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Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by [Anne Glenconner]

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Anne Glenconner

Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown Kindle Edition

by Anne Glenconner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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**SPECTATOR BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020**
**SUNDAY TIMES FAVOURITE PAPERBACKS OF 2020**

'The best royal book by miles . . . funny, gossipy and riveting'
JANE RIDLEY, SPECTATOR

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

'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

'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

'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 remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. 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.

Print length

337 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date

17 October 2019
File size

3722 KB
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Book Description

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. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Lady Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and growing up in their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had 5 children together of whom 3 survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They granted a plot of land to Princess Margaret who built her favourite home there. She was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role - accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours - until her death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010, leaving everything in his will to his former employee. She now lives in a farmhouse near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"Lady in Waiting...will make you laugh and cry and gasp....At the heart is loss, grief, stoicism, and love."
--Airmail

"A smart, dishy, and truly touching autobiography."--Town & Country

"Lady Glenconner provides an open and honest look into the private lives of England's royal family and the most elite members of society. The author's sense of humor shines through in her writing, bringing levity to some of the difficult times that peppered her life."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Whether describing scenes of delicacy or debauchery, these insider accounts are fascinating. Glenconner is unfailingly perceptive, honest, and amazingly down-to-earth, a survivor who embodies the British trait of "getting on with it.""
--Booklist (starred review)

"In this genuine and candid work, Lady Anne recounts her story, offering some rare insight into the uniquely fascinating world of royal life."--BookRiot

"A must-read book of the year."
--Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

"Anne Glenconner's life story is a combination of royal magic, personal tragedy and resilient survival. With humor, courage, and preternatural poise, Anne Glenconner triumphed over all of it and at last tells the story of her uniquely fascinating life."
--Tina Brown

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

"One of the most enjoyable books of 2019."--Alison Pearson, The Sunday Telegraph

"Rollicking... a fascinating, anthropological portrait of the... privilege-soaked world of the British aristocracy... extraordinary anecdotes... Anne's book paints such a rich picture of the aristocracy it's impossible not to marvel at the institution, both in admiration and horror."--Sydney Morning Herald

"Meticulously detailed....[W]hat makes this account fresh and poignant is Glenconner's use of affluent characters to demonstrate the extent to which class trumps power....By unflinchingly examining everything from her troubled marriage and her fraught relationship with her children to the solace she found in service, the author emerges as a flawed yet steely woman worthy of respect. In laying her life bare, she demonstrates the limitations of being a woman in the British class system, showing that privilege is no insulation from suffering or pain. A must-have for loyal royal fans."--Kirkus Reviews

"Royal obsessives and casual observers alike will devour this memoir by the confidante-a noble herself-of Princess Margaret. Glenconner candidly writes about the unimaginable tragedies she endured in her personal life, and of the gilded affairs she witnessed on the periphery of royal life."--Newsweek

"A record, funny and sometimes dazzling, of a way of life now almost disappeared."--Rachel Cooke, Observer

"I hooted my way through Anne Glenconner's Lady in Waiting... Glenconner's memoir of three decades as Princess Margaret's chief courtier is matter of fact about her bonkers life, making it all the more amusing"--Marcus Field, Evening Standard

"A candid, witty and stylish memoir."--Miranda Seymour, Financial Times

"A romp of an autobiography."--The Times (UK)

"Astounding memoir."--India Knight

"Gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring."--The Times (UK)

"It's a total hoot - I can't put it down."--Janet Street-Porter, Daily Mail

"Marvelous book . . . one's eyes were on stalks."--Jan Moir, Daily Mail

"[An] upfront account of her life... [you'll] laugh out loud, exclaim in shock, and cry as [you] read it....An amazing read. There's so much humanity... as well as stories of glitz and glamour and royalty... it's a life fully lived."--"Nightlife" ABC radio (AU)

"A startling, rare, beguiling insight into a lost world of royalty and celebrity with as many tears as there are titles... Anne's story - a breath-taking array of top-drawer gossip--is told with an endearing modesty and with an extraordinary sense of surprise that all these things happened to her... The book is a diamond-mine of glittering asides."
--Daily Express

"Extraordinary."--Loose Women

"This memoir of consorting with Princess Margaret and the royal family is remarkable."
--The Sunday Times (UK)

"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 [Anne's] courage and good-humored acceptance of her demons and tragedies."--Hugo Vickers

"I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world."--Rupert Everett
--This text refers to the library edition.

