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

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

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.

While watching Graham Norton he interviewed Anne Glenconner, I found her interesting, when she mentioned what transpired on her honeymoon I immediately logged onto amazon and brought her book 📙 I can't help it if I'm nosey, I found her story revealing as a Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret but her own historical ancestral history of life eye opening 👀. Yes! I'm glad I brought the book it helped me see she didn't see life through rose coloured glasses or lived a bed full of roses 🌹But! surprisingly pain anyone could relate to along with happiness, humour and courage. It was an excellent read 📖 I found myself in hot anticipation reading chapter after chapter quickly, I wouldn't usually buy a book like this, pleased I did, would recommend it. I found her husband behaviour incredibly sad, especially towards a wife of many many years, it's true we don't know what happens behind closed doors, what goes on between husband and wife is private there's always two side of a story, but your children is a different matter, you don't stop worrying even when grown up, as a parent children will always be your baby. Lady Glenconner doesn't come across as a bitter old woman telling tales of untruths. You'll have to read it for yourself and make your own evaluation. Delivery was quick I brought a used book that was published 2019 that looked almost new at a very reasonable price.

What a life this wonderful lady has had, my thoughts were of a blessed life every thing easy for this Royal friend but know. Lady Anne had a fascinating life she was from a family of girls so was unable to inherit the vast estate of the family , thank god that idea has been kicked in to touch this lady was more than capable of running an estate. Her friendship with the royal family as a child ,she played with the princesses . Even then making mental notes about the differences between princess Elizabeth and Margaret Rose as they got older they became estranged . She became the lady in waiting to Princess Margaret after been one of the Ladies in waiting at the Queens Coronation after a request by Buckingham Palace. She went through the turbulent times of Princess Margaret's early love life and the doomed marriage to Snowdon she has no bad things to say about any of them she was there at the beginning of the Roddy Llewellyn affair she knew that princess Margaret was unhappily married while Snowdon lived with his girlfriend she was to remain unhappy. The travel taken with the Royal Court around the world Princess Margaret triumphed in the USA she was there for it all. Meanwhile her home life was even more avant-garde Lady Anne's husband I think today would be described as bi polar he had a fierce temper which she learned ignore or walk away. She was a mum to twin girls and three boys all going to boarding school when they were of an age. She had the inevitable grand house that came with her husband ,her father gave her some advice. He knew her husband was a little unreliable when it came to money so he told her to buy a house of her own giving her and children security. That became absolutely a God send later in her life ,she watched the childhood home go to a distant cousin but still lived near enough to see it every day. She loved her husband but when he bought an island in the Indian ocean that produced little mainly cotton and mosquito, it had a house of sorts no electricity or water the island was developed and became Mauritius. They worked hard made the house a home , got the villagers organized so that they got a share of the profits of cotton , he gave them homes and a school for all children. The house became party central and the calling port for the rich and famous. He sold plots of land to build home's for the Rich Mick Jagger bought a house there , her husband gave Princess Margaret a plot there built a house overlooking the sea to give her privacy, the rest is history. Her family of five were growing up with problems one inherited his father's temper she got him treatment perhaps his father should have done the same, drug addiction followed for one she had a gay son but she supported all her children with a mother's love . She had to return to her royal duties leaving her husband on the island he liked to party she lived at the family home in London to be near Clarence house where the princess and Queen mother lived , this may have saved a strange marriage. The book although covers all her life as lady in waiting until the death of the once beautiful princess is more about her fascinating life sometimes tragic often funny her honeymoon in a Paris brothel is a great story . In the end I sympathized with this strong English Lady although she was not poor, she had lived a full life often sad often fun she carried on without a thought for herself a good read plenty of photographs I loved this book didn't want it to end.

Once I started this book I could not put it down, what a page turner!! Given her status in society and link with royalty one could think the book would be stuffy and frivolous. How wrong would that assumption be, as the saying goes - “ Never judge a book by its cover”. What happens throughout her life is just incomprehensible and remarkable. One would never think these life changing events happen to people of privilege. I thoroughly recommend this book it had me gasping and crying in places. What an extraordinary Lady!!