LADY IN WAITING

When you happen upon a book written by the lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, you might expect a collection of neat little anecdotes captured in flowery prose – this book couldn’t be further from that. While Netflix’s 'The Crown' gave the world a glimpse behind the royal curtain (which revealed more than we had ever imagined), this book is a true account of the life that comes with living in the world of the royals. This book dives into the deep end, as Glenconner shares the story of her life and the systems that governed it, delving into areas such as her family’s issues with drug abuse, social stigmas, anger management, financial difficulties and more.

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

I approached *Lady in Waiting* expecting tales of courtly elegance, royal protocol, and perhaps a glimpse of tiaras and polite small talk over cucumber sandwiches. What I discovered instead was an extraordinary woman’s journey—by turns dignified, chaotic, glamorous and grim—with enough drama, wit, and human grit to outshine any work of fiction. Lady Anne Glenconner is no mere footnote in the annals of aristocracy. She is a front-row witness to history, and a participant in lives far more colourful than most of us could dream (or survive). Hers is a story not of idle privilege, but of resilience, reinvention, and the occasional eccentric escapade involving mosquito-ridden islands and unexpected Parisian brothels. Born into a titled family with no sons—thus denied inheritance due to the antiquated system of male primogeniture (thankfully now mostly consigned to the historical bin marked *absurd*)—Lady Anne was evidently more than capable of managing the family estate. Alas, society thought otherwise. But if this early injustice taught her anything, it was how to carry on regardless, and she did so with remarkable grace and tenacity. She knew the Royal Family from childhood, playing with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as a young girl, and later observing with keen perception the diverging personalities of the two sisters. Anne's lifelong friendship with Margaret grew from playmates to confidante and, eventually, to Lady-in-Waiting—a role that placed her at the heart of the turbulent private life of a woman both adored and misunderstood by the public. Lady Anne navigated royal dramas with discretion and loyalty, never dishing dirt for scandal’s sake. She witnessed Princess Margaret’s early heartbreaks, her ill-fated marriage to Lord Snowdon, and her eventual entanglement with Roddy Llewellyn. Anne saw it all—without judgement or fanfare—offering instead quiet support through moments of loneliness, glamour and political diplomacy (the trip to the U.S. was a masterclass in royal charm). But it’s Anne’s personal life that truly takes centre stage here. Her marriage to Colin Tennant (later Lord Glenconner), was, frankly, a wild ride. Describing him merely as “mercurial” would be like calling the Atlantic a bit damp. He had what would probably now be termed bipolar disorder and a flair for the dramatic—buying the mosquito-infested island of Mustique with dreams of paradise and parties. Against all odds, they transformed it. Celebrities flocked there, and it became a haven for the rich, the royal and the rhythmically tanned. (Yes, Mick Jagger owned a house. Of course he did.) Anne’s domestic life was less glitter, more grit. She raised five children, each with challenges: addiction, inherited rage, mental health struggles, and coming out as gay at a time when that wasn’t always safe or accepted. Through it all, she remained steadfast—a loving, practical mother who quietly sorted what needed sorting, even as her husband partied on Mustique while she kept the family grounded in London. There’s humour here too: a honeymoon in a Parisian brothel (accidentally booked, one assumes), and the quiet horror of watching one's childhood home be passed to a distant cousin because of patriarchal laws. But the tone remains affectionate, never self-pitying. Anne’s father even had the foresight to tell her to buy her own home—solid advice that later proved a financial lifeline. One suspects her life would make an excellent television series (are you listening, Netflix?). By the end of the book, I felt a deep admiration for this indomitable woman. Yes, she was born into privilege, but her life has been anything but charmed. Tragedy, eccentricity, loss, and loyalty weave through every chapter. *Lady in Waiting* is far more than a royal memoir—it’s a testament to the strength of a woman who refused to be defined by others, who served her friend the Princess with grace, and who faced life’s sharp corners with humour and heart. I read it cover to cover and found myself wishing there was more. A fascinating, often hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking story—full of aristocratic madness and very human warmth. A highly recommended read, even if you’ve never once wondered what Princess Margaret thought of America.

The Crown, is a Netflix television series, about Queen Elizabeth and her reign, that most of us enjoy. Lady Anne Glenconner, the author, was asked to assist several of the stars as they played the parts of Princess Margaret and her Lady In Waiting. She loved every minute of it. Living life in a great manor, the Holkham Hall, with servants and some wealth was not the best of times. Father, Earl of Leicester and a mother who showed little emotion, except ‘keep a stiff upper lip’ to see you through the bad times, and the good times if there were any. Veronica Coke, now known as Lady Anne Glenconner, tells us the story of her life, and quite a story it is. As a child her hands were tied to the head of the bedstead at night by her nanny. Her parents did not know since they were seldom around. Somehow she managed to grow up with the British reserve, but also with naivitivity In life. Anne and Princess Margaret had been childhood friends, and as young women they took up their friendship again. Anne was one of Queen Elizabeth’s six Maids of Honor at her coronation, which was the thrill of a lifetime As a young woman,Anne fell in love with a young man who broke their engagement to run off with another woman. That man turned out to be the father of Diana, Princess of Wales. Broken hearted she instead married an older man, full of eccentricities, Colin Tennant, who eventually became Lord Glenconner. He was a millionaire with a castle in Scotland, and all to the good. Anne thought him very handsome and endearing. His kind of behaviors would be enough to turn off most of us today, but Anne grinned as she was taught. In the 1970’s, Anne was made Princess Margaret’s Lady in Waiting. She loved Margaret, and even though Margaret had her down days, Anne was certainly used to that kind of behavior. Anne’s husband gave Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones a piece of land in Mustique where she built a villa, Les Jolies Eaux. Anne was Lady in Waiting for Margaret for thirty years. These years are the best part of the book, funny and sad, but with good insight into the life of this royal. Her chapter of the last months of Princess Margaret’s life is extremely well written and poignant. Anne and her husband went on to have five children, three of whom had terrible deaths, and how Anne was able to carry on is questionable. Certainly there were good times and many humorous moments that Anne writes about, but the miseries seem to be major. Anne shows some insight into her life, and her time with her children are her joy. The real shock is that Anne’s husband died and left his estate to someone else. Her entire life was gone, practically penniless what was she to do? She rose to the occasion, as always. Recommended. prisrob 03-25-2020

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