High society tribute for Lord Snowdon
By HE chronicled British society, from its highest echelons to its most brilliant performers, and yesterday British society came out to say “thank you”.
Led by the Queen, hundreds of mourners packed into St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, to pay tribute to Lord Snowdon, the photographer and former husband of Princess Margaret, who died in January at the age of 86.
The 600-strong congregation included one of the largest gatherings of royalty, peers and members of high society in recent years, including the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret’s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto.
Also prominent were several of Lord Snowdon’s friends from the world of art and entertainment, many of whom had known him since the Sixties, when he began carving out a career as a photographer capturing the glamour of “Swing- ing London”. They included Sir Tom Stoppard, Sir Tim Rice, Alan Bennett and Jools Holland. Some of them had been his subjects. Stoppard said: “It’s exactly 50 years ago since first I met him. He gave me a ride in his Aston Martin, took my picture for a magazine and then dropped me off home. We always kept in touch after that.” Lord Snowdon remained close to the monarchy, following his divorce from Princess Margaret in 1978, after 18 years of marriage, and he was the only photographer to have had sittings with the Queen throughout her reign. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said: “The fact the Queen and the Royal Family attended this service is a real tribute to the man and his career.” Proceedings had got off to a shaky start when the Queen stumbled heavily as she arrived. She appeared to slip as she was greeted at the side door to the church and had to thrust out her hand to steady herself. CourtC and Social: PageP 26