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Princess Margaret’s Son the Earl of Snowdon Announces Divorce From Serena Armstrong-Jones

Earl of Snowdon Announces Divorce in 2nd Royal Split in 1 Week
Serena Armstrong-Jones and David Armstrong-Jones in 2019.Richard Young/Shutterstock

David Armstrong-Jones, formally known as Viscount Linley and the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, is divorcing Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon, after 26 years of marriage. The breakup marks the second royal split announcement in one week.

Related: Celebrity Splits of 2020

Snowdon, 58 — the first son of the late Princess Margaret and a nephew of Queen Elizabeth II — announced the split on Monday, February 17. “The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced,” a spokesperson for the earl said in a statement on Monday, per The Sun. “They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family.”

The British furniture maker married the countess, 49, in October 1993 at St Margaret’s Church at London’s Westminster Abbey. They have two children, son Charles, 20, and daughter Margarita, 17.

Related: Royal Family Tree: A Guide to Queen Elizabeth II’s Kids, Grandkids and Great-Grandkids

The news of their split comes a week after Buckingham Palace announced that Peter Phillips, Elizabeth’s eldest grandson and the son of Princess Anne, has separated from wife Autumn Phillips after 12 years of marriage.

“After informing HM The Queen and members of both families last year, Peter and Autumn jointly agreed to separate,” the palace said in a statement to the Daily Mail on February 10. “They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship. The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and, although sad, is an amicable one. The couple’s first priority will remain the continued well-being and upbringing of their wonderful daughters, Savannah and Isla.”

The two splits come amid months of turmoil for the British royals. In November 2019, Prince Andrew announced he was stepping back from his royal duties after his former association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “became a major disruption” to the work of the organizations and charities Andrew supports, as he explained in a statement.

Related: Most Shocking Royal Family Feuds in History

Less than two months later, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to step back from royal duties and split their time between the U.K. and North America amid intense scrutiny from the British media, and Buckingham Palace revealed later that month that the couple were going to stop using their His and Her Royal Highness titles.

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