Sarah Chatto seen at a dance class aged 10 in photos from 1974
She followed in her late mother’s footsteps this month by being announced as the new president of the Royal Ballet School.
Lady Sarah Chatto, 60, takes on the role nearly 70 years after the late Princess Margaret became the prestigious institution’s president in 1956.
But her new position is far from just a formality, for Lady Sarah takes after her mother in being a dancing and ballet enthusiast.
Adorable pictures taken by her photographer father Lord Snowdon in October 1974 – when the then Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones was 10 – show her enjoying a ballet class.
The Daily Mail noted at the time how the young royal – who was dressed in a leotard and neat ballet shoes – had lessons every Monday evening in Hammersmith, West London.
Lady Sarah Chatto seen at a ballet class in Hammersmith, West London, in 1974. The image was taken by her father Lord Snowdon. She was receiving instruction from Dame Ninette de Valois, the founder of the Royal Ballet School
Lady Sarah, pictured above at Royal Ascot earlier this month, was recently named as the new president of the Royal Ballet School
For the photo-op, Lady Sarah had the best teacher any little girl could imagine: dancing icon and Royal Ballet School founder Dame Ninette de Valois.
Dame Ninette was seen putting Lady Sarah through her paces by placing her arms and legs in the correct positions.
The Mail’s report said: ‘After the personal lesson Dame Ninette placed the young dancer in the hands of former Royal Ballet dancer Miss Nora Roche.
‘Princess Margaret, who was also a young ballet dancer, did not have to encourage her daughter to attend classes. She loves to dance.
‘But before any lessons take place shoes have to be tied properly – not an easy task with so much pink ribbon to wrap around small ankles.
‘But it is all worth while. Miss Roche teaches Lady Sarah for an hour each week. An hour of lessons for which Lady Sarah waits all week…’
Lady Sarah Chatto (left) seen at a ballet class in Hammersmith, West London, in 1974. The image was taken by her father the Earl of Snowdon
Dame Ninette de Valois corrects Lady Sarah’s positioning during her lesson with the dancing icon
Lady Sarah with her mother Princess Margaret, father Lord Snowdon and brother David in 1974
Lady Sarah takes a photograph alongside her father at Windsor in 1978
Lady Sarah being presented with a posy by dance students when she was vice president of the Royal Ballet School, 2009
The Daily Mail’s report from October 1974 revealing Lady Sarah’s ballet lesson
Lady Sarah has taken on the role of president of the Royal Ballet School after King Charles stepped down from the position and became patron.
She previously served as vice-president since 2004.
In her tenure as president, Princess Margaret regularly attended performances by both students at the school and professionals at the Royal Ballet Company.
Lady Sarah, who is Princess Margaret’s only daughter, has long been a champion for the arts.
Her interest was fostered in part by her late father. He and Margaret divorced in 1978 – when Lady Sarah was 14 – after 18 years of marriage.
Lady Sarah studied at the Camberwell School of Art and then the Royal Academy Schools.
She spent two years with her father in India when he was working as a photographer for 1984 film A Passage to India.
The royal has long been a respected artist in her own right and her work is regularly exhibited at exhibitions and the Redfern Gallery in London.
