I thought this book was really good. It gave more insight into the life of Princess Margaret. We all know about Queen Elizabeth but we don’t know much about her sister. Yes, I would recommend this book to others.

"Lady in Waiting" is Anne Glenconner's memoir of her life coming of age in postwar Britain. A significant companion of Princess Margaret, married to a noble-turned-Caribbean entrepreneur, a mother who went through both the AIDS crisis and the trauma of a child with drug addiction, Glenconner's story is indeed as extraordinary as the title promises.

What's good: This book is really quite interesting. Glenconner gives us some insight into the upper class British family, including definitions of proper parenting. She also tells us unflinchingly about marriage to a man who, frankly, appears to have been a raging spoiled brat with unspeakable selfishness at times. Against this framework, it's easy to see why obviously awful marriages might continue in other elite British homes.

What's iffier: There's an elephant in the room, and that is colonialism. There's very little acknowledgement of the source of the wealth of either the royal family or of Glenconner's own family; there's little discussion of what it means when wealthy white tourists buy up land and then decide what should become of the people living there. (One could argue this is a factor in Glenconner's husband's gifts to a young man upon whom he came to rely extensively in the Caribbean.) This is not a book that particularly interrogates race, nationality, or class differences, although there is some awareness of how gender roles have shifted over time.

With gratitude to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Her stories are enthralling, insightful, interesting and humorous. They demonstrate authenticity without feeling like bragging. Her level of access to the Royal Family is quite intimate and personal, as are her anecdotes and yet they don’t ever feel salacious or like we’re seeing something we shouldn’t be. Anne’s writing is top notch as well. The book is written in a fluid, easy to read style. Very enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this autobiography of Lady Glenconner, who was one of Princess Margaret’s ladies-in-waiting. It was extremely entertaining, and Lady Glenconner provided a interesting look into the British aristocracy. I laughed with her and, yes, even wanted to cry with her. It was a great read, and I highly recommend it for those who are interested in British aristocracy and royalty.

So good - written with such authority and knowledge. I felt like I was a fly on the wall. Fantastic description.

ARC/Netgalley

I very much enjoyed Lady in Waiting by Lady Anne Glenconner, a long time lady in waiting and confidante of the late Princess Margaret. While her royal connections are certainly a large part of her life, her unconventional marriage and family struggles are a greater part of her story. A much more open memoir than you usually get from her generation of English aristocracy.

Ine of the best memoirs I have ever read! I actually listened o
To the audio book and loved the reading and the voice. Mesmerizing tale of Lady Anne who was a Lady at Waiting at Queen Elizabeth's wedding. Fun stories about Princess Margaret. A gem.

I had so wanted to read this book, but by the time I tried to download it, the website wouldn't let me. I have read The Other Windson Girl and enjoyed it so much and I learn so much about Princess Margaret about events I never knew. Reading about the way the royals daily lives were spent, it quite interesting. I think I wrote a note to NetGalley about not receiving the book, but never heard from anyone. So, all in all, thank you for not declining my request, but again, I am disappointed the book couldn't be downloaded. Bet it was really good!!!

This was a fascinating book, full of insider stories and a look at what goes on "behind the scenes" of Britain's titled and of the Royal family. There were parts that dragged for me, and some parts that made me very surprised. She led an interesting life, to put it mildly! All in all, a satisfying read. 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC of this book, the review is unsolicited and all opinions are my own.

Life got away from me, and so did this book. I never got the chance to read it. My apologies. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Those looking for a juicy, salacious tell-all about the Royal Family in general and Princess Margaret in particular will do well to look elsewhere. Glenconner proves to be a loyal friend, and while she does share stories of her years long friendship with the late princess, it is all positive or very general anecdotes that are not particularly insightful. Glenconner's writing feels monotonous when recalling certain events, such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth; she is most compelling when she shares details of her marriage and familial life. Despite the wealth and prestige of socializing with royalty, her personal life is riddled pain, including the deaths of two beloved sons and her eccentric husband's infidelities and embarrassing public outbursts. All in all, an interesting look at the oftentimes bizarre lives of the English peerage.

