Lady in Waiting

My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown

Anne Glenconner author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Hodder & Stoughton

Published:25th Jun '20

£10.99

Available for immediate dispatch.

Lady in Waiting cover

**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD**
**THE TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR 2019**


'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 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

~

The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.


Anne Glenconner has been close to the Royal Family since childhood. Eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she was, as a daughter, described as 'the greatest disappointment' by her family as she was unable to inherit. Her childhood home Holkham Hall is one of the grandest estates in England. Bordering Sandringham the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were frequent playmates.

From Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady 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...

'Lady Glenconner's life story is a combination of royal magic, personal tragedy and resilient survival. With humour, courage and preternatural poise, she at last tells the story of her uniquely fascinating life' -- Tina Brown
'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world' -- Rupert Everett
'Anne Glenconner has written a remarkable memoir - containing, at last, a genuine portrait of Princess Margaret from one who knew her well. But this book is poignant too, and through the pages shine her courage and good-humoured acceptance of her demons and tragedies' -- Hugo Vickers
'Remarkable . . . If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention' * The Sunday Times *
'A funny, sometimes tragic and disarmingly frank memoir . . . Lady in Waiting is gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring' * The Times *
'A startling, rare, beguiling insight into a lost world of royalty and celebrity with as many tears as there are titles' * Daily Express *
'It's a total hoot - I couldn't put it down' -- Janet Street-Porter
'Marvellous book . . . one's eyes were on stalks' -- Jan Moir * Daily Mail *
'A romp of an autobiography' * The Times T2 *
'[An] astounding memoir' -- India Knight * The Sunday Times Magazine *
'A candid, witty and stylish memoir' -- Miranda Seymour * Financial Times *
'An absolute hoot' * The Times *
'This memoir made me laugh, wince, cry and gasp. For anyone who craves a bracing dose of the older generation's stiff upper lip, Anne Glenconner provides it.' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *
'Wonderful' -- Janice Turner * The Times *
'The insider memoir of the year' -- Julian Glover * Evening Standard *
'A remarkable life, remarkably told' * The Sunday Times *
'It's impossible not to admire her fortitude . . . funny and sometimes dazzling' -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
'Rollicking . . . [Lady in Waiting] paints such a rich picture of the aristocracy it's impossible not to marvel at the institution, both in admiration and horror' * Sydney Morning Herald *
'This outlandish memoir drips with royal tidbits . . . but it's also insightful on the more damaging aspects of being a member of the British aristocracy. Sobering - and terrific fun' * Metro *
'The author reads her own words in indomitable fashion, and anyone who enjoyed Craig Brown's life of Glenconner's former employer, Ma'am Darling, will find this fascinating.' * Financial Times *
'This year's Ma'am Darling - the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with.' * The i *
'This riveting read will leave you open-mouthed and hungry for more.' * Sunday Post *
'Fascinating and beautifully written . . . I can't recommend [Glenconner's] book high enough' * Spectator *
'Captivating' -- Catherine Bennett * Observer *
'Beyond admirable' -- Sophie Money-Coutts * Sunday Telegraph *
'Lady in Waiting has made me laugh and cry several times. I raced through it in 4 days. Book heaven' -- Fearne Cotton
'Riveting life' -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
'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.' -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *
'One of the most enjoyable books of 2019 . . . Anne Glenconner, now 87, captures a lost world in which she waited (with remarkable good grace) on Princess Margaret. Sometimes the best view of history is given by the minor characters' -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph *
'Such a moving book' -- Bella Mackie
'A riotous social document and a beautifully written account of a vivid life superbly lived' * The Critic *
'Sparkling, endearing and alarming' * Times Literary Supplement *
'[Lady in Waiting] has two things going for it: the first is that it is not what it seems; it is definitely not "a lavender sort of scented memoir" . . . Its other great strength is Glenconner herself' -- Hadley Freeman * Guardian *
'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir' * The Wall Street Journal *
'Lady Glenconner displays resilience of a different kind in her memoir about the astonishing ups and downs of her artistocratic life' * Mail on Sunday *
'Funny, revelatory, poignant, occasionally jaw-dropping' * Sunday Times *
'Anne Glenconner writes with wit, generosity and courage about her life in a gilded cage ... Fascinating!' * Platinum *
'Finely drawn . . . Glenconner has an eye for detail' * London Review of Books *
'The publishing sensation of 2019, this candid, wise, witty and gossip-filled memoir by Princess Margaret's 87-year-old former lady-in-waiting (and best friend) tells the true story behind the scenes in The Crown - and reminds us that, sometimes, it's the minor characters who give us the sharpest view of history' * Daily Telegraph *
'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 *
'If you're looking for something to read in lockdown, I can't recommend it highly enough' -- Lorraine Kelly
'. . . tremendously touching. It's one of those books that make you long for bed so you can read more!' -- Jilly Cooper * Good Housekeeping *
'This funny and touching read will allow you to take a peek inside the glamorous world and volatile life of an aristocrat' * Bella *

ISBN: 9781529359107

Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 28mm

Weight: 260g

336 pages