This is a memoir written by one of Princess Margaret’s ladies in waiting.

Anne Glenconner has had a fascinating life. She talked a little about her relationship with Princess Margaret and the royal family, but I found her own biography so interesting. Some of the stories were funny, such as how when they were children, Anne and her sister planned how they would kill Hitler themselves if he invaded England. There were also tragedies, like the deaths of two of her children.

Anne was also connected with many famous people. Her husband developed the Caribbean island Mustique, which is still a popular destination for celebrities and royals.

The stories about Princess Margaret were great. Anne gave an inside look at who she was in private. There was a lot more to the book than just Princess Margaret’s life, but there were some interesting anecdotes about her.

This is a great book for readers who are interested in the royal family.

Thank you Hachette Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book, though not really as much about Anne as a Lady in Waiting as I expected. It was mostly just about her life - - interesting, but not expected by the title of the book. It was a fascinating glimpse, though, into a world of privilege - that still had immense sadness.

Not your typical biography. Instead of intensively research writing, the book reads like a conversation. Anne Glenconner is simply telling you about her life, sometimes speeding over interesting nuggets, and then dropping in one-of-a-kind anecdotes.

A must-read for anyone interested in understanding post-war English society.

I like a fairy tale as much as the next gal, so I was excited to read this memoir by a woman who, although not a princess, was certainly princess-adjacent. I confess that Princess Margaret was never my favorite royal, but Glenconner’s account of her was both honest and affectionate and I liked this difficult and unhappy woman far better by the end of the book than I ever have before. I also liked Glenconner herself quite a lot. Her husband, however, was a jerk — or mentally ill or both — he was so very eccentric (and/ or batguano crazy) that he was extremely entertaining to read about, although certainly not to be married to. I really enjoyed this dishy book and I think anybody who enjoys reading about the royal family (or watching The Crown) would enjoy it too.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

I liked the beginning of Lady in Waiting, in particular Anne Glenconner's telling of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, as I felt this was the best part of the book. Her later chapters, and story were good, but the coronation portion of the book interested me the most.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

I'm a sucker for any kind of behind the scenes Royal Family story. This one does not disappoint. If you loved The Crown you'll want to pick this book up right away!!

For royal watchers, an inside look at the lives of the British monarchy is engrossing. Lady in Waiting gives readers a first hand knowledge about the workings of the British society’s interactions with the royal family. From childhood friendships to adult duties, the memoir name drops and paints a vivid picture of English aristocracy. While an interesting account, the memoir lays flat. It does not grip the reader and create tension. It reads more like a diary than a story. Yet for Anglophiles, the book will be satisfying.

Anne Glenconner, the firstborn child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, was considered a royal disappointment because she was not born a boy. Her gender meant she wouldn't be able to inherit one of Britain's largest estates, but it certainly did not mean that she wouldn't live a life that was at turns remarkable, hilarious, and truly devastating. In her memoir, Lady in Waiting, Glenconner looks back over her life, in which she befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret at a very young age, and later became Margaret's lady-in-waiting. Because of this rarified position, Glenconner is able to provide colorful, deftly written anecdotes about the British aristocracy during and after World War II, the early reign of Elizabeth II, and her private moments with Princess Margaret, who she said she "laughed with more than anyone else." Where some writers might portray Margaret as a poorly behaved party girl, Glenconner shows readers her kinder, gentler side, building empathy for a woman who lost her father to death and her older sister to duty one right after the other.

But this is not just about Glenconner's fly-on-the-wall recollections of royal life. It's also a more personal tale about her struggles to find love, her marriage to an unfaithful, mercurial man who left her nothing after his death, and the tragedy of losing two sons -- one to AIDS, the other to hepatitis C. Although she was well-b0rn, and was Margaret's right-hand woman, she was also a wife, mother, and woman trying to make sense of a world that was changing around her. Reading this incredibly well-written book, one senses the tales within are but the tip of the iceberg. What lies within these pages should be a Netflix series, or a bit of Masterpiece Theater. It's a story well-told, full of charming description, and bottomless reserves of resilience. Glenconner writes: "I try not to dwell on the sad things in my past, instead concentrating on the present, trying to make the most of my life." What a life it has been. Fans of The Crown will eat this up. I know I did. Much gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early proof of this book in exchange for this honest review.

