King Charles’s close bond with his cousin Lady Sarah Chatto was on full display as the monarch kicked off Queen Elizabeth’s centenary celebrations in London on Monday.
Lady Sarah, 61, who is the daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, the 1st Earl of Snowdon, is not a working royal and only joins the family at special occasions.
However, Sarah made a surprise appearance at a fashion exhibition of Her Majesty’s clothes at Buckingham Palace yesterday – and no one seemed more delighted by Sarah’s attendance than King Charles.
After Charles and Camilla arrived at the King’s Gallery on the eve of what would have been his late mother’s 100th birthday, he made a beeline for Lady Sarah, as seen in a video posted on X.
The clip showed a beaming Charles greeting Sarah with a kiss on each cheek, before she curtsied to the King and the pair toured the exhibition together.
When he paused before his mother’s riding clothes, Charles beckoned Lady Sarah over for a closer look as they shared a lighthearted exchange at the gallery.
Although Sarah doesn’t carry out official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family, fans have hailed Princess Margaret’s daughter as an asset to the Firm – especially against the backdrop of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson’s disgrace.
Not only have the pair been ousted from royal life over their ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but their daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also face an uncertain future amid the Firm.
So, could Sarah Chatto step up to fill the gaps in what is already a much more ‘slimmed down’ monarchy as King Charles strives for a ‘better, happier tomorrow’?
Fans on social media said they would ‘love to see more of Lady Sarah’, declaring her an absolute ‘pro’ – exactly 10 years after her scene-stealing tribute to the late Queen in her 90th birthday documentary won hearts.
King Charles’s close bond with his cousin Lady Sarah Chatto was on full display as the monarch kicked off Queen Elizabeth’s centenary celebrations in London on Monday
Lady Sarah, 62, who is the daughter of Princess Margaret, is not a working royal and only joins the family at special occasions. She is seen leaving the royal Easter Service this year
Ahead of the late Queen’s 100th birthday celebrations later today, Charles paid tribute to ‘my dear mama’ in a video message released on the eve of what would have been her 100th birthday.
‘Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply,’ the King said, ‘but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.’
It came after he and Camilla toured the commemorative fashion exhibition titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at Buckingham Palace featuring over 300 items worn by Elizabeth – many on display for the first time.
Inside they were joined by Queen’s companion Dame Sarah Troughton and Tim Knox, director of the charity Royal Collection Trust, as well as two of the late Queen’s former ladies in waiting, Lady Sarah Hussey and Dame Annabelle Whitehead.
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But it was the sight of his favourite cousin Lady Sarah that brought a smile to Charles’s face as a he rushed over to Sarah.
The mother-of-two, who shares sons Arthur and Samuel with her husband Daniel, looked chic in a black coat dress and a burgundy silk skirt.
Queen Elizabeth’s beloved niece finished her look with a pair of black ballet flats and pulled her hair back into a ponytail for the event.
After Margaret’s death in 2002, Sarah’s bond with Elizabeth deepened as the pair frequently spent time together at Craigowan Lodge, the royal getaway in Aberdeenshire.
She is also believed to have a close relationship with King Charles; the two are said to enjoy leisure time painting together at Balmoral whenever possible.
Sarah, a professional painter, and her husband of more than 31 years, Daniel Chatto, live relatively quiet and private lives, only joining the Royal Family at milestone events such as Royal Ascot or Easter Sunday service.
Indeed, Sarah and Daniel joined the proceedings at Windsor Castle, while Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were notably absent.
With Andrew, 66, banned from public family occasions and currently being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office, his daughters had made alternative plans this year with the agreement of the King.
Meanwhile, Andrew’s ex wife, Sarah Ferguson, pulled a disappearing act after new revelations about her friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein were unearthed in the Epstein Files.
The former duchess was finally spotted this week outside a £2,000-a night Alpine chalet in Austria after evading the press for months.
