Arthur Chatto, Queen Elizabeth’s Athletic Grandnephew, Is The New Heartthrob Of The Royal Family

Sep 28, 2022

With Prince William and Prince Harry clearly off the market, young royal family fans may find themselves eager for a new name worth watching: enter Arthur Chatto, the 23-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, Princess Margaret. 

Arthur is the son of Margaret’s only daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, whom she had with her husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones. Margaret and Antony were married from 1960 to 1978, and after their divorce, Margaret never remarried.

When Sarah was born in 1964, she had been seventh in line to the throne but is now 27th. She married artist and former actor Daniel Chatto in 1994, and the pair have two sons – Arthur and his older brother, 26-year-old Sam. Sam, who is 28th in line to the British throne, studied at the prestigious Eton College boarding school, which Prince William and Prince Harry also attended, and studied Art History at the University of Edinburgh. Based in West Sussex, the creative royal now works as a sculptor.

Arthur, who is 29th in line to the throne, was born on Feb. 5, 1999. He attended Westminster Cathedral Choir school before following in his brother’s footsteps and also heading to Eton and the University of Edinburgh, where he studied geography. As a child, he had served as a page of honor to his grand-aunt Elizabeth. In Aug. 2021, the Sun reported Arthur had been accepted to join the Royal Marines training program. After enduring the tough 32-week course, Arthur became the first member of the royal family to become a Royal Marines officer. In 1986, Prince Edward had also signed up for the Royal Marines training but dropped out a third of the way through the course.

Read on to find out more about what Arthur has been up to and why he’s been making waves online.

One way Arthur stands out from the rest of the members of the royal family is his physicality. Apart from his dashing good looks, it’s clear he takes pains to keep in tip-top shape and enjoys physical activities. A Sun article stated that during a visit to see the queen in Balmoral in August 2021, Arthur would go camping in the wild as well as take 20-mile hikes in the Scottish Highlands. 

Even before joining the Royal Marines, Arthur was quite the fitness buff. While studying at university, he also worked at a gym, reaching the status of level three personal trainer specializing in “strength and endurance training with a military focus.” For Arthur, staying fit is about more than just looking good.

“I’ve found physical training to be an essential cornerstone in improving my own mental health and I want to share this with others,” his bio on Instagram read.

During the pandemic, Arthur also posted at-home training videos.

In the summer of 2020, Arthur also took part in the grueling GB Row Challenge, dubbed the “world’s toughest rowing race.” It comprises rowing over 2,000 miles of open water around the entirety of Great Britain unassisted. Alongside three friends under the team name Exe Endurow, Arthur completed the charity row in 38 days.

“We are thrilled to announce we finished the GB Row under Tower Bridge and became the youngest team ever to do it,” he wrote on social media last year, as reported by The Royal Observer. “We did it in 42 days 8hrs 23 mins 16 seconds. It was an amazing moment and made it all worth it.”

Even with his impressive physical feats, Arthur remains a mommy’s boy and told The Telegraph in January 2020 that he doesn’t like to worry her.

“With my mum, I think it's always best not to tell her the full details and then she can't get too worried,” he told the outlet. “Then, when you’re back – touch wood – she won’t worry as much.”

It was while accompanying his mother, alongside the rest of his family, during the June 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations that Arthur began picking up more attention from the press. This was likely due in part to the fact that he looked striking in his Royal Marines uniform as he appeared at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral with his family.

His public appearances had drummed up a crowd of fans at his social media doorstep, particularly his Instagram page. However, he has since deleted his account, and it was reported he may have done so after some controversy regarding the somewhat provocative gym photos he was sharing. Before deleting his account, it appeared Arthur was already a taken man, with many posts showing him with girlfriend Lizzie Friend, whom he had taken as his date to the Royal Ascot in 2018. She was also on hand to receive him as he finished the GB Row in 2020.

Meanwhile, fans were left swooning after Arthur online, as reported by the Daily Mail.

“Not to be unroyal but Sam & Arthur Chatto are so fit,” one fan wrote online. 

“Special shout out to Arthur Chatto, Princess Margret’s grandson, for wearing his Royal Marines uniform,” another commenter added after his appearance at the Platinum Jubilee.

“Arthur Chatto really is a dish,” a third person commented. “Arthur Chatto in uniform!!!'” another fan wrote, followed by a litany of emojis.

With the spotlight on the royal family not likely to fade anytime soon, we’re sure to see plenty more of Arthur in the future.

Were you aware of Arthur Chatto before this? Do you think he fits in well with the royal family? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to family and friends who’d love to discover who he is.