As I looked through the “royal Christmas” photos of the Windsors’ walk to church, I was slightly surprised to see the Snowdons and Chattos included. The current Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, went to Sandringham for Christmas, as did Samuel Chatto, the 28-year-old grandson of the late Princess Margaret. While King Charles is reportedly close to his first cousins (David Armstrong-Jones and Sarah Chatto), I didn’t realize that he was close enough to their children to extend invitations to Sandringham. Not only that, but Samuel Chatto was “allowed” to bring his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to royal Christmas as well. It’s the first time a girlfriend/partner has been included since… Meghan Markle in 2017.
The Duchess of Sussex was missing from Sandringham, but there was one member of the Royal Family who benefited from a tradition that was broken for the American former actress. Princess Margaret’s grandson Samuel Chatto was allowed to invite his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to stay at the Norfolk retreat.
She was able to do so after King Charles followed the example of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who permitted Meghan Markle to join the festive gathering in 2017, five months before she exchanged vows with Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Meghan was the first person to be allowed to spend Christmas at Sandringham before marrying into the Royal Family.
Kate Middleton, for example, had to wait until after she became the Duchess of Cambridge and Sophie Rhys-Jones did not stay before she married Prince Edward and received the Countess of Wessex title.
‘This is a clear sign that there will be a royal wedding in the new year,’ remarks an excited observer of the Windsors.
I disclosed in 2021 that Sam, 28, had started going out with Eleanor, who’s an artist and also 28.
Not only had Edinburgh University graduate Sam struck up a romance with the London-based painter, but he had also become her muse. Eleanor told me at the time: ‘We are a couple.’Inspired by her new love, the arts professor’s daughter had started depicting Sam in her work. Eton-educated ceramicist Sam comes from an arty family himself: his mother, the King’s cousin Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, often submits her artworks for the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition, and his father is the actor-turned-artist Daniel Chatto.
It’s interesting that the extended Armstrong-Jones clan is so artsy! Tony Armstrong-Jones, the first Earl of Snowdon, was a famous and talented photographer. Princess Margaret was very musical too, and she had the dramatic flair of an actress. Their children got involved in the art world, and their children are artsy too. That being said, Samuel’s younger brother Arthur is in the Royal Marines. Maybe he paints or sculpts though, you never know. As for a potential engagement in the new year… it’s likely, given the girlfriend’s inclusion at Sandringham. The Windsors need those kinds of events too, family weddings and youth.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Earl of Snowdon, Samuel Chatto, and Arthur Chatto attending the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham Where: Sandringham, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Samuel Chatto (second left) and Arthur Chatto (second right) attending the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham Where: Sandringham, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Members of the British Royal Family attend a Christmas service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate Featuring: Sam Chatto Where: Sandringham, United Kingdom When: 25 Dec 2024 Credit: Cover Images
Will sam get a big royal wedding
Descendent of George VI prob midsize, something like lady Gabriella Windsor’s perhaps.
He looks younger than her!
He looks fifteen! I was shocked when I read his age. I guess I’m getting old, because everyone looks like kids to me these days.
Both of them look to be in their late teens especially him with his foppish head of hair.
I had the same thought! “Oh man, I MUST be old now if a 28-year-old looks like a baby to me!”
LOL My first thought reading the headline was, “A teenager was allowed to bring his GF to Sandringham?!?!?”
Initially I thought he was a teenager and that was his (youthful looking) mother!
Me too!
And Samuel needs advice from Derek Guy.
Oh my goodness ArtFossil, I had exactly the same thought!
His mother has fabulous taste in clothing, so it would be nice to see.
Am I hopelessly ancient, or do these cute young people look about 15?
No, I agree that he looks like he’s about 14! I assumed it was a teenage GF not a possible engagement next year lol. Let’s go with that rather than the alternative that we’re ancient.
Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who thought he was a teenager 😅 !
No it’s not just you, he looks more like he’s Edward and Sophie’s sons peer and she does as well. I was shocked to read their ages because it seemed creepy to me at first that they were talking about an engagement that had to be coming because of how young they looked. I wonder though if this inclusion means that Charles is going to go back on his balcony restrictions. Because the balcony has been looking mighty lean the last 2 years.
I had to re-read the article and check! 28 but yes they look so young! I was like engagement are we sure? But they’re 28. Cutees.
Adorable! He looks happy. Nice to see!
I am 41 and lately I have been doing full on double takes when I’ve seen a bunch of 12 year olds driving around town. I mean, I’m assuming they’re 16. Or 17. Or 21. But they look sooo young.
Wait until you go to the doctor and find you are being examined by someone who looks like a teenager who should be in school!
My first thought was he looks about 12! She even looks a bit older than him, but what a happy looking couple. Nice to see their smiles. I think the two fellows behind them are Sam’s brother and his cousin? So basically, the the families of Elizabeth and Margaret. I read once that the Queen was close to her niece Sarah and Charles was close to her as well. I think the current Earl of Snowdon is divorced?
