Lady In Waiting
Glenconner, AnneThe subtitle says it all: 'my extraordinary life in the shadow of the crown'. The daughter of an earl, Maid of Honour at the Queen's coronation, wife of a Lord, mother of five, Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret ... the list is long, but this is no fairy tale. Along with the famous names and the glitz and glamour, there is tragedy, betrayal and heartache.
Both fascinating and sobering in turn, this very readable memoir of Lady Anne Glenconner offers a unique window into a world of wealth and privilege that most people can only dream of.
Pages
321
321
Year
2019
2019
Reviews
26-07-2023
A good description of life in the upper class, and of Princess Margaret. Good discussion.
24-07-2023
An enjoyable read - not a book most of us would normally have chosen.
25-05-2023
Fairly interesting discussion with two of our members having grown up in England - but with differing attitudes to the Royals. The rest of us were astounded by the temper tantrums and entitlements exhibited. One of our members felt that Royalty and its hangers-on - had no other way of dealing with their frustrations and the media were much to blame...
17-05-2023
The book was so timely as we read the book then watched the Coronation of King Charles.
20-04-2023
Easy to read. It was interesting finding out about the life of the aristocracy in UK. Nobody fancied having an eccentric husband like Anne had, even if he had money. Lots of discussion took place.
18-07-2022
We all enjoyed reading this book. Great discussion and insight into the lives of other people.
30-06-2022
Members described the book as a 'rollicking good read!'. There were two halves - with the second half telling of the tragedies of the family. It was an insight into a world of wealth and extravagance, along with the enduring friendship of the author and Princess Margaret.
19-06-2022
Our group had a rather negative reaction on seeing this was our new book, but most enjoyed reading it, fascinated by the lives of the English royals and aristocracy. We agreed that the answer by Glenconner in an interview with Kim Hill summed up Colin so well: If youre an eccentric you have to be rich. If youre poor, then its madness. Also, despite the familys wealth, they were not immune to tragedy. The book was a topical read with the celebrations of the Queens Platinum Jubilee taking place as we read the book.
16-06-2022
I think we were all torn between admiration for Glenconner and the way she coped with her ghastly husband, the deaths of her two sons and the tantrums of Princess Margaret - and revulsion for the lifestyle they led, with seemingly no thought for the Mustique Islanders, or anyone less affluent than themselves. We loved her sense of humour, her dedication to the recovery of her youngest son, Christopher, and her loyalty to Princess Margaret ( even if she was rather forgiving of her bad behaviour). Maybe you forgive a lot when you've known someone since age 7...
10-05-2022
Anne's book was enjoyed by all. Her tragedies and difficulties made for good discussion. An interesting account of the "upper classes" day to day.
29-04-2022
We loved Anne Glenconner's resilience, but questioned her parenting and the value of the partying lifestyle she lived. Lots to discuss about the aristocratic lifestyle, marriage and parenting. For those of us who remember reading about Princess Margaret, there was enjoyment at reading about the detail of the royals. One of our group has a 1994 'Hello' magazine with articles about the Glenconners. Thought-provoking.
29-04-2022
We all loved this insight into the lives of the rich and famous. We admired the strength of the woman born into a world full of expectations that we found difficult to comprehend.
07-03-2022
Everybody just loved this book. 10 stars!!
17-11-2021
All of us really enjoyed this book - most of us had seen Lady Anne interviewed on The Graham Norton Show, so the book just added to her remarkable story.
17-11-2021
Everyone really enjoyed this book. Very interesting. An amazing woman living in a different life.
22-09-2021
A book that held our attention. Vulgar in places but a window on how the other half lived/live. An extraordinary life, sad in some respects but told by Anne well.
10-09-2021
An entertaining light read. An interesting insight into the British aristocracy and, briefly, the Royal family. Everyone was delighted to meet on our first Delta Level 2 day. A very happy evening and good exchange of lockdown reading.
25-08-2021
The book was thoroughly enjoyed by our group, and facilitated a lot of great discussion.
13-04-2021
A detailed account of life lived in the upper-class English aristocracy. It did not show them in a favourable light with excesses indulged. Perhaps an excess of honesty was not necessary after so much time.