I love the Royal Family and everything to do with them. This book is no exception! I loved Anne's honesty about the glamorous but also messy parts of life as a British socialite and lady in waiting to Princess Margaret. Her writing is easy to read and engaging - her attention to detail is amazing! Anyone interested in the Royal Family and British high life will love this book.

I've read a few royal-adjacent memoirs - usually those of footmen or palace staff. This one is rather different - friends with QEII in childhood, she served at maid of honor at her friend's coronation and served as a lady in waiting to her sister, Princess Margaret. Disiherited by her family and with her decease husband leaving his wealth to a former servant, Anne Glenconner still lived a long and fulfilling life, though one mixed with tragedy.

I enjoyed this look at someone I didn't even know existed until I saw this book available for review. Glad I found it.

I really enjoyed this book. I live reading about royalty and this book did not dissapoint. It gives you a wondeful look into the life of royalty. I recommend it highly.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

The intriguing true story of Anne Glenconner. Married to Lord Glenconnor. She was the Maid of Honor at the Queen’s coronation. In 1958 she and her husband created the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. Princess Margaret built her favorite home on the island. Anne Glenconner was appointed a Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role, traveling with her to many state occasions and foreign tours. She remained in this role until the Princess's death in 2002. Lady Glenconner survives her husband Lord Glenconner and now lives in a farmhouse in Norfolk.

An interesting book about royalty that I really enjoyed reading, I thought I knew a lot about this subject but was surprised by what I learned highly recommend it

First line: One morning at the beginning of 2019, when I was in my London flat, the telephone rang.

Summary: Lady Anne Glenconner, lady in waiting to Princess Margaret, led a spectacular life. She lived through the Second World War, carried the train of Queen Elizabeth at her coronation and married to an eccentric aristocrat. In her memoir she takes us behind the scenes of important events in the British monarchy and her life. She has many ups and downs but stays strong through them all.

My Thoughts: After watching The Crown I have become fascinated by Princess Margaret. I knew very little about her but came to love her wild side and the way she stirred up the monarchy. When I saw Lady Glenconner’s book on Netgalley I immediately had to request it.

The writing is very simple. It is almost like having a conversation with the woman herself. It flows so easily and is a lot of fun to read. You can feel her emotions as you read along. I loved hearing her memories about life with the royal princesses. I was shocked as she discussed her marriage. Her husband sounds like a very difficult man to be around but that she stuck it out shows her devotion and will to commit to her promises.

I loved looking for pictures as I was reading. And I found the pictures at the end delightful. It was nice to put faces to the names. Mustique looks like paradise. I have never visited the Caribbean but this definitely makes me want to take a trip.

The one thing I was missing was more insights into the lives of the Queen and Margaret. They appear and play important parts in her story but I expected more from reading the blurb.

FYI: If you love The Crown then this is a good follow up read.

I couldn't get this book to open in my reader . So sad because I really wanted to read this one. I will possibly purchase it.

I am not generally drawn to books about royalty or aristocracy because I am completely unfamiliar and always end up doing online searches just to understand the names and titles. When I saw Lady Glenconner on Graham Norton's show, I decided this book may be worth the extra effort in learning more about the British royal family. It absolutely was.

In her television interview, I was captivated by the author's casual tone and description of her life as if she never thought it was that extraordinary, followed by a jaw-dropping story about her husband's "surprise" for her on her honeymoon. She came across as being very open about her life in a way that most people in her position would never speak openly about. It was very refreshing to see her interview and I immediately requested an advance copy of the U.S. edition from Netgalley.

