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

Glenconner, Anne

£12.99

From Maid of Honour at the Queen’s Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Anne 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. 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. In this book, 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.

Out of stock

Publish Date: 25/06/2020

Description

**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD**
**A TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR **

‘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 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

‘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

Additional information

Weight 260 g
Dimensions 196 × 128 × 28 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

336

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

941.085092 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K