About the Author

Lady Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and grew up at their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk, England. A Maid of Honor at the Queen's coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had five children together, three of whom survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They granted a plot of land to Princess Margaret, who built her favorite home there. Anne Glenconner was appointed a Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role--accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours--until the Princess's death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010. Lady Glenconner now lives in a farmhouse in Norfolk.
--This text refers to the library edition.

From the Back Cover

'A REMARKABLE LIFE, REMARKABLY TOLD'
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.

Produced by [Heavy Entertainment logo]
© 2019 Anne Glenconner
(p) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Read by the author
9 hours 9 minutes

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07QWTZDCG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton (17 October 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3722 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 10,860 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 7 in Biographies & Memoirs of Royalty
- 10 in 21st Century History
- 12 in Rich & Famous People Biographies

Customer Reviews:
15,491 ratings

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Anne Glenconner

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Lady Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and growing up in their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had 5 children together of whom 3 survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They granted a plot of land to Princess Margaret who built her favourite home there. She was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role - accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours - until her death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010, leaving everything in his will to his former employee.

She now lives in Norfolk, England.

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4 star		23%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from Australia

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Katherine Owen

A self-indulgent romp through history!

Reviewed in Australia on 9 January 2020

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This book is a perfect example of an author who is totally out of touch with the real world and just another reason why the English aristocracy is thankfully on the wane. So many times the author tells the tale of some obnoxious behaviour by her husband or another 'aristocrat' and then tries to justify it. I persevered with it, hoping it would get better, but then simply couldn't keep reading after she relayed a story of how her husband was once so angry that he bit a taxi driver's arm and informed the reader that he 'couldn't control his behaviour'. I wouldn't waste my money on this book.

11 people found this helpful

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Marie Henry

Great insight into a fascinatging life

Reviewed in Australia on 9 January 2021

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interesting characters, no surprises on the lifestyle. Did enhance my dislike of Princess Margaret, and showed her to be a vain, petty, animal hating,upstart . Don't blame her husband having mistresses. Queen Mother fared better , she sure knew how to drink! Colin Tennant was a brilliant, egotistical, fascinating man, with huge mental health problems which were prevalent right through genrations of his family but MH was not as advanced as it is today so he (they) were left untreated, and thought to be eccentric. The author herself is bit vacuous but she was part of an era that is now long gone. Glad she pulled her head, a bit, out of the sand, as she got into old age . Enjoyable read, what a great lifestyle. Enjoyed it immensly

One person found this helpful

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Sherralynne

An entertaining story

Reviewed in Australia on 19 November 2019

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I knew that Lady Glenconner was close to the Royal Family and was aware that her children's former nanny eventually went on to become William and Harry's nanny in their early years. I learned a great deal about what goes on and while there were sad parts in the story, I laughed a great deal too. Thanks for sharing your story Anne, you are a wonderful writer.

4 people found this helpful

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Aussie Barb

A riveting read !

Reviewed in Australia on 23 May 2022

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Being a VERY avid reader my entire long life , this is a big statement for me..I loved this book and rated it in my top reads for the last five years ! The storyline is fascinating...the author Brilliant ! What a writer,
I binge read this novel . I bought several copies as gifts ( all raved about the book...and amazed at the contents)
Read it and marvel at this story , so very well told...and true . 10/10 for me !

Reviewed in Australia on 13 February 2021

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This was an interesting account of a Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. It was interesting reading about the development of Mustique Island that her husband owned. I was surprised that Princess Margaret's boyfriend Roddy, didnot rate a chapter as he was in her life for a few years. The author has written about the joys and sadnesses her life has delivered her and she has done so in a mature manner.

One person found this helpful

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Jan Reeves

Allowed her husband to treat her appallingly. Not a good example to other women.

Reviewed in Australia on 28 July 2020

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I found it quite interesting and easy to read.

However, I only gave it 3 stars becasue I was aghast at how the author allowed her husband to treat her.

I was bought up in the 50's and my (very working class Mum) would never have put up with treatment of that nature. She also bought my sister and I up to have nothing to do with men that had no respect for women. I'm not sure this lady had any excuse for allowing herself to be treated badly.

