established an honor program that offered scholarships to students with disabilities.
Along with supporting groups like the “National Youth Theatre,” “Contemporary Art Society for Wales,” and “Civic Trust for Wales,” he also made contributions as the president of the “British Theatre Museum.” He served as the dean of the “Royal College of Art” from 1995 to 2003.
Earldom & Additional Awards
Armstrong-Jones was made the Earl of Snowdon in the “House of Lords” following his marriage to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. He made his first speech in the “House of Lords” in April 1972, in which he discussed the challenges that people with disabilities experience on a daily basis.
He was given “The Royal Victorian Order” on July 7, 1969. In 1978, the Royal Photographic Society awarded him the “Hood Medal of the Society.” He received the society’s “Progress Medal” and “Honorary Fellowship” in 1985. The “University of Bath” awarded him an “Honorary Doctor of Laws” in 1989 as well.
Individual Life of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, the youngest daughter of King George VI, and Antony Armstrong-Jones announced their engagement in February 1960. On May 6, 1960, the pair exchanged vows at the renowned “Westminster Abbey.”
The wedding was unique in many respects because it was the first royal nuptials to be broadcast on television. Many distinguished dignitaries, including Queen Ingrid of Denmark and the royal pair of Sweden, were present at the ceremony. David, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and Lady Sarah, the couple’s two offspring, were born to Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret.
Reports about problems in their marriage emerged not long after they got married. As a consequence of Margaret’s penchant for late-night drinking and Armstrong-Jones’ promiscuity, their relationship slowly started to fall apart. His sexual orientation was questioned, and many of the ladies he had worked with were adamant that he was bisexual.
Before marrying Princess Margaret, Armstrong-Jones had a number of encounters with women and fathered a daughter. Sources claim that he was also the father of Jasper William, born to Melanie Cable-Alexander. The semi-authorized biography of Armstrong-Jones, published by Anne de Courcy in 2008, discusses his relationship with Ann Hills, which lasted for 20 years.
Additionally, according to the biography, Snowdon did not dispute that he was bisexual. In reality, a British interior designer by the name of Nicholas Haslam wrote in his autobiography in 2009 that Armstrong-Jones had an affair with him before his nuptials to Princess Margaret. Haslam further asserted that Armstrong-Jones had a romance with Tom Parr, a well-known interior designer.
Princess Margaret and Snowdon chose to end their marriage in 1978 after engaging in a pattern of drug and alcohol abuse. Later that year, Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s ex-wife Lucy Mary, who had been engaged to filmmaker Snowdon, got married. The pair welcomed a daughter on July 17, 1979, and they gave her the name Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones.
Demise and Legacy
At the age of 87, Lord Snowdon passed away on January 13, 2017. Seven days later, his funeral service was held at “St Baglan’s Church” in the nearby hamlet of Llanfaglan. His mortal bones were interred in the churchyard’s ancestor’s grave.
The National Portrait Gallery in London presently holds more than 100 of his photographs. He established the nonprofit “Snowdon Trust,” which is still going strong. One of the board members of the “Snowdon Trust” is Lady Frances, Snowdon’s daughter and a designer by trade.
Estimated net worth
The estimated net worth of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon is about $1 million.