Lady in Waiting

My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown

De: Anne Glenconner

Narrado por: Anne Glenconner

'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

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

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.©2019 Anne Glenconner

Reseñas de la Crítica

'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'

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.