Lady Chatto greeting Queen Camilla at the commemorative exhibition on Monday, April 20
Beatrice and Eugenie have kept a low profile since the Epstein scandal rocked their family, as a royal expert claimed the princesses have been ‘snubbed’ during Queen Elizabeth’s centenary celebrations.
The series of events is thought to be official engagements, so only working royals, such as the Princess Royal, will likely be present.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed the decision not to have a service or function with Elizabeth II’s extended family is ‘unfortunately’ because of those members who would’ve taken the limelight from the late Queen had they been invited.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are being snubbed as attention on this anniversary must be on one person’.
For Prince Philip’s 100th birthday, his grandchildren – even the non-working members – all took part in a documentary honouring the late Duke of Edinburgh, which aired after his death.
The late Queen’s milestone was marked with a similar programme, but the only grandchild to feature in the programme was Peter Phillips, Princess Anne’s son.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: ‘Ideally, especially since several of them have played a significant part in royal life and since Queen Elizabeth took her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England so much to heart, this anniversary would have been commemorated by either a service or by a function which included her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.’
But the royal expert added: ‘An invitation could certainly not have been extended to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was recently arrested and who has disgraced the royal family.
‘His daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie did not attend the service at Easter with the royal family and have become controversial, especially owing to their parents’ links to the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, so they could not be asked either.’
Against this backdrop, Lady Chatto’s attendance at the clothing exhibition has been seen by some fans as a step in the direction, as the Royal Family emerges from one of the worst scandals it has seen in recent times.
Calls for her royal status to be ‘upgraded’ date back a decade, after Lady Chatto emerged as an unlikely star of the late Queen’s 90th birthday documentary.
The BBC One documentary narrated by then Prince of Wales Charles called Elizabeth at 90 – A Family Tribute included home video footage of the Queen and Princess Margaret, believed to have been shot by their King George VI.
As well as being visibly delighted as she viewed the old cine films of her mother, Lady Sarah paid a heartfelt tribute to the Queen, expressing her love for the royal, while other family members focused on duty.
Andrew, who arrested on his 66th birthday, is banned from public family occasions and currently being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office during his time as UK trade envoy
The segment prompted calls for the low-key royal to take on a more public role as one X (then Twitter) user wrote: ‘Lady Sarah Chatto must be upgraded at once and make more public appearances.’
Another fan praised her as a ‘charming, sensitive person’, while a third wrote Lady Chatto is their ‘favourite’ royal.
Princess Margaret and Armstrong-Jones, had two children: David, born in 1961, and Sarah, born in 1964.
However, their marriage was marred by infidelity, ultimately leading to their divorce in 1978 after a turbulent two-year separation.
During this difficult time, family holidays at the royal estates of Sandringham and Balmoral provided some comfort for 14-year-old Sarah, who often spent time with cousins Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Sarah and her brother, David, spent much of their childhood at Kensington Palace, where their parents were a strong influence in their lives.
Lord Snowdon, a renowned society photographer, nurtured their creative talents in art and design, with Sarah and David going on to become an artist and furniture maker, respectively.
Sarah developed a particular passion for landscape painting – an interest she shares with her cousin, King Charles.
After leaving school with an A-level in Art, Sarah studied at the Camberwell School of Art and later the Royal Academy Schools.
Since 1995, she has been exhibiting works of art, under her maiden name – Sarah Armstrong-Jones – at The Redfern Gallery in London.
Sarah has strong royal connections, having served as a chief bridesmaid at Princess Anne’s 1973 wedding to Mark Phillips and Charles’s 1981 nuptials to Princess Diana. She is also a godmother to their son, Prince Harry.
Additionally, she is a godmother to Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, as well as to Lady Rose Gilman, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Sarah, who is 28th in line to the throne, became president of The Royal Ballet School in June. She had previously served as vice president for 20 years.
Although she maintains a relatively low profile, she is known to attend significant royal events, such as last year’s Royal Ascot.
Demonstrating their close relationship, Sarah and her family accompanied the King and Queen to Crathie Kirk on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2023.
