In recent years, I’ve become more aware of Samuel Chatto’s presence around various royal holidays and events. Samuel Chatto is one of Princess Margaret’s grandsons and the elder son of Lady Sarah Chatto. When I first caught sight of him during the Christmas morning church-walk at Sandringham, I thought he was a teenager. He is not – he turns 30 years old in a few weeks. He just has a babyface and he’s a short king. Well, he found his queen. He’s been dating fellow artist Eleanor Ekserdjian for more than five years now. He just proposed! And you’ll never believe the engagement ring he proposed with. It’s a porcelain piece which Samuel made himself, because he’s an artist.
Princess Margaret’s grandson Sam Chatto is set to wed his girlfriend Eleanor Ekserdjian. The news that Sam, 29, had popped the question to Eleanor was confirmed by a Buckingham Palace spokesperson on Monday, July 13.
The pair, both artists who live together in London, also shared the news in a joint Instagram post accompanied by some black-and-white snaps. Sam’s caption read, “I’m really delighted to say that Ellie and I are engaged. And we couldn’t be happier.”
The ceramicist also confirmed that he had forsaken tradition and proposed with a porcelain ring he made himself, adding a picture of the ring on his wife-to-be’s hand. The happy couple also shared a low-key smiling selfie as part of their announcement post, which appeared to have been taken in a photo booth.
Buckingham Palace shared that the couple’s families were “delighted” for them and that King Charles is “very happy for them both.” The palace also noted that the wedding would take place “next spring.”
Sam’s parents, Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto, are both creatives — his mother is a painter, and his father is an actor.
Eleanor’s parents are also in the art world. Her father, Professor David Ekserdjian, is an art history professor at the University of Leicester, while her mother, Susan Moore, is an art critic at the U.K. newspaper The Financial Times, per The Independent. The outlet notes that Sam, who is 30th in line to the throne but has no royal duties, and his fiancée met while studying at the University of Edinburgh and have been dating since 2021.
This is just a reminder – once you realize that many Windsors are frustrated artists stuck in public-facing jobs, their misery makes so much more sense. King Charles has an artist’s temperament as well, as did Princess Margaret. I’m glad that Margaret’s daughter and grandson are able to just BE artists and live cool artist’s lives. Anyway, I think it’s really f–king cool that he MADE the engagement ring and that she’s wearing a piece of porcelain forged by Samuel’s hand. What a love token.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Instagram.
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- Mey Highland Games at the John O’Groats Showground Featuring: Samuel Chatto, Eleanor Ekserdjian Where: Caithness, United Kingdom When: 02 Aug 2025 Credit: Cover Images
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- Samuel Chatto and guest attend Tatler’s Little Black Book party at Tramps Nightclub, London,Image: 641629540, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: JULES ANNAN/Avalon
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- Samuel Chatto and Eleanor Ekserdjian announce their engagement seen here Samuel Chatto and Eleanor Ekserdjian as they arrive for the Royal wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church on June 06, 2026 in Kemble, England,Image: 1116367075, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: Jules Annan/Avalon
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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
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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
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- Mey Highland Games at the John O’Groats Showground Featuring: Samuel Chatto, Eleanor Ekserdjian Where: Caithness, United Kingdom When: 02 Aug 2025 Credit: Cover Images
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- Mey Highland Games at the John O’Groats Showground Featuring: Samuel Chatto, Eleanor Ekserdjian Where: Caithness, United Kingdom When: 02 Aug 2025 Credit: Cover Images
His mum is 5’1 as was his granny Margaret. He takes after them instead of his 6′ dad
I’d be worried about chipping or breaking the ring. Maybe his ceramics are extra sturdy? He does seem to take his work seriously. He even did a short apprenticeship in Japan a few years ago.
Oh, ok, another royal. For a minute I thought they were some teen actors I haven’t heard about.
Good for them – it’s an unusual and pretty ring.
IKR? When I first saw this story online I was like someone needs to cool these kids off. But no they’re of age. She’s probably known him so long now she doesn’t see a 16 year old. But wow. That’s some skin cream. Drop the deets.
A family tradition? Most articles say QEII used Elizabeth arden 8 hour, but that wasn’t the story decades ago.
Murray’s Emollient Skin Cream was made exclusively for the queen mum and QEII for years. By Ian Murray himself. Could be it was also used by Margaret, Lady Sarah, and now her children.
Wow, thanks! I didn’t think anyone would actually drop deets. I thought maybe his father’s genetics were blessed. Gonna look for it!
Not to mention Anthony Armstrong James was a renowned photographer and his son David is a furniture designer and woodworker. His current girlfriend Isabelle is an art curator.
His father Daniel is the uncle of Mae Martin. Daniel’s father Thomas was a character actor while his mother Rosalind Thompson was a successful talent agent.
So sorry but that is the worst ring I have ever seen due to the material.
He obviously can’t change what he looks like, but he barely looks like a teenager. In that second picture it seems like he’s walking with his older sister.
The ring is very pretty but I have to imagine not something she’ll actually wear? I’d break a porcelain ring in like a week — I constantly hit or catch my ring on stuff.
Philip’s side of the family was a famous bunch of impresarios, chancers, colourful characters, and genuine originals. Probably one of the more interesting families amongst the bohemian diaspora of titled people that got washed up in all directions as so much flotsam and jetsam when the royal families and supporting cast of aristocratic houses lost their hold on their respective territories in the Russian Empire, Greece, Oldenburg, Hesse, etc.
I love how you phrased all of that, and I’d be down with reading your abbreviated history of overthrown European dynasties!
His side of the family were also members of the Nazi party.
Congrats on the couple and I love the ring!
And please do not give Princess Margaret an “artistic temperament,” if you are referring to someone who is difficult, but because they are creative it is ok because they are a misunderstood artist (which I take that to mean.) “The Crown” romanticized her. Granted she was frustrated due to her position, but my grandparents (and in particular my grandfather) said she was a brat as a young child and continued to be one as an adult. (This is their personal knowledge, not friend-of-a-friend stuff.)
Happy for them, but it’s pretty easy to “just be” an artist when someone else is bankrolling you. The royals are free to leave and attempt to financially support themselves as Harry has done if they want to be artists.
Who is bankrolling them? Not Charles. Not to say their parents don’t have money and aren’t helping them live in London but we don’t know? I’d assume most young people living in London get financial help from somewhere unless they’re living with a ton of roommates. So I’d guess the same for them. They seem cute. I’ll be interested to see the dress and hear about the wedding just bc I could see some interesting choices being made.
They’re bankrolling themselves.
Sarah and David did not receive big inheritances from their parents. Unlike charlie, they had to pay 40% death duties. Everything from the mustique house to the politmore tiara was sold off to pay the taxes.
Why is the Palace making pronouncements on non-working and untitled royals? Didn’t they tell us that they only make announcements about working royals?
It’s pretty and unique, but wouldn’t a porcelain ring be super breakable? It’s crazy how young he looks when his grandmother already looked like an old saddle left out in the sun at his age.
Now the media will ask if harry and meghan are invited to the wedding. 321