When I requested this book, I thought it was going to be more about the authors life as a Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. Although I did enjoy the book, this is really more about her entire life. She doesn’t become Lady in Waiting until Chapter 10. I do, however, have a strange fascination with the royal family, but like most Americans, the story is something I can’t identify with. It’s like a fairy tale, having the Princesses as play dates and inviting the Queen to your wedding. Your home having 136 bedrooms. Her family lineage dates back to Elizabeth I. It’s astounding.

There are, however, plenty of stories of absolute excess that border on the grotesque, but I suppose if you have that much money, the idea of flying to Africa to purchase a second pet elephant isn’t outlandish, or planning a family camping trip in the Himalayas. These are the people who purchased Mustique and made it the lavish playground for the rich and famous that it is. Flying back and forth, first class, Concorde, the money that must have been spent. Parties at the ancestral home in Scotland, parties in the London homes. Parties, parties, parties. I will say that although she does talk about Princess Margaret, there really isn’t much more than you’ve seen on a The Crown. I’m sure the Palace had to approve it. Nothing shameful, they were quite good friends.

The author did suffer some tragedies in her life, she’s seems to have come through them with rare good grace, and I thank her for sharing them with the audience. I think at the end of it all, no matter how much you have how good you think you have it, or how famous or infamous you are, when it comes down to it, we really all just want to be happy and have a place to call our own.

Thank you to Netgalley, The publishers and the author for providing me an ARC for a fair review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Lady Anne Glenconner was the Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret for more than 30 years. This memoir was actually better than most. She didn’t name drop of the people she knew, more how she lived her life, how she met her husband and the extraordinary events she was a part of. I was surprised to learn that she did not become her Lady in Waiting until after she was married and had her 5 kids. She was very fond of the Princess and her love is expressed in her words. Most people portray Margaret as spoiled and wild but Lady Anne spoke of her generous and passionate heart. I really enjoyed this book. #ladyinwaiting #anneglenconner

Anne Glenconner’s memoir LADY IN WAITING: MY EXTRAORDINARY LIFE IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROWN details her service as lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. If you loved Netflix's THE CROWN or read the wonderful 99 GLIMPSES OF PRINCESS MARGARET, you'll love this insiders look at the volatile and eccentric sister of the Queen. The author's life was plagued with a series of tragedies. Her oldest son dealt with drug addiction for many years before dying of hepatitis C. Her second son, Henry, died of AIDS. Her third son, Christopher, had a motorcycle accident which left him in a lengthy coma. When her husband died, she discovered that he left their family home to someone else! This is an absorbing memoir of both her life in service to the Lady in Waiting and also her own memorable life.

The book was not what I expected.but as I read on found it very interesting and entertaining well written and I recommend the book

I have struggled with my feelings for this book. On one hand, you have a woman who led an extremely privileged life, and on the other hand she couldn't seem to get a grip on her own life.

She married a man, Colin Tennent who most certainly had some sort of mental illness, and I totally understand that mental illness was often misdiagnosed in those days...but to constantly say that he was eccentric, is a disservice to him, and to herself.

I think the biggest issue I had with this book is that she had children, 5 of them, and she routinely left them to be raised by Nanny's or the boarding schools she sent them off to. Again, I understand that in those times and with the aristocracy it is a given that you would "raise" your children this way. But then to be shocked by their behavior absolutely blows my mind.

The one thing I am bothered by the most is the title of the book. Lady in Waiting. I expected to read much more about that part of her life, but the book seemed to be more about her life with her "eccentric" husband and very little about her life and how it intertwined with Princess Margaret.

As for the writing itself, it was ok. It seemed like she was just sitting down to tell a story. So if you go into this book with that in mind, the story is ok.

I received this eARC from Netgalley and Hachette Books in exchange for my honest review.

