About the Author

Lady Glenconner is now 87. She was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and growing up in their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had 5 children together of whom 3 survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They granted a plot of land to Princess Margaret who built her favourite home there. She was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role - accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours - until her death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010, leaving everything in his will to his former employee. She now lives in a farmhouse near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

Reviews

'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