Snowdon: The Biography

by Anne de Courcy

Overview

'The most sensational book on the Royal Family in recent times' Sunday Telegraph
'Offers a fascinating insight into not just his life but the social mores of the day' Evening Standard

How did a photographer who was a relentless playboy, an unashamed womaniser and a leather-clad motorcyclist marry the Queen's sister and become the Establishment figure Lord Snowdon? The brilliantly talented Antony Armstrong-Jones often humiliated Princess Margaret, yet he was compassionate to the causes he cared about. Since his death in 2017, Snowdon still hasn't escaped the limelight, as more and more is revealed about his wild and intriguing life.

Written with exclusive access to Snowdon and the people closest to him, this book uncovers the real man and his times. Addressing the facts behind the myths - the secret courtship of Margaret, the love child born just weeks after the royal marriage, the affairs on both sides, the suicide of one mistress and the birth of an illegitimate son to another - this balanced yet no-holds-barred account of Snowdon's life is essential reading for fans of The Crown and Ma'am Darling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780297856047
Publisher:	Orion
Publication date:	12/20/2012
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	492,636
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Anne de Courcy is the author of thirteen widely acclaimed works of social history and biography, including THE HUSBAND HUNTERS, THE FISHING FLEET, THE VICEROY'S DAUGHTERS and DEBS AT WAR. In the 1970s she was Woman's Editor on the LONDON EVENING NEWS and in the 1980s she was a regular feature-writer for the EVENING STANDARD. She is also a former features writer and reviewer for the DAILY MAIL. She lives in London SW3.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

1 The Other Son 1

2 On His Way 20

3 Pimlico Road 32

4 'Tony Snapshot' 47

5 Margaret 64

6 Engagement 83

7 A Glittering Couple 96

8 Married Life 121

9 Harsh Words 151

10 Old House and Les Jolies Eaux 172

11 Feeling Trapped 194

12 Lucy 213

13 'Tell Your Friend to Keep Out of My House' 226

14 Separation 244

15 Remarriage 265

16 Campaigning 282

17 Working Ever Harder 295

18 'I Need to Speak Urgently to Lord Snowdon' 315

19 Melanie 325

20 Battling On 343

21 Surprise, Surprise … 357

Source Notes 373

Select Bibliography 383

Index 386

Editorial Reviews

The most sensational book on the Royal Family in recent times—Sunday Telegraph

Offers a fascinating insight into not just his life but the social mores of the day—Evening Standard

An onslaught of revelation, a dizzyingly switchback ride of mixed emotions, pomp and sleaze ... very true to life—Daily Telegraph

How refreshing to read a biography in which the author is half in love with her subject. There are none of the usual patronising putdowns, envious backbiting or mean-spirited cavilling in Anne de Courcy's portrait of the Earl of Snowdon—Sunday Times

[A] juicy biography ... it is impossible here to convey the combination of high society and low morals, of firghtfully good taste and awful cheese that de Courcy has managed to dish up—Observer

Step forward, Snowdon. You're nicked ... Full of eye-popping revelations—Mail on Sunday

Has anyone not slept with Lord Snowdon? The priapic Earl's multi-layered love life is the dominant theme of this chatty and penetrating biography, packed as it is with love affairs, love-children ... and love-struck mistresses, often several at one time ... Snowdon makes a glamorous, capricious, selfish and surprisingly philanthropic subject for this lively account of a man and his era—Daily Mail Summer Reading

[A] commendably unvarnished portrait of a charismatic, contradictory individual—Good Book Guide

Offers unprecedented insight into the life of Princess Margaret's husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones. Anne de Courcy spoke with Lord Snowdon for the book (along with several others close to him), and it's a no-holds-barred look at both his art and his often-scandalous relationships—Town & Country, 18 Books About the Royal Family

The most sensational book on the Royal Family in recent times—Sunday Telegraph

Offers a fascinating insight into not just his life but the social mores of the day—Evening Standard

An onslaught of revelation, a dizzyingly switchback ride of mixed emotions, pomp and sleaze ... very true to life—Daily Telegraph

How refreshing to read a biography in which the author is half in love with her subject. There are none of the usual patronising putdowns, envious backbiting or mean-spirited cavilling in Anne de Courcy's portrait of the Earl of Snowdon—Sunday Times

[A] juicy biography ... it is impossible here to convey the combination of high society and low morals, of firghtfully good taste and awful cheese that de Courcy has managed to dish up—Observer

Step forward, Snowdon. You're nicked ... Full of eye-popping revelations—Mail on Sunday

Has anyone not slept with Lord Snowdon? The priapic Earl's multi-layered love life is the dominant theme of this chatty and penetrating biography, packed as it is with love affairs, love-children ... and love-struck mistresses, often several at one time ... Snowdon makes a glamorous, capricious, selfish and surprisingly philanthropic subject for this lively account of a man and his era—Daily Mail Summer Reading

[A] commendably unvarnished portrait of a charismatic, contradictory individual—Good Book Guide

From the Publisher