This is the memoir of Lady Glenconner who served as lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. She grew up near the royal family her entire life as most of her family had served the royal family in similar capacities. The story starts with Helen Bonham Carter meeting Lady Glenconner for tea to speak about Princess Margaret and her upcoming role in The Crown. This lovely book reads as if you too are enjoying tea with Lady Glenconner as she tells you about her life. History is often dry but this is anything but that. I love the small bits of information that sticks with you and makes you feel as if you were there: silver shoes, felt skirts, and the island of Mustique.
I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend this book. If you love The Crown as much as I do, then you will love this book. Come for the historical content, stay for the author’s wit and humor. The author’s voice is unique, and I am not sure I could do it justice by giving you a list of similar books. It’s a memoir but unlike any that I have read.

I was mildly curious about this book after seeing Anne Glenconner on “The Graham Norton Show” but did not expect it to be as fascinating as it was. The author was born into aristocracy (her father was the Earl of Leicester) and she grew up at Holkham, the fifth largest estate in England. As a child, she was friends with both Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Her mother, Lady Coke, was lady-of -the-bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth. Anne would eventually serve as Queen Elizabeth’s maid of honor (the coronation is described in beautiful detail) and she would later become Princess Margaret’s lady- in-waiting for over twenty years.

Her book gives a intriguing glimpse into a life of privilege but, despite the glittering parties, socializing with celebrities and a life spent in castles and on a tropical island, her life was riddled with a series of tragedies. Her oldest son dealt with drug addiction for many years before dying of hepatitis C. Her second son, Henry, died of AIDS. Her third son, Christopher, had a motorcycle accident which left him in a lengthy coma and it tooks years for him to completely recover.

If all of this wasn’t enough, she had to endure being married to the world’s biggest jerk. Colin Tennant was an eccentric (and obviously mentally touched). He was prone to pitching outrageous fits when he didn’t get his way (he was once thrown off a plane after kicking and screaming on the aisle floor after he could not get a seat in first class with his wife and Princess Margaret). Other endearing moments included taking Anne on their wedding night to a disreputable hotel to observe strangers having sex and upon his death, leaving everything to his manservant. Tennant did possess some good qualities such as buying the island of Mustique and turning it into a successful bohemian getaway for the rich and famous. Despite his faults, Glenconner dealt with it all with grace, dignity and an engaging sense of humor.

Her role as Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting, consisting mostly of traveling with her on state visits and charitable functions, offers some delicious anecdotes. Although Margaret was often described as a difficult individual by many, Glenconner offers a different view, that of a generous, intelligent woman with a devilish sense of humor. She relates many memorable and often humorous events visiting various dignitaries all over the world as well as the many parties they had together on the island of Mustique where Margaret had a villa. Margaret’s eventual decline is told with great poignancy.

It is Glenconner’s endearing kindness and ability to see people’s good side as well as her own shortcomings that makes the reader want to give her a big hug after reading her book.

Wow! This book was such a treat! Lady Glenconner's memoir has a conversational feel, in which the reader feels the author is speaking with them - reminiscing on her distinctly personal take on the extraordinary decades through which she lived. The selling point of "Lady in Waiting" is Lady Glenconner's lifelong friendship with the late Princess Margaret, whose household she joined as lady-in-waiting. The heart, however, is Lady Glenconner and it's hard to imagine a more charming narrator. Charm often trumps honesty, yet there is no feel of deception in "Lady in Waiting."
Instead, a memorable series of vignettes pepper the narrative - her coming out ball as a debutante at Holkham Hall; travelling on a tourist (3rd)-class ticket on the "Queen Mary" to continue her work as a travelling salesperson for her mother's pottery business, then coming back to Britain to personally attend Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation; feeding bananas through her kitchen window to an elephant rescued by her husband; accidentally finding herself at an orgy in Paris; watching as the late Queen Mother drank a dry martini while watching "Dad's Army" on the television (we are told that Her Majesty was particularly amused by Captain Mainwaring); the slightly aloof rudeness of Nancy Reagan against the consummate charm of Barbara Bush; Mick and Bianca Jagger partying on Mustique; Raquel Welch's pathological lateness, and encountering a solitary Buddhist monk on an Indian roadside.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In Lady In Waiting, we see the intimate life of a "royal". Mrs. Glenconner tells her story with amazing wit and humor. Her tales are as extraordinary as her life.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.