Queen's nephew Earl of Snowdon announces divorce

Less than a week after Peter Phillips announced a split from his wife, another member of the royal family is also getting divorced.

After 25 years of marriage, the Queen's nephew David Linley, the Earl of Snowdon, has announced he and his wife Serena, the Countess of Snowdon, are getting a divorce.

"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 couple said.

"They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family."

The shock separation comes six days after the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips announced his divorce from wife Autumn.

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The Earl - David Armstrong-Jones - is best known for his high-end furniture company Linley, that makes bespoke furniture and accessories.

The couple married in October 1993 and have two children: Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones.

The Earl's mother Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister, died in 2002 and he became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon after the death of his father the Earl of Snowdon, celebrity photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, in 2017.

Last night a friend told the Daily Mail: "David is very, very close to the Queen and Prince Charles. He goes to Sandringham at Christmas and turns up at Balmoral in the summer.

"He is George VI's grandson and part of the inner circle of royals.

"But he is also Mr Non-grand Royal. He turns up on his bicycle wearing a high-vis jacket and gets mistaken for a traffic warden. He is popular and social.

"And he is the hardest-working royal – albeit not for the Royal Family. He is endlessly abroad through his Christie's role.

"He is their go-to rainmaker executive. But all the travel put a strain on the marriage.

"Serena spends most of her time in Gloucestershire. He lives in Kensington. It's been a slow drift apart. I think the impetus for the split is with her but she is very sad about it.

"It is going to be tough for David. Everyone is surprised. Even if things weren't perfect between them, they are both very family oriented. Their main focus now will be on ensuring that their two children and them remain a family unit even if they are no longer living together as a couple."