A new royal wedding is on the way: Sam Chatto is engaged. Princess Margaret's grandson confirmed he has proposed to his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian.
Sam announced the happy news on his Instagram, writing: ‘I’m really delighted to say that Ellie and I are engaged. And we couldn’t be happier. I proposed with a porcelain ring which I made.’
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The couple, who have been dating since 2021, have already given a number of signals that they are serious about each other, including recently attending the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling. The couple have also previously joined King Charles III, Queen Camilla and other senior royals for Christmas at Sandringham.
Flora Vesterberg, the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, was among the first to publicly congratulate the couple, writing: ‘Very happy for you all.’
Of course, the couple will be busy revelling in all the joy of this happy moment in life but rumours have already started to swirl around when the wedding might take place, with spring 2027 purportedly in the pipeline. King Charles has been informed of the news and is ‘very happy’.
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Born to an illustrious artistic pedigree, her father is the lauded art historian Professor David Ekserdjian, who serves as Emeritus Professor of History of Art and Film at the University of Leicester. Professor Ekserdjian is married to Susan Moore, art critic at the Financial Times. Like Sam, Eleanor is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh.
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An abstract painter, much of Eleanor's work is inspired by the Armenian diaspora, and has been held in numerous private collections, including one at London’s Redfern Gallery. One of her pieces, simply titled ‘SAM’, is an evocative sketch of her royal boyfriend, once displayed at The Gallery at Green & Stone’s summer exhibition.
Muse as well as partner, Sam Chatto is also quite the artist himself. Having found himself ‘completely uninspired by my three-month job working in the commercial art market’, Lady Sarah Chatto’s oldest son took matters into his own hands, and now describes himself as ‘a British artist and maker currently working in clay to create functional and sculptural wood fired ceramics, from my home and studio in West Sussex.’
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An accomplished ceramicist, he last year conducted an apprenticeship in Japan, under the noted potter Yagi Akira. His experience was no doubt behind King Charles inviting him to Buckingham Palace last year for a State Banquet held for the state visit of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan.
And his time in Japan will have left plenty to discuss with Eleanor, who has completed a residence with the Sokyo Gallery in Kyoto. Eleanor is not thought to have any blue-blooded connections, but her career has brought her in contact with royalty before. Another of her residencies was undertaken with Hauser & Writh, the art venue where Princess Eugenie serves as director.
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The couple’s relationship, which Eleanor confirmed to Richard Eden back in 2021, came after Sam Chatto’s partnership with his former girlfriend came to an end during lockdown. The couple stepped out together for Tatler's Little Black Book Party in 2022, and often join Sam's parents at events on London's cultural scene.
Eleanor must fit right in with the Chattos – truly a family of artists. Sam’s mother, Lady Sarah, is the only daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. The 62-year-old is known to submit her works (mostly florals) to the Royal Academy’s annual summer exhibition under the name Sarah Armstrong-Jones. His father, Daniel Chatto, is also an artist, and his grandfather Lord Snowdon was, of course, a lauded photographer. Now there is a new artsy member of the family circle to embrace: Isabelle de la Bruyère, the former Christie's executive who is in a relationship with Sam's uncle, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon. Eleanor recently joined Lady Sarah, Daniel and Sam at an exhibition of 'Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies' at Somerset House.
Their fringe position within the Royal Family grants Lady Sarah and her two sons a level of anonymity not afforded to more senior family members, although the boys’ classic good looks have made them social media stars. Whenever Samuel Chatto, or his brother Arthur, are spotted at major royal events, countless adoring tweets and Instagram posts follow. They were among the mourners at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, and often join other senior members of the royal family at church in Sandringham on Christmas Day.
It was their joint outing to Sandringham that really thrust Eleanor into the spotlight as it marked a major break from royal tradition. Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, wasn’t offered an RSVP until she married Prince William, nor was Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, welcomed into the Victorian country house prior to her wedding to Prince Edward. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi joined his then fiancée Princess Beatrice at Sandringham in 2019, just months before they said ‘I do’. So, King Charles’ decision to extend an invite to Eleanor Ekserdjian was quite extraordinary.
More recently, the couple were seen at the royal wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling.
