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  • Lady in Waiting

  • My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
  • Written by: Anne Glenconner
  • Narrated by: Anne Glenconner
  • Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (117 ratings)

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Lady in Waiting

Written by: Anne Glenconner
Narrated by: Anne Glenconner
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Publisher's Summary

Discover untold secrets with this extraordinary memoir of drama and tragedy by Anne Glenconner - a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret.

Anne Glenconner has been at the center of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Though the firstborn child of the fifth Earl of Leicester, who controlled one of the largest estates in England, as a daughter she was deemed "the greatest disappointment" and unable to inherit. Since then she has needed all her resilience to survive court life with her sense of humor intact.

A unique witness to landmark moments in royal history, Maid of Honor at Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and a lady in waiting to Princess Margaret until her death in 2002, Anne's life has encompassed extraordinary drama and tragedy. In Lady in Waiting, she will share many intimate royal stories from her time as Princess Margaret's closest confidante as well as her own battle for survival: her broken-off first engagement on the basis of her "mad blood"; her 54-year marriage to the volatile, unfaithful Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who left his fortune to a former servant; the death in adulthood of two of her sons; a third son she nursed back from a six-month coma following a horrific motorcycle accident. Through it all, Anne has carried on, traveling the world with the royal family, including visiting the White House, and developing the Caribbean island of Mustique as a safe harbor for the rich and famous-hosting Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Raquel Welch, and many other politicians, aristocrats, and celebrities.

With unprecedented insight into the royal family, Lady in Waiting is a witty, candid, dramatic, at times heart-breaking personal story capturing life in a golden cage for a woman with no inheritance.

New York Times best seller

USA Today best seller

The Sunday Times best seller

The Globe and Mail best seller

ABA Indie best seller

The Times (UK) Memoir of the Year

One of Newsweek's Most Anticipated Books of 2020

©2020 Anne Glenconner (P)2020 Hachette Books
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What the critics say

"It's a total hoot - I can't put it down." (Janet Street-Porter, Daily Mail)

"Royal obsessives and casual observers alike will devour this memoir by the confidante-a noble herself-of Princess Margaret. Glenconner candidly writes about the unimaginable tragedies she endured in her personal life, and of the gilded affairs she witnessed on the periphery of royal life." (Newsweek)

"Meticulously detailed....[W]hat makes this account fresh and poignant is Glenconner's use of affluent characters to demonstrate the extent to which class trumps power....By unflinchingly examining everything from her troubled marriage and her fraught relationship with her children to the solace she found in service, the author emerges as a flawed yet steely woman worthy of respect. In laying her life bare, she demonstrates the limitations of being a woman in the British class system, showing that privilege is no insulation from suffering or pain. A must-have for loyal royal fans." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Lady in Waiting

Average Customer Ratings
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What a story!

Lady Glenconner does a fantastic job of reading her own story. What an incredible life. You certainly couldn’t make it up.

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I loved every minute ❤

listening to Anne I felt as though I was sitting in a room with her as she unveiled her lifestory. Beautifully written and so heart warming. I highly recommend this book.

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Fascinating tales from behind the scenes

How the other half lives may surprise you. Lady Glenconner's anecdotes are told with humour, insight, and generosity. Her humanity is always inspiring. Enjoy!

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very interesting life story

I'm so glad the author narrated the book. only she could do it justice

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Wonderful Story of Life

This wonderfully written book, narrated by Anne Glenconner, tells of her remarkable life story. I thought the book was going to be completely centred around Princess Margaret but instead it brings us on an amazing, sometimes heartbreaking, journey of the author’s life. Being narrated by her, made me feel like we were sitting over a cup of tea while she told the most interesting story. Very much worth the read!!

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what a wonderful listen!

I purchased this audiobook for my love of Princess Margaret but happily fell in love with Lady Anne's life and storytelling. Hearing it in her prim upper crust accent just makes it all the better 😁

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Lovley memoire

Lady Glennconner's story is both interesting, funny and sad all at the same time. I quite enjoyed her narration, glad that she decided to read her book herself.

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Surprises in every chapter

Not surprises of the royal behind the scenes gossip type, although there is some of that, but the story of an extraordinary woman. Anne has lived through 8 decades of changing times and faced circumstances that would have devastated most. You will be captivated by her story.

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A book best enjoyed in the author’s voice

Although I found the pace of speech slow, once I sped up the audio, I thoroughly enjoyed her storytelling. The author reminded me of my own grandmother’s storytelling in the manner she described the colourful characters and somewhat unexpected celebration of various cultures and customs around the world. She humanized the royals in the same stories that spoke of coping with mental illness, world travel, yachts, orgies & brothels. Through the good and the tragic, she maintained the humour, love, zest for living, beauty, and love of people and of the world.

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Lady in waiting

A wonderful and very very interesting book! It’s hard to imagine such an interesting but difficult life.

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