I was also a bit aghast at the 'have' and 'have not' thing, but that's neither her fault or mine. That's just the luck of the draw. I'm just pleased that, since WW11, other parts of Bristish society (not only royalty - get the way Princess Margaret treated other people - and the aristocracy) have had the opportunity for a 'look in'. Something that didn't exsist previously.

I found it interesting.

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Tag2305

Don't waste your time, this isn’t even fluff.

Reviewed in Australia on 28 May 2021

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What a god awful book, it’s a cross between gossip and mean girls. From the beginning these people are unlikable, the privilege, the money, the where with all to do, to be, to become extraordinary if they choose, all fritted away. The British stiff upper lip only goes so far, thank goodness times are changing, if not in England at least some of the rest of the world. ‘Lady’ Anne seems to be sniggering behind her fan at others lives and misfortune most of the time, and as lovely as she found ‘Princess’ Margaret, Margaret comes across as a spoiled brat. The husband and the eldest boy are horrible, nothing much is written about the other children, except for the third boy and his dreadful accident, the girls seem fine. This reads like one of those awful interviews you see on TV about the royal families of Europe, all swallowed syllables and noses in the air, oh, and badly written.

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sue hudson

Thoroughly enjoyed this book

Reviewed in Australia on 15 November 2019

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I absolutely loved this biography from start to finish.
I saw an interview on graham norton show with Lady Anne Glenconner and could not believe how down to earth she was. Now that I’ve read her story I can see why. She’s honest , and quite entertaining with all her descriptions of things from the past .

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

tissaphernes

As the title says - ‘extraordinary!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2019

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This is an ‘extraordinary’ book about an ‘extraordinary’ lady! I loved it! It has got everything one might encounter in life, from the extreme pathos of the fate of her three oldest children (I encounter her son Christopher, from time to time, in the fabulous settings of the Palladian delight that is Holkham Hall - what a lovely, brave man to have emerged from his tragic accident in Central America!), to the extreme hedonism of her and her husband’s (the ‘mercurial Colin) lives in Mustique and St Lucia, and, of course, the circuit of the ‘rich and famous’. What I thought was particulate fascinating was Lady Anne’s lasting relationship with the Royals , and particularly Princess Margaret. I think you certainly see Princess Margaret in a different light. Fascinating! And what endurance and Stoicism Lady Anne demonstrated throughout her long life! It is certainly a life much removed from we ordinary mortals! Well done!

125 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Terribly, terribly sad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 November 2019

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This is an incredibly gossipy, snobbish book about a ,thankfully, bygone age. Anyone carried away by the apparently charmed halls of Downton Abbey would do well to read this as an antidote. The ghastly dysfunctional life of people who honestly have everything makes dispiriting reading. Having been brought.up in these circles I'm only too aware of how the ridiculous constraints, mores, and manners of the times were. Two families joined to huge wealth and privilege managed to create a nightmare while wedded to the "stiff upper lip" and keeping up appearances which prevented them taking the proper steps to avoid tragedy. Bravo for attempting this task, Lady Glenconner, but honestly..

116 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Poignantly Beautiful Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2019

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I’ve just finished the last page of this beautifully written book and the tears are flowing. I’ve never left a review before but had to for this book. It’s written from the heart expressing a tumultuous life. Many up’s and many downs but with an ‘upbeat’ thread running through it. If you haven’t been to Holkham Hall, go, you won’t regret it. The marble entrance hall is so amazing it takes your breath away. I would 100% recommend this book

83 people found this helpful

Amazonlady

Unputdownable!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2019

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“My Extraordinary Life” must be the under- statement of 2019.
What an incredible woman with an equally incredible tale to tell.
Told in the matter of fact manner of someone to whom these unusual experiences were a way of life. One of these happenings in a lifetime would be enough for most people.
Why bother with ludicrous, badly written soap operas when you can read the real thing!
I am really sorry I finished it so quickly.

77 people found this helpful

david henderson

I could not put it down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2019

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Littered throughout this story of truly extraordinary events are an amazing number of insights into life and lessons for enduring difficulty. Lady Glenconner is a remarkable woman, not so much for her experiences, so many of which are so unusual, but for for her happy outlook, her warmth and her strength. I have never met her, but having read this wonderful book, she must be a person with a great sense of fun and she clearly has huge love for her friends and family. My only wish is that this book were longer; I hope she writes another.

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