Lady in Waiting

My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown

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Lady in Waiting

By: Anne Glenconner

Narrated by: Anne Glenconner

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**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD**

'The gossip is stupendous but it's also tremendously touching. It's one of those books that makes you long for bed so you can read more!' - JILLY COOPER

'If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention' - SUNDAY TIMES

A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation and former Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Anne Glenconner has spent her life as a friend of the royal family. In this bestselling memoir, she looks back on an extraordinary life full of glamour, drama and tragedy.

The eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, Anne knew as a daughter she would not inherit the family fortune and was instead brought up to secure an eligible husband. Her marriage to the charismatic Colin Tennant - later Lord Glenconner - would prove a test of every strength she possessed, while her friendship with Princess Margaret, which began in childhood, grew ever closer.

From the tragic loss of two of her grown-up sons to the cruel surprise of her late husband's final will, Lady in Waiting is Anne Glenconner's remarkable testament to the resilience and humour that define her as she emerges from the shadow of her husband and the crown, reminding us that all that glitters is not gold.

'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace' - DAILY MAIL

'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism' - DAILY EXPRESS

'I can't recommend it highly enough' - LORRAINE KELLY

'Gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring' - THE TIMES

'A candid, witty and stylish memoir' - MIRANDA SEYMOUR, FINANCIAL TIMES

'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir' - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind' - GUARDIAN

'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world.' - RUPERT EVERETT

'The best royal book by miles . . . funny, gossipy and riveting' -JANE RIDLEY, SPECTATOR©2019 Anne Glenconner

Anne GlenconnerAnne GlenconnerHodder & Stoughton

Entertainment & Celebrities

Europe

Great Britain

Politics & Activism

Royalty

Women

Heartfelt

Inspiring

Thought-Provoking

Funny

Celebrity

Entertainment & Celebrities Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Women Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Funny Celebrity

Critic reviews

'A remarkable life, remarkably told'

'A funny, sometimes tragic and disarmingly frank memoir . . . Lady in Waiting is gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring'

'A candid, witty and stylish memoir'

'The insider memoir of the year'

'A startling, rare, beguiling insight into a lost world of royalty and celebrity with as many tears as there are titles'

'Marvellous book . . . one's eyes were on stalks'

'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind.'

'[An] astounding memoir'

'Remarkable . . . If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention'

'It's a total hoot - I couldn't put it down'

'A romp of an autobiography'

'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world'

'Lady Glenconner's life story is a combination of royal magic, personal tragedy and resilient survival. With humour, courage and preternatural poise, she at last tells the story of her uniquely fascinating life'

'Anne Glenconner has written a remarkable memoir - containing, at last, a genuine portrait of Princess Margaret from one who knew her well. But this book is poignant too, and through the pages shine her courage and good-humoured acceptance of her demons and tragedies'

'An absolute hoot'

'This memoir made me laugh, wince, cry and gasp. For anyone who craves a bracing dose of the older generation's stiff upper lip, Anne Glenconner provides it.'

'Wonderful'

'It's impossible not to admire her fortitude . . . funny and sometimes dazzling'

'Rollicking . . . [Lady in Waiting] paints such a rich picture of the aristocracy it's impossible not to marvel at the institution, both in admiration and horror'

'This outlandish memoir drips with royal tidbits . . . but it's also insightful on the more damaging aspects of being a member of the British aristocracy. Sobering - and terrific fun'

'One of the most enjoyable books of 2019 . . . Anne Glenconner, now 87, captures a lost world in which she waited (with remarkable good grace) on Princess Margaret. Sometimes the best view of history is given by the minor characters'

'The author reads her own words in indomitable fashion, and anyone who enjoyed Craig Brown's life of Glenconner's former employer, Ma'am Darling, will find this fascinating.'

'This year's Ma'am Darling - the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with.'

'This riveting read will leave you open-mouthed and hungry for more.'

'Fascinating and beautifully written . . . I can't recommend [Glenconner's] book high enough'

'Captivating'

'Beyond admirable'

'Riveting life'

Most relevant

Lady Anne Glenconner's long life has been one of devoted service - service to her husband Colin Tennant who became 3rd Baron Glenconner, to her 3 adult sons, and to Princess Margaret whom she served as lady-in-waiting for 30 years. Were the recipients of her dedicated service worthy of it, I wonder?

Lady Anne's childhood at Holkham Hall in Norfolk, the beloved estate of her father 5th Earl of Leicester, was idyllic: paddling on the river (which she did unsupervised from the age of 5); romping with various dogs and horses ( her mother's only information before her daughter's wedding was that men did what the labradors did, except she'd be lying down); picnics and endless games with her sister and with Princess Margaret who was at neighbouring Sandringham.

Lady Anne's honeymoon started disastrously with her new husband's demented and fearsomely vile and arrogant behaviour, screaming at hotel workers as they dragged a double mattress up 4 flights of stairs on their 1st night. Never mind, next night he planned a 'surprise' for his new bride: watching a live sex show in some seedy Parisian dive which disgusted Lady Anne. Today Colin Tennant would surely have been medicated for a mental illness, but they married in 1954 when not only were such conditions undiagnosed and untreated, but marriage was for life, whatever. So Lady Anne suffered the tumultuous, outrageous temper tantrums (he was thrown bodily off a flight; would lie screaming at night in a foetal position on the floor; assaulted a shopkeeper in India who annoyed him). She indulged him with kindness as he spent vast amounts of money on houses for himself and others; on the island of Mustique which he bought and made a hedonistic hang-out for the super-rich; on unimaginable extravagant entertainment - and on mistresses.

Princess Margaret had a reputation as a demanding and difficult woman. Lady Anne knew her intimately and although she doesn't correct this view, her portrayal is sympathetic and compassionate. Here is a fun-loving woman imprisoned by her royalty whom lasting happiness eluded. (Tony Armstrong-Jones left notes for her saying 'I hate you'); happiness with Roddy Llewelyn lasted only 6 years; whose health was ruined by a a lifetime of chain-smoking (emptying the Princess's ash-trays was a Sisyphean task for those waiting on her).

The adult lives of her 3 sons were tragic. Motorbike madness resulted in the youngest being left for dead (his recovery took years of Lady Anne's devoted dedication); the eldest was addicted to drugs whilst still at school and he finally died of hepatitis C; the middle son left his wife and child and later died of AIDS. It is here that Lady Anne becomes reflective and we feel that all that wealth, luxury, privilege, travel, royalty fades into insignificance.

Lady Anne is now in her late 80s. You can tell when she is tiring and when she's started again after a break; and when she's truly moved by what she is saying. She is most interesting and human as she makes clear the high costs of her "extraordinary life.".

Definitely insightful and fascinating.