Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
[14] As a 16-year-old he contracted polio while on holiday in Wales;[15][16] during the six months that he was in the Liverpool Royal Infirmary recuperating, the only visitor from his family was his sister Susan.[31][32] After marrying Princess Margaret in May 1960, Armstrong-Jones's first solo public engagement was on 7 December 1960, when he presented the 1960 National Challenge Trophies for the trade organisation the Photographic Information Council's School Photography competition, with entries from 200 schools in Britain with camera clubs, at the opening of an exhibition of the work.[36] In the early 1960s, Snowdon became the artistic adviser of The Sunday Times Magazine, and by the 1970s had established himself as one of Britain's most respected photographers.His subjects included Marlene Dietrich, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Leslie Caron,[29] Lynn Fontanne,[29] David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor, Rupert Everett, Anthony Blunt,[37] David Hockney,[38] Princess Grace of Monaco, Diana, Princess of Wales, Barbara Cartland, Raine Spencer (when she was Lady Lewisham), Desmond Guinness,[38] British prime minister Harold Macmillan,[38] Iris Murdoch,[38] Tom Stoppard,[38] Vladimir Nabokov,[38] and J. R. R.[45] In October 1981, a group portrait by Snowdon of the British rock band Queen was used on the cover of their Greatest Hits album.[48][49] In 2006, Tomas Maier, creative director of the Italian fashion brand Bottega Veneta, brought in Snowdon to photograph his Autumn/Winter 2006 campaign.[16] In 1981, he formed the Snowdon Council; it consisted of 12 members who coordinated a dozen different bodies concerned with helping disabled people.[57] In February 1960, Snowdon, then known as Antony Armstrong-Jones, became engaged to the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and they married on 6 May 1960 at Westminster Abbey.On Margaret's end, there was her penchant for late-night partying, while on Snowdon's part there was his undisguised sexual addiction ("'If it moves, he'll have it', was the summing-up of one close friend").[17] Anne de Courcy, in her 2008 authorised biography, writes "'[T]o most of the girls who worked in the Pimlico Road studio, there seemed little doubt that Tony was gay'.[61] De Courcy reveals a series of affairs with women, including a 20-year relationship with his mistress, journalist Ann Hills, which lasted from 1976 until her suicide in 1996."[63] The marriage was accompanied by drugs, alcohol, and bizarre behaviour by both parties, such as his leaving lists of "Twenty Reasons Why I Hate You" for the princess to find between the pages of books she read."[17] When high society palled for Snowdon, he would escape to a hideaway cottage with his lovers or on overseas photographic assignments.Following his wedding, Armstrong-Jones was granted an earldom[36] and introduced to the House of Lords as the Earl of Snowdon on 28 February 1962.[35] Snowdon was appointed Constable of Caernarfon Castle in 1963; as part of this role, he designed and organised the Investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969.[30][73] He made his maiden speech in the House of Lords in April 1972[74] on the problems that disabled people suffered in everyday life.[77] The government of the day had expected Lord Snowdon to follow the example of members of the royal family and turn down his right to a life peerage.
Lord Snowdon (disambiguation)Anthony Armstrong JonesThe Right HonourableHouse of Lordshereditary peerlife peerBelgraviaKensingtonSt Baglan's Church, LlanfaglanCrossbencherPrincess MargaretDavid Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of SnowdonLady Sarah ChattoRonald Armstrong-JonesAnne MesselAlma materJesus College, CambridgeVanity FairThe Sunday Times MagazineThe Sunday Telegraph MagazineNational Portrait GallerymarriedQueen Elizabeth IIEaton TerracebarristerCountess of RosseSir Robert Armstrong-JonespsychiatristSomerville College, OxfordSir Owen RobertsOliver MesselLinley SambourneAlfred MesselElizabeth LinleyRichard Brinsley SheridanLiverpool Royal Infirmaryprivate boarding schoolsSandroyd SchoolEton CollegeMichaelmascoxswainUniversity of CambridgeJesus CollegeCambridge boat1950 Boat RaceCarl Van VechtenBaron the photographerTatlerElizabeth IIDuke of EdinburghJocelyn Stevensmarrying Princess Margaret in May 1960Photographic Information CouncilpeerageEarl of SnowdonMarlene DietrichLaurence OlivierMaggie SmithLeslie CaronLynn FontanneDavid BowieElizabeth TaylorRupert EverettAnthony BluntDavid HockneyPrincess Grace of MonacoDiana, Princess of WalesBarbara CartlandRaine Spencer (when she was Lady Lewisham)Desmond GuinnessHarold MacmillanIris MurdochTom StoppardVladimir NabokovJ. R. R. TolkienGreatest HitsFreddie MercuryThe Solo CollectionYale Center for British ArtRoyal Photographic SocietyBottega VenetaFrank NewbyCedric PriceLondon Zoo1969 investiture of his nephewPrince of Waleselectric wheelchairAction Medical ResearchInternational Year of Disabled PersonsNational Youth TheatreContemporary Art SocietyWelsh TheatreCivic Trust for WalesTheatre MuseumRoyal College of ArtLindsay-HoggWedding of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-JonesLady Bird JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonWhite HouseWestminster AbbeyKensington PalaceNymansCounty of SussexDavid, 2nd Earl of SnowdonLady SarahAnne de CourcyDictionary of National BiographyNicky HaslamSarah Bradford3rd Marquess of ReadingThe Sunday TelegraphJeremy FryDNA testSir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, 5th BaronetHofmannsthalHugo von HofmannsthalCountry LifeSt Baglan's ChurchLlanfaglanCaernarfonGraydon CarterPatrick KinmonthTom FordRizzoliGwyn Headley