I admit, I did have to do some online searches because I didn't even know that Princess Margaret was Queen Elizabeth II's sister, among other relationships in the book. Even with all of the extra homework, this was a quick and captivating read for me. Anne Glenconner has been very privileged in her life, I quickly lost track of how many houses they owned and all of the places she lived. She writes about a lifestyle beyond my social or economic comprehension, but she never comes across as entitled. From the time she was born, she seems to have felt a duty to her family, her country, her husband, the royal family, and her children - in varying order of importance throughout her life. She came of age during WWII and times of post-war rationing, and never complains about her coming-out dress being made from repurposed material from a parachute.

I was thoroughly engaged through this quick read and I'm sure that she could fill hundreds more pages with stories of her complicated family life, and her relationships with the royal family. I found Lady Glenconner's memoir delightful.

Lady Glenconner's memoir is one of the richest and most captivating examples of the genre that I've encountered in some time. Her life has been so varied, so fascinating, and often so tragic, and she has written beautifully and honestly about her experiences. The book is populated with so many familiar characters that the reader may wonder whether she has wandered straight into a BBC documentary -- in the best way possible!

This was a fascinating look at one relatively unknown woman's life and how it intersected with Princess Margaret's. The sections with Princess Margaret seemed like they might be a bit white washed, and I was much more interested in the inner-workings of the author's own family. Despite fabulous wealth and a title, her life was marked by terrible tragedy in a short space of time. I admired her ability to continue on in the face of terrible emotional obstacles, even as I raised my eyebrows at some of her descriptions that seem to put a toe (or more) over the line of acceptable.

It’s hard for me to decide how exactly to rate this book. On one hand it was very entertaining story of a life. Anne Glenconner got to rub shoulders with some of the most interesting and illustrious people or her generation. Her stories are well rounded and fun, and her writing is simple and approachable without a ton of pretense that can be found in aristocrats. Her 86 years were definitely far from boring, on the other hand, the stories of her were not exactly relatable in an equal manner. How many people out there in the world can relate to being born a daughter of a well to do earl who grew up playing with royalty and then being married to a rich eccentric (read probably bipolar) baron and living a life of travel, parties and royal fetes? It’s entertaining as hell to read about but I can’t exactly put myself in her shoes, So as a book of pure escapism, it does very well (exactly what I was looking for) but I could not relate to her life as a person. Her life struggles with her children and husband? Yes. But her stories of being sent in Princess Margaret’s stead to entertain Filipino dictator Marcos’ wife, etc? Nope....

After finishing this remarkable memoir of Anne Glenconner, I know I would like to spend time chatting with her over a pot of tea and cookies. Having lived such a full, rich and extraordinary life, she has found a comfortable and peaceful life at 87 years old. She relates the very good all the way to the very bad that made up the tapestry of her life. Raised in the titled world of the British aristocracy in a wonderful stately home during WWII, she had the title and the nanny and the connections but money during the war was tight and rationing governed just about everything. She learned how to adapt - like her green parachute dress. That served her well throughout her life - she knew hard work, too.
The first half of the book is her life which included Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Anne's mother was Lady of the Bedchamber and Anne became a Lady in waiting to Princess Margaret. The glimpses she shows us of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth are wonderful.
All was not a bed of roses for Anne nor Princess Margaret. Both married men who treated them badly and that was another tie that bound them together. Anne had married a man who could be a charmer one moment and the next he could explode in a screaming tantrum. All in public. She was mother to five children - six if you count her erratic husband. She held it all together.
The times were changing when Anne was born. The days of women being in the shadows of their fathers and husbands were giving way to the Swinging 60's and the turbulent 70's. Her family was not immune to the tragedies of drugs and she saw it first hand. She faced painful challenges with her sons but, with the help of Princess Margaret and their large circle of friends and family, Anne weathered it all and has come to a place in her life that most of us would want for ourselves. A life full of the love and friendship from family and friends. I hope she write more about her life because I suspect that her life isn't at all dull at 87. Two things that will stay with me - her stories of visiting Paris (can be a very strange place to visit) and never travel without a bottle of gin.