What is the main message of Lady in Waiting?

The main message of Lady in Waiting is the remarkable and often challenging life of Anne Glenconner.

How long does it take to read Lady in Waiting?

The reading time for Lady in Waiting varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Lady in Waiting?

The author of Lady in Waiting is Anne Glenconner.

Biography & Memoir

Lady in Waiting Book Summary - Lady in Waiting Book explained in key points

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Lady in Waiting summary

Name: Lady in Waiting
Rating: 4.1 (38 reviews)
Author: Anne Glenconner

Anne Glenconner

My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown

4.1 (38 ratings)

23 mins

Brief summary

Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner is a memoir about the life of Princess Margaret's closest confidante. Glenconner's recount of her privileged but challenging upbringing, royal friendship, and personal tragedies will leave readers feeling touched and inspired.

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Women's Stories Memoirs

Table of Contents

Lady in Waiting
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Get a peek into life as a princess.

When Helena Bonham Carter won the role of Princess Margaret in the hit Netflix series The Crown, she went straight to Anne Glenconner. Anne had served as lady-in-waiting to the princess for over 30 years. During that time, she had a front-row seat to all the drama and excitement of the princess’s life. From galas and royal tours to thwarted love affairs and tragedies, from the pristine beaches of Mustique to picnics on the grounds of Kensington Palace, Anne was at Margaret’s side through it all.

Now, Anne Glenconner has lifted the lid on her life with the princess. With unprecedented openness, she has shared her memories of Margaret and of her own life as a courtier to the British royal family. In these blinks, you’ll get all the juicy details on life as a lady-in-waiting.

Read on to find out

which courtier Margaret had a secret love affair with;
how Ronald Reagan offended the princess; and
the secret code the royals used at dinnertime toasts.

Courtiers hold prestigious positions and are generally selected from an exclusive group of noble British families.

Can you remember a moment your life changed forever? Lady Anne Glenconner can.

In November 1952, at nineteen, the British debutante Lady Anne Glenconner set sail from London to New York. Stateside, she moved in exclusive social circles, rubbing shoulders with movie execs and film stars like Bette Davis and Bob Hope. But early one morning in February 1953, she received a telegram that would change the course of her life. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, the ceremony in which she was formally crowned, would be held in a few months. Elizabeth had named Anne as one of her maids of honor, which meant she would act as one of Elizabeth’s attendants during the ceremony.

The key message here is: Courtiers hold prestigious positions and are generally selected from an exclusive group of noble British families.

Conventionally, members of the British royal family employ a personal staff of courtiers. These courtiers include equerries, senior attendants drawn from the armed forces; grooms of the robes, who are responsible for handling ceremonial royal clothing; and ladies-in-waiting, who are female attendants to female royals. While these might sound like roles for servants, they actually confer prestige. The royals usually bestow them upon trusted friends from noble families, and the titles are often passed down from one generation to the next.

So, while Anne was pleasantly surprised by this assignment, it wasn’t wholly unexpected. After all, her father had been equerry to King George. Soon thereafter, she returned to England to fulfill her royal duty.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was held on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey, before an audience of eight thousand people. It was the first coronation to be fully televised, and millions more watched at home.

During the coronation, Anne helped Elizabeth with her enormous train, which was over twenty-one feet long and embroidered with the emblems of all the countries in the British commonwealth. Anne also kept vials of smelling salts tucked into her gloves, just in case Elizabeth felt faint.

Though Anne remembers the post-coronation celebrations at Buckingham Palace as a cheerful affair, there was one exception. Princess Margaret, the Queen’s younger sister, appeared gloomy. Later, Margaret would tell Anne that she had felt depressed that day. After all, her father had just died. Now, she felt she was losing her sister, too. And it was true. Soon Elizabeth was consumed with the duties and responsibilities of being queen.

Margaret was left to adjust to life in the shadow of her sister, the Queen.

Princess Margaret was a tastemaker, who set trends even outside of aristocratic circles.

Sometimes it can feel hard to step out from the shadow of an older sibling. Now, imagine if your sibling was the Queen of England!

