Book Review: Lady in Waiting

I am always searching for two things: decent, wholesome audio books to fill my treadmill time and entertaining, quality television series to watch in the evenings. I recently binged on the five seasons of PBS's Poldark. Before watching Downton Abbey twice, I watched The Crown. I loved their choice of Helena Bonham Carter to play Princess Margaret. She did an excellent job portraying the firebrand sister to the queen. Thus, I thought I would enjoy Anne Glenconner's memoir, Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown. Although it was interesting and very colorful, it veered away from decent, wholesome territory. I eagerly awaited bits about the royal family, but the book focused primarily on the author's life and only tangents on her time and work as Princess Margaret's Lady in Waiting.

Earls are often disappointed when they sire only girls. Thus, despite being the eldest, the author could not inherit the family estate. Living near the royal family's country estate of Sandringham, Anne grew up playing with the royal sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret. I enjoyed hearing the more down-to-earth bits. As a teen, she took her family pottery business to America to sell their wares. She talked of the strange events where one month she was travelling on Greyhound buses across the United States, and the next month she was preparing to serve as Maid of Honor for Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. Her colorful family life exuded flamboyance and flair. They bought a Caribbean island, hosted parties, and even bought an elephant at one point. She endured much sadness. Her volatile husband was unpredictable (left his estate to his manservant). Her sons were fraught with conflict (the eldest addicted to drugs, the second battled AIDS, and the third was nursed back to life after a motorcycle accident left him in a prolonged coma). Despite rubbing shoulders with many famous individuals, the author still struck me as unpretentious and genuine.

The most puzzling thing about my audio experience with the book: at the end, the announcer declares it has been a book of fiction and any resemblance to real persons is a coincidence. I could find nothing online to corroborate this assertion. Billed as a memoir, it seems to portray genuine relationships and events. Glenconner's life story will certainly entertain anyone who enjoys reading about royalty or aristocracy.