Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess Of Snowdon

Serena Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon (née Stanhope), was born on March 1, 1970, in Limerick, Ireland. She is the daughter of the then Viscount Petersham and Virginia Freeman-Jackson. Her maternal grandparents are Captain Harry Freeman-Jackson and Dorothy Alleyne d'Aubigny d'Engelbronner. Her parents divorced when she was 13 years old. She has one elder brother. Through her paternal line, she is a descendant of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England.

During her childhood, she divided her time between Chelsea, London, where her father lived with his partner Anita Howard (later Countess of Suffolk), and Monaco, where her mother resided. She attended St Mary's School in Wantage, where her interests included lacrosse. Following her secondary education, she studied art in Italy and attended a finishing school in Switzerland.

In 1989, Serena Stanhope began her professional career working as a trainee at Sotheby's auction house. She later served as a publicist for the fashion designer Giorgio Armani until August 1993. She eventually established her own retail business, Serena Linley Provence, which operated until its closure in 2014.

On October 8, 1993, she married David Armstrong-Jones, who was then known as Viscount Linley. The wedding took place at St Margaret's Church in Westminster. The couple had met when her father commissioned Linley to design a walnut dining table for his residence in Chelsea. The wedding was attended by 650 guests, including prominent figures such as Elton John, Jerry Hall, the Aga Khan, and Constantine II of Greece. An estimated 5,000 spectators gathered outside the church. Serena wore a dress designed by Bruce Robbins, valued at approximately US$9,000, noted for its resemblance to Princess Margaret’s 1960 Norman Hartnell wedding gown. She also wore the 'Lotus Tiara', loaned by her mother-in-law, Princess Margaret. Her wedding ensemble included a going-away outfit designed by Robinson Valentine.

Serena and David Armstrong-Jones have two children: Charles Patrick Inigo Armstrong-Jones, born July 1, 1999, at Portland Hospital in London, who served as a page of honour to Queen Elizabeth II; and Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, born May 14, 2002, also at Portland Hospital.

Her husband inherited the title of Earl of Snowdon in 2017 upon the death of his father, Princess Margaret’s son. Subsequently, she assumed the title of Countess of Snowdon. The couple separated in February 2020.