What will I learn about: how the prestigious courtier roles within the British royal family are selected from exclusive noble bloodlines and passed down through generations?

Understand how the prestigious courtier roles within the British royal family are selected from exclusive noble bloodlines and passed down through generations.

What will I learn about: the deeply emotional reality of living in a monarch's shadow, highlighted by Princess Margaret's quiet struggles during Queen Elizabeth II's televised coronation?

Discover the deeply emotional reality of living in a monarch's shadow, highlighted by Princess Margaret's quiet struggles during Queen Elizabeth II's televised coronation.

What will I learn about: Learn how Princess Margaret's rebellious spirit and bohemian tastes transformed the rustic, waterless island of Mustique into an exclusive haven for aristocrats and rock royalty?

Learn how Princess Margaret's rebellious spirit and bohemian tastes transformed the rustic, waterless island of Mustique into an exclusive haven for aristocrats and rock royalty.

What will I learn about: the surprisingly mundane, practical duties required of a lady-in-waiting, proving that life inside the royal bubble isn't always as glamorous as it appears?

Find out the surprisingly mundane, practical duties required of a lady-in-waiting, proving that life inside the royal bubble isn't always as glamorous as it appears.

What will I learn about: Uncover the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of the British royal family, from hidden love affairs and diplomatic missteps to the secret codes used during dinner toasts?

Uncover the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of the British royal family, from hidden love affairs and diplomatic missteps to the secret codes used during dinner toasts.

Lady in Waiting

My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown

Anne Glenconner

★ 4.1 / 5(38 ratings)

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Categories:

Biography & Memoir

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the closed doors of Kensington Palace when the cameras stop flashing?
💡Did you know that Princess Margaret’s most scandalous headlines often hid a much more complex and secretive reality known only to her inner circle?
💡Are you curious about what it’s actually like to spend 30 years as the closest confidante to the most rebellious member of the British royal family?

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Key Takeaways from Lady in Waiting

✓Understand how the prestigious courtier roles within the British royal family are selected from exclusive noble bloodlines and passed down through generations.
✓Discover the deeply emotional reality of living in a monarch's shadow, highlighted by Princess Margaret's quiet struggles during Queen Elizabeth II's televised coronation.
✓Learn how Princess Margaret's rebellious spirit and bohemian tastes transformed the rustic, waterless island of Mustique into an exclusive haven for aristocrats and rock royalty.
✓Find out the surprisingly mundane, practical duties required of a lady-in-waiting, proving that life inside the royal bubble isn't always as glamorous as it appears.
✓Uncover the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of the British royal family, from hidden love affairs and diplomatic missteps to the secret codes used during dinner toasts.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Lady in Waiting

Mind Map

Lady in Waiting

Life as a Courtier+

Princess Margaret's Lifestyle+

Romantic Struggles & Protocol+

Unpredictable Royal Tours+

Private Royal Dynamics+

Destigmatizing AIDS+

Decline and Legacy+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

Why did Princess Margaret feel gloomy during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation?

A. She was jealous of her sister's newly acquired power and title.
B. She was suffering from a secret, chronic illness that made public events difficult.
C. She felt she was losing her sister to royal duties right after the recent death of their father.
D. She was informed that day she would be forbidden from marrying Peter Townsend.

Question 2 of 8

How did the Caribbean island of Mustique transform into a famous bohemian hotspot?

A. The Queen Mother held her annual summer royal galas there.
B. Princess Margaret frequently vacationed there, and her presence attracted other aristocrats and celebrities.
C. It was the only island in the Caribbean with modern luxury amenities like electricity in the 1960s.
D. Anthony Armstrong Jones heavily promoted the island in his international photography magazines.

Question 3 of 8

Despite the glamorous title of lady-in-waiting, what did Lady Anne Glenconner's actual duties often entail?

A. Drafting Princess Margaret's political speeches and correspondence.
B. Managing the royal family's private financial investments.
C. Practical tasks like locating toilets at events and ensuring the princess received exact drink orders.
D. Acting as the primary armed security detail during international tours.

Question 4 of 8

What was the primary reason Princess Margaret was forbidden from marrying her first love, Peter Townsend?

A. He was seventeen years younger than her.
B. He was a divorced man, which violated strict royal protocol at the time.
C. He was an American citizen without a noble title.
D. He was a known adulterer who had numerous public affairs.

Question 5 of 8

During a royal tour of the United States in the 1980s, what faux pas did President Ronald Reagan commit?

A. He forgot to provide a shirt for a formal medal-pinning ceremony.
B. He confused Lady Anne Glenconner with Princess Margaret.
C. He served the princess the wrong type of tea at a formal state luncheon.
D. He insisted on sitting down while the Queen Mother was standing.

Question 6 of 8

What secret code did the Queen Mother use during dinnertime toasts to indicate her opinion of someone?

A. She would drink a dry martini for people she liked and Earl Grey tea for those she disliked.
B. She would stand up for people she liked and remain seated for people she disliked.
C. She raised her glass above the table if she liked the person, and below the table if she didn't.
D. She would serve them a prawn cocktail if she liked them, and a Leibniz cookie if she didn't.

Question 7 of 8

How did Princess Margaret contribute to destigmatizing AIDS in the 1980s?

A. She helped establish the London Lighthouse care center and showed personal compassion to AIDS patients.
B. She funded the first medical research facility for AIDS in the United Kingdom.
C. She gave a globally televised speech about the disease at the United Nations.
D. She publicly criticized the British government's lack of funding for sexual health charities.

Question 8 of 8

What sight helped lift Princess Margaret's spirits while she was recovering from a stroke at Balmoral castle?

A. Watching her favorite television show, Dad's Army, with her sister.
B. Seeing Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife jogging around the grounds in bright lycra outfits.
C. Receiving a surprise visit from her long-term companion, Roddy Llewellyn.
D. Reviewing Imelda Marcos's extensive shoe collection.

Lady in Waiting — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Courtiers hold prestigious roles and are usually chosen from select noble British families.
32 — Princess Margaret was a tastemaker who influenced trends beyond aristocratic circles.
43 — Royal life isn’t always as thrilling as you might expect.
54 — Strict royal protocol complicated Margaret’s romantic relationships throughout her life.
65 — On royal tours, it’s best to expect the unexpected!
76 — Away from the spotlight, Margaret and her family relaxed together informally.
87 — In both public and private life, the British royal family worked to destigmatize AIDS.
98 — Princess Margaret’s later-life struggles didn’t lessen her legacy – or her sense of humor.
109 — Final summary

Lady in Waiting Summary & Overview

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.

Who Should Listen to 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: Anne Glenconner

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.

Lady in Waiting

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Lady in Waiting — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Lady in Waiting

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Lady in Waiting — Full Chapter Overview

Lady in Waiting Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Lady in Waiting?

About the Author: Anne Glenconner

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