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Lady in Waiting
- My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
- Narrated by: Anne Glenconner
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Summary
The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation - and is a character in The Crown this autumn.
Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.
Anne Glenconner has been close to the Royal Family since childhood. Eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she was, as a daughter, described as 'the greatest disappointment' by her family as she was unable to inherit. Her childhood home, Holkham Hall, is one of the grandest estates in England. Bordering Sandringham, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were frequent playmates.
From Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Glenconner is a unique witness to royal history as well as an extraordinary survivor of a generation of aristocratic women trapped without inheritance and burdened with social expectations.
She married the charismatic but highly volatile Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who became the owner of Mustique. Together they turned the island into a paradise for the rich and famous, including Mick Jagger and David Bowie, and it became a favourite retreat for Princess Margaret.
But beneath the glitz and glamour there has also lurked tragedy. On Lord Glenconner's death in 2010 he left his fortune to a former employee. And of their five children, two grown-up sons died, while a third son had to be nursed back from a coma by Anne, after having suffered a near fatal accident.
Anne Glenconner writes with extraordinary wit, generosity and courage, and she exposes what life was like in her gilded cage, revealing the role of her great friendship with Princess Margaret and the freedom she can now finally enjoy in later life. She will appear as a character in the new series of The Crown this autumn.
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What listeners say about Lady in Waiting
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rachel Redford
- 31-10-19
Money doesn't make happiness
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.
58 people found this helpful
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- Grumpy Granny
- 31-10-19
I was surprised
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Lady Glenconner read her memoirs. That she was reading made it all the more enjoyable, she wasn't just telling a story she was reliving it all. I cried as she described the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth and the death of her son Henry. She made Princess Margaret more Human. I will listen again. A lovely woman, tha I you for sharing your life.
29 people found this helpful
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- Mrs Curzon Tussaud
- 26-10-19
Lady in Waiting
An amazing life story, wonderfully brought to life by its author. From a childhood at Holkham, to experiences at Court and a life spent mainly on Mustique, Anne Glenconner tells a great story. There is also deep tragedy, which is not skated over but described unflinchingly. I’m so glad to have listened on Audible rather than read the book. I cannot recommend this more highly.
20 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-11-19
What a woman!
So much more than a story of a lady in waiting.
Forget The Crown’ this would make a great film.
16 people found this helpful
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- JohnM
- 22-10-19
Fabulously fantastic
What a compellingly grippy book. To hear it read by Anne too is terribly lovely.
Her devastating life is so sad, but not without it’s fabulously funny highs too.
One finished the book feeling like one of the family !
15 people found this helpful
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- Mr. N. C. Angel
- 02-12-19
A wonderful, wonderful listen
Beautifully written, beautifully and simply ready by the author, this is funny, startling, and often deeply moving. Unusually for a memoir with lashings of royalty, it is neither a “tell-all” nor a fawning attempt at ingratiation. I’m so glad she wrote it, and sincerely hope she sticks to her plan to live to 100 and more. Pure listening pleasure.
9 people found this helpful
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- Malcolm Mills
- 23-10-19
Touching
This book is brilliantly written and beautifully read. I just wanted it to go on and on. Lady Anne had so much heart ache, but coped with it so touchingly. I do admire her.
15 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 28-10-19
what a read
a fascinating insight into a world most of us will never occupy. inspirational and brilliant.
6 people found this helpful
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- susan
- 31-10-19
So interesting
It was so meaningful to have the story read by the author. I found it stimulating with a sense of I can do anything through out the story.
5 people found this helpful
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- Emma Callow
- 28-10-19
Loved it! A true insight
Thoroughly enjoyed this heartfelt story. A real insight into aristocratic life without being pompous.
Heartbreaking at times and a reflection on how a stiff upper lip was the order of the day.
What a fascinating family they are!
5 people found this helpful
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- Alchemist
- 22-10-19
Such an amazing listen
What a beautifully written book- absolutely captivating (especially as it’s read by the author). Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!
2 people found this helpful
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- Angela
- 01-07-22
Lady in Waiting
So unexpected and so interesting, kept me absolutely intrigued,wonderfully written and narrated. I would highly recommend
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- chinenye didigu
- 07-06-22
Enjoyed it!
I sincerely enjoyed this book, read with such emotion, Lady Glenconner is a survivor who had been through so much tragedy in the midst of privilege, and the fact that she read it herself! I could feel the emotion in her voice during the most tragic parts of the book. Wish you well Ma’am! Highly recommend this book.
Cheers.
Chinenye from Nigeria
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- Hazel
- 10-01-22
Will leave you confused about how to feel.
There’s no doubt that Anne Glenconner has lived an extraordinary life. Her account of recent historical events is amazing to hear from an eye witness. Her terrible personal tragedies show that money and privilege doesn’t make you immune to suffering.
However, there’s a lot about this account that is hard to hear. She spent over 50 years married to an extremely abusive man and she doesn’t seem to see that that’s what he was. It’s disturbing in the extreme to listen to someone talk so matter of factly - and lovingly - about someone whose public temper tantrums would’ve landed him in jail at times if he hadn’t been so rich. Speaking of being rich, she simply has no understanding of what poverty means and even refers to her family, with their stately homes, servants and overseas travel during her childhood, as “too poor” to afford certain things. It’s quite insulting to the men and women of her generation who experienced genuine poverty and suffering, particularly during and after WWII.
The casual description of animal abuse is also hard to stomach. I was expecting the revolting details of a family of aristocrats who went hunting and thought murdering living beings for a laugh was perfectly acceptable. A husband who went to cock fights and rodeos and bought an elephant, which he had shipped half way around the world to use for rides, was shocking. This kind of animal abuse has been illegal in the UK for decades and he could only do it because he was so wealthy that he purchased an entire Caribbean island, where he could harm animals, safely out of the reach of the UK authorities.
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- Thomas Kirkwood
- 05-12-21
An incredible insight
This book was so much more than I imagined. I always love when they’re narrated by the original others and Lady Anne Glenconner did not disappoint. Her incredible life story is so well pieced together in this book giving a great insight into her first hand dealings of the who’s who of society in the last 70 years. Her own, personal life story is also extremely interesting, moving and honestly written. A great listen overall!
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- C.A. Drake
- 03-12-20
Brilliant
Wonderful insight Into the Royal Family - and how nobility lived their lives. Thoroughly enjoyed the narration!
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- Pia Hansen
- 31-07-20
An interesting look at en era gone by
An interesting account of an extraordinary life.
It adds to the pleasure that Lady Glenconner read the audiobook herself.
I highly recommend it.
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- Amazon Customer
- 30-03-20
Excellent
If you are interested in the Royal family and enjoy hearing about how the families of British
aristocracy live this book is for you. Highly entertaining, funny and sometimes sad.
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- Skiathete
- 25-01-20
Fantastic book enjoyed every minute
I really enjoyed this book. I am recovering from a traumatic brain injury and have found listening to Lady Glenconner reading this story of her life genuinely absorbing. The author has overcome great adversity and sadness and yet managed to carry on and not let the many dreadful things that have happened bring her down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and have already done so.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-12-19
A life worth knowing
A Fascinating story with contrasts that can only have been known by a few. At times shocking and also amusing. The overriding feeling of coping with what life throws at you is a beacon.
Fabulous.