In contrast to her dutiful elder sister, Margaret soon developed a reputation for being wayward and rebellious. During the swinging sixties, both Princess Margaret and Lady Anne Glenconner moved in a circle of decadently bohemian aristocrats and artists. Their set included the photographer Cecil Beaton, the painter Lucian Freud, and the director Harold Pinter.

Royal life isn’t always as exciting as you expect.

Lady Anne Glenconner was delighted to be maid-of-honor at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Later, Princess Margaret would ask Anne to fill an even more prestigious royal role.

The invitation came after Anne had her three sons, followed by twin daughters. At her daughters’ christening in 1971, Princess Margaret enquired if Anne planned on having any more. Anne replied that she didn’t. In that case, said the princess, would you like to be my lady-in-waiting?

Throughout Margaret’s life, strict royal protocol hampered her romantic relationships.

Relationships are hard. Imagine how much harder they must be when they’re played out in the spotlight of the British royal family.

In fact, Margaret’s marriage to Anthony Armstrong Jones was not a particularly happy one. In some senses, it was doomed from the start; Anthony was far from Margaret’s first choice of husband.

When it comes to royal tours, it’s best to expect the unexpected!

Imagine having Imelda Marcos show you her shoe collection, or attending the King of Swaziland’s eightieth birthday – as part of your job! For Lady Anne Glenconner, one of the biggest perks of her lady-in-waiting role was the opportunity to accompany Princess Margaret on a range of international royal tours.

But these royal tours also presented Anne with out-of-the-ordinary professional challenges.

Outside the spotlight, Margaret and her family enjoyed relaxing together in an informal manner.

What are the essential ingredients for a laid-back summer picnic? If you’re Princess Margaret, they include a thermos of tea, a selection of cold cuts in sensible Tupperware containers, and a butler, naturally! When Princess Margaret was off-duty, she was just like the rest of us – well, almost.

The key message here is: Outside the spotlight, Margaret and her family enjoyed relaxing together in an informal manner.

In their public and personal lives, the British royal family has fought to destigmatize AIDS.

It’s easy to imagine that the royal family, and the aristocrats who serve as their courtiers, live charmed lives. But no amount of wealth or privilege can prevent sadness and misfortune from falling into a life, as Lady Anne Glenconner knows all too well.

In public, Anne was the trusted companion of the glamorous Princess Margaret. In private, her life was marked by tragedy. Her eldest son, Charlie, was a heroin addict who died at the age of 40 in 1996. Another son, Henry, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986.

Princess Margaret’s difficulties later in life didn’t diminish her legacy – or her sense of humor.

It’s not easy to watch a friend’s health decline. For Lady Anne Glenconner, the later years of Princess Margaret’s life were sometimes difficult. Margaret battled ill health and suffered a series of strokes that left her increasingly weakened. But the princess never lost her distinctive personality.

The key message here is: Princess Margaret’s difficulties later in life didn’t diminish her legacy – or her sense of humor.

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What is Lady in Waiting about?

In Lady in Waiting (2019), Lady Anne Glenconner draws back the curtain on royal life in Britain. Glenconner was lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for over 30 years. As companion and confidante to the princess, she gleaned a unique perspective on Margaret’s glamorous, scandalous, and secretive life.

Lady in Waiting Review

Lady in Waiting (2020) by Anne Glenconner is a fascinating memoir that offers a unique glimpse into the lives of the British nobility. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:

With up-close and personal stories of royalty and the elite, it provides a behind-the-scenes look at a world many of us can only imagine.
Through Glenconner's unflinching honesty and captivating storytelling, this book invites readers to experience the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight.
From unexpected twists and turns to moments of self-reflection and growth, the book's engrossing narrative ensures it is anything but boring.

Who should read Lady in Waiting?

Royal-watchers keen to go behind closed doors at Kensington Palace
Fans of Netflix’s The Crown who want to get the real scoop on Margaret
Anyone with an appetite for upper-class English gossip

About the Author

Lady Anne Glenconner was born in 1932, the eldest daughter of the fifth Earl of Leicester. She was a Maid of Honour at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. She served as lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret from 1971 until the princess’s death in 2002.

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Biography & Memoir

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