Yes the current Earl of Snowdon, Margaret’s son, is divorced. Seems he inherited some of his fathers affection for illegal substances & other men…
I imagine that Chaz has lots of affection for the grandchildren of his beloved aunt, his mother was absent so much in his “early years” and from photographs I’ve seen online Princess Margaret was very tactile with him. That closeness probably extended to his cousins and now their children. Too bad he can’t find it in himself to be a good grandfather to Harry’s kids.
I’m so cynical because I don’t think it was any other reason than to try to boost numbers and probably send some message to Harry about “look what you’re missing, this could have been you.”
I don’t think Chuckles has any affection for anyone but himself and his mistress queen.
Could it also be that he knows William won’t be including any of Margaret’s relations in the future so he’s letting them enjoy the perks of their birthright while he can?
But I agree he also wants to boost the numbers with non-problematic people of royal pedigree.
@SussexWatcher Agreed. The press touted this “Big Family Christmas” and put KFC in a spot; this is Chucklehead scrambling to put bums in seats. He’s thrown away his own kids, and is now having to borrow someone else’s so that he doesn’t look like a complete sad sack surrounded by Sidepiece Seabiscuit’s coke-addled spawn.
Trouble is, no one knows who the frick these commoner extended relations are and we clearly see his game for what it is. The people aren’t buying the lies in the articles the press is writing to sell this charade.
@Where’s My Tiara
I agree with you. Charles is desperately roping in “lesser royals” to distract from him excluding his own son and family! Maybe name tags on all these distant relatives would have been the answer – rather than just looking like they just roped in a few strangers to make up the numbers! So pathetic!
Harry s and Meghan s kids. Charles treated all of them so shamefully
Wasn’t Edo also invited to Sandringham as a fiance? Why wasn’t he mentioned in this piece? Smh
Yes–Edo did the walk for the first time in 2019, and he was a fiancée, they got engaged earlier that year and he married Bea in 2020. Meghan was also a fiancée in 2017, not a girlfriend.
Hi Murphy, please correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t Harry & Meghan’s engagement announced on the 27th of November 2017?
And Kate was invited at least once, while engaged, and chose not to go, and it was reported she was also invited in 2006 and chose not to go. She wouldn’t go in 2006 because she wasn’t engaged. That was all rumors. But the Palace briefed she was invited in 2010 and chose a “last Christmas” with her family.
She’s giving me Keanu Reeves’ girlfriend vibes. Tall, interesting face.
And he looks like a young Matthew Broderick.
They look very happy and I wish them well but short kings need clothes that fit them.
Aha! I think that may be part of why he looks so young – the coat is too big. So he looks like a kid wearing adult clothes.
Who’s the hottie at the back right?
I believe right behind the girlfriend is Sam’s brother Arthur.
Is that the man with white pocket square behind them? He is dreamy
The guy with pocket square is QEII/Chuckle’s former equerry
Ah, the yummy Major Johnny Thompson. I didn’t recognize him at first without his kilt.
Oh yes, he’s the one. He’s very manly and handsome.
The Chattos and Snowdens have always been invited to Sandringham.
We usually see them at Easter, too.
It must burn Kate that unmarried significant others are invited to Sandringham for Christmas.
Well, Liz is gone. World’s Worst Dad (currently battling the title with Tom M) is, running the show now, and FQ knows she can be as vengeful and vindictive as she wishes, sooner than she had ever imagined. I think C2 may both be quite unwell, and Huevo/ Heuso are starting to realize that retribution will soon be theirs to wreak, not so different than rump. Fragile egos, narcissistic, sour.
William did not go to the Peter Phillips wedding where kate would first meet the queen. He went to j e c c a s brothers wedding
Yes, but then Kate would have insisted that Carole be included as well! Seems she can’t do anything without her mother around! I’m glad that QE2 saw right through lazy bones and her grifter mother!
The BRF’s new secret weapon!
Srsly tho, these young people are very cute.
The good looks in the family certainly seem to skip the heirs.. without the extended family it’s just a bunch of homely and horrible people.
I thought he’d be 22/23 and she’d be 24/25.
Youth is wasted on the young😆- seriously, though, skål!
She looks like the Asian-looking East Slavic/Eastern European/Russian people – her last name is in fact like those in countries like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan’s, Georgia, Albania, Romania, Yugoslavia, Mongolia, Siberia).
I think, if she is ethnic-white, the Windsors will embrace her, for the sole reason to prove how “wrong Meghan was”, when she spoke about how unwelcoming certain sr member of the RF turned out to be (minus the Queen en Prince Philip), and that she was not protected by the royal institution.
First thought- they look 12!
Second thought – cute couple though.
Third thought – that’s some Rod Blagojevich hair!
He’s a cutie. He does look really young, but I think it’s his relatively short height and the roundness of his face (plus that hair). I like that she is taller than he is (or just in high heels?) and this generation doesn’t GAF about that stuff.
But yeah, they need the youth so they are going out onto the extended family limbs. So much for a slimmed down monarchy.