Women of Holkham: Anne Glenconner

March 16, 2020 | Holkham voices | 3 minute read

Lady Glenconner was born in 1932, the eldest of three daughters. Being only 10 miles from Sandringham Estate, and having daughters of similar ages, the family had close links to the Royal Family. Anne was a Maid Of Honour and her mother was a Lady of The Bedchamber at the Coronation Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and Anne went on to become Lady in Waiting to her childhood friend, Princess Margaret, in 1971. As part of this role, she travelled the world with HRH escorting her on numerous tours.

In 1950, Anne’s mother, Lady Elizabeth Leicester, set up a pottery at Holkham; rather unheard of at the time, which was a joint effort with Anne and her younger sister Carey. Anne’s mother threw the pots, her sister decorated them, and Anne sold them, travelling around England to generate business.

Anne went on to marry Colin Tennant in 1956 at the Church of St. Withburga on the Holkham Estate, and in 1958 Colin bought an island, called Mustique, which together they transformed into a holiday destination for the rich and famous. A large plot of land on the island was gifted to Princess Margaret and her husband, Antony Armstrong Jones, as a wedding present. A loyal and close friend to Princess Margaret, and a witness to her tumultuous marriage, it was Anne who introduced Princess Margaret to Roddy Llewellyn following the breakdown of her marriage to Anthony Armstrong Jones. The Queen Mother often said that Roddy made Margaret “very happy”.

Anne and Colin had five children; three sons and two twin daughters. Charles and Henry tragically passed away at young ages, and her third son, Christopher, suffered a severe head injury in a motorcycle accident. Anne stepped down from her Lady in Waiting duties to be by his bedside at this time. In 2010, her husband Colin passed away, and left all his estates to his long standing employee, Kent Adonai.

Perhaps the most extraordinary accomplishment of Anne Glenconner is the publication of her book, Lady in Waiting: My Life in the Shadow of the Crown. Her book was written following an approach from publishers Hodder & Stoughton and was published to coincide with the release of the third series of the Netflix TV Show, The Crown, which saw actresses Helena Bonham Carter and Nancy Carroll visit her for guidance in their respective portrayals. Her memoir became a Sunday Times bestseller, and she is credited with providing a fascinating insight into the life and