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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I did not GAF about the Windsors before reading this...and I still don't. BUT this is exactly the kind of snobby English nonsense I need right now. Pandemics happen, the economy tanks, people line up for food, but somewhere in someone's ancestral pile an old aristocrat is doddering around and telling stories about the Queen Mother or their eccentric great-grand who insisted on dressing to match his favorite horse.
An interesting read coming quickly after Queen Elizabeth’s death, giving perhaps a glance at the upcoming coronation of King Charles. Came across in Melanie’s reads.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Absolutely fascinating. I admit that I started listening to this because I finished the most recent season of The Crown and wanted more royal content and was blown away by this book. The book remained centered on Lady Glenconner so it never felt like it crossed the line into being a gossipy tell all about the royals. I applaud Lady Glenconner for putting her entire life on the page and not cutting out the more painful bits. My favorite thing is that as a child she was the one who would air her family's Da Vinci codex, which now belongs to Bill Gates, licking her fingers before turning each page. It was those small details that made this whole book an absolute delight.
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it as Lady Glenconner reads it herself. There were moments where you could hear her getting choked up and other where you could hear her laughing. It really added to the story.
I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it as Lady Glenconner reads it herself. There were moments where you could hear her getting choked up and other where you could hear her laughing. It really added to the story.
I devoured this one. I watched a documentary about Princess Margaret, current Queen Elizabeth's sister, and I found it fascinating. Her identity will always be the Queen's sister. What kind of identity is that? It made me think of Harry and what his life would always be. This was before he quit being a royal. This book is by one of Princess Margaret's childhood friends and she became one of her ladies in waiting. One of the interesting things is that Anne Glenconner was engaged to Princess Diana's dad but when she introduced him to someone, that someone thought he would be perfect for her daughter and he thought so too and called off the engagement. If they had married there would not have been a Princess Diana. Crazy how life works. Also, because Anne did not marry she was able to be a Maid of Honor for Queen Elizabeth's II coronation. Unfortunately the guy Anne did end up marrying was awful. Ladies when a man says he will change after you get married, he won't. There is a lot of mental illness in this book and it was sad that there wasn't much to be done back then unless you wanted to send the person away. Two side notes, the Chattanooga Choo Choo was mentioned and Anne got to hold a koala. Anne lived a life that some people could only dream of, but she also had a lot of tragedy. I cried at the end. And what happened at the end with her husband was shocking!
"People do what they think they need to do in order to protect themselves and their children."
"People do what they think they need to do in order to protect themselves and their children."
This memoir is the physical manifestation of “at no point could I have guessed what was gonna happen next.” I mean, what a bizarre, privileged, yet equally tragic life Anne Glenconner has lived.
In every sense, Glenconner is a product of the British aristocracy and the generation into which she was born. She held (holds?) very traditional views on marriage, child rearing, and non-European cultures as a result. She was married to a deeply troubled, mentally ill man, Colin Glenconner, with severe anger issues, and she relied heavily on nannies and other house servants to raise her children. She addressed both of these realities in the book, but her conversational writing style did not always lend itself to deep reflections naturally. That being said, I definitely do not mean that observation to minimize the way that she decided to write about her own personal traumas. She lost a son to AIDS, another to complications from drug addiction, and she nearly lost her third son to a motorcycle accident that left him comatose. There is no denying that there is a strength to this woman that I could hardly fathom having myself after experiencing all that pain.
In every sense, Glenconner is a product of the British aristocracy and the generation into which she was born. She held (holds?) very traditional views on marriage, child rearing, and non-European cultures as a result. She was married to a deeply troubled, mentally ill man, Colin Glenconner, with severe anger issues, and she relied heavily on nannies and other house servants to raise her children. She addressed both of these realities in the book, but her conversational writing style did not always lend itself to deep reflections naturally. That being said, I definitely do not mean that observation to minimize the way that she decided to write about her own personal traumas. She lost a son to AIDS, another to complications from drug addiction, and she nearly lost her third son to a motorcycle accident that left him comatose. There is no denying that there is a strength to this woman that I could hardly fathom having myself after experiencing all that pain.
This one was a struggle for me. I don't know enough about the British royal structure to catch a lot of the references. I'm not particularly interested in Princess Margaret's life either. But if you are interested in either of those topics, this would be a great book for you. (Book club read)
This is a small, enjoyable, easy to read peak behind the curtains of how the other half lives. Anne, born the oldest of three girls to the Earl of Leicester. Destined to never inherit the earldom or home, she was presented as the debutant of the year. As a result she married Colin Tennant, Baron of Glenconner, one time Princess Margaret suitor. Colin is eccentric to say the least. Thru there 55 year marriage they saw so much together; triumph to tragedy. This included 30+ years as Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, loss of two children, buying/selling the island of Mystique. At the end of the day, her husband left her nothing. He left to a person who was like a personal aide to carry out his "wishes." Anne is a person who thrived and survived, no matter what.
Fun facts:
Anne was once engaged to Princess Diana's father
Anne share a very tender/personal moment with Diana and explains the differences of Diana and old school royals respectfully
Anne's father didn't trust her husband and told her to buy a house of her own. In the end, it is all she had left to her name.
Fun facts:
Anne was once engaged to Princess Diana's father
Anne share a very tender/personal moment with Diana and explains the differences of Diana and old school royals respectfully
Anne's father didn't trust her husband and told her to buy a house of her own. In the end, it is all she had left to her name.
I really enjoyed this book about the life of Anne Glenconner. It was interesting to see how intertwined her life was with that of the royals, even though she wasn't a royal herself. The lifestyle is unfathomable for me (as an American SAHM). I don't see how she could stay with her husband with his fits, outrageous spending, and unfaithfulness. I recommend this to all those who enjoy The Crown, even though this book isn't based around the Royals.
This memoir was pretty entertaining, and felt so far removed from my own life, both in time and in money — how the other half lives indeed! Anne’s life was so glamorous and exciting, and a little sad, to be honest (see: parts of her childhood, mercurial Colin, and two of her children’s early deaths). I appreciate how she gave us all another glimpse into the life of Princess Margaret. PM still seems like quite the character, and I don’t know how I could have dealt with having her as a “friend” as Anne did. I would surely snap and say something I’d regret.
Also super interesting to hear about the origins of the famed island of Mustique — obviously I will never get to there lol, but it was cool to hear how the Tennants essentially built it from the ground up.
Also super interesting to hear about the origins of the famed island of Mustique — obviously I will never get to there lol, but it was cool to hear how the Tennants essentially built it from the ground up.