From Sandringham to 'I Do': Sam Chatto and Eleanor Ekserdjian's Royal Romance Reaches Its Biggest Milestone

A new royal wedding is on the horizon after Sam Chatto, grandson of Princess Margaret, revealed he is engaged to his long-term girlfriend, artist Eleanor Ekserdjian, confirming the news on Instagram this week.

The 28-year-old ceramicist, who works in West Sussex, told followers he had proposed with a porcelain ring he made himself, 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.'

Friends now believe a spring 2027 wedding is being discussed, though no date has been confirmed. Palace sources say King Charles has been informed and is 'very happy' about the engagement.

A Quiet Romance That Reached Sandringham

The engagement caps a relationship that has been building in royal-adjacent circles since Eleanor first confirmed she was dating Sam in 2021, following the end of his previous relationship during lockdown.

The couple kept things low-key at first but gradually signalled this was serious, appearing together at Tatler's Little Black Book Party in 2022, joining Sam's parents at cultural events in London, and, most notably, turning up side by side at Sandringham for Christmas with King Charles, Queen Camilla and other senior royals.

That Christmas outing broke with a long-standing, if unwritten, royal convention. Catherine, now Princess of Wales, was not invited to Sandringham until after marrying Prince William, and the same applied to Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi before his wedding to Princess Beatrice.

Against that backdrop, Charles's decision to invite Eleanor while she was still a girlfriend signalled how seriously the family viewed the relationship.

Their appearance at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's wedding earlier this year had already prompted whispers that Sam and Eleanor might not be far behind.

Congratulations have since rolled in from the extended royal clan, including Flora Vesterberg, granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, who wrote simply: 'Very happy for you all.'

An Artistic Match Far From Palace Corridors

Eleanor comes from an artistic and academic background: her father, Professor David Ekserdjian, is an art historian, and her mother, Susan Moore, is an art critic at the Financial Times.

Like Sam, she studied at Edinburgh, and her work as an abstract painter, much of it inspired by the Armenian diaspora, has found its way into private collections including London's Redfern Gallery. She has held residencies with Hauser & Wirth and Kyoto's Sokyo Gallery.

Sam has carved his own path away from the traditional royal track. After a brief, uninspiring stint in the commercial art market, he retrained and now describes himself as 'a British artist and maker currently working in clay to create functional and sculptural wood fired ceramics' from his home studio in West Sussex.

Last year he completed an apprenticeship in Japan with potter Yagi Akira, later earning an invitation to Buckingham Palace's state banquet for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Creative careers run in the family: Sam's mother, Lady Sarah, still submits floral paintings to the Royal Academy's summer exhibition under her maiden name, his father Daniel Chatto is also an artist, and the late Lord Snowdon was one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation.

Sam and his younger brother Arthur remain outside the core Windsor working set, but still attract attention when they appear at royal events, including Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral and Sam's first Sandringham Christmas with Eleanor.

The engagement, marked by a handmade porcelain ring rather than a family heirloom, reflects the couple's shared artistic careers and connections.