Samuel Chatto, the 29-year-old grandson of Princess Margaret, is engaged to his university sweetheart, artist Eleanor Ekserdjian. Chatto announced the engagement on Instagram, sharing that he proposed with a porcelain ring he crafted himself. The King has been informed and is reportedly very happy for the couple, who are planning to marry next spring.
Chatto, a ceramicist and 30th in line to the British throne, is the son of Queen Elizabeth II's niece, Lady Sarah Chatto, and Daniel Chatto. Ms. Ekserdjian, also 29, is a painter and film artist. The couple met while attending the University of Edinburgh, reportedly in 2021, and have been pictured together publicly since 2022.
Ms. Ekserdjian has become a familiar presence within the extended Royal Family. She accompanied Chatto to the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in June and was present at Sandringham for Christmas in 2024. Her attendance at the royal festive gathering fueled speculation about the couple's engagement, as partners traditionally do not attend such events unless married or engaged.
Both Chatto and Ekserdjian are graduates of the University of Edinburgh and furthered their studies at the Royal Drawing School in London. Chatto completed an apprenticeship in Japan under potter Yagi Akira. Ekserdjian's artistic work, described as abstract painting and film art, has been featured in private collections, including the Redfern Gallery. Her father, Professor David Ekserdjian, is a historian of art and film, and her mother, Susan Moore, is a Financial Times art critic. Chatto's mother, Lady Sarah Chatto, is known for her own artworks, and his father is artist Daniel Chatto. Chatto's grandfather was photographer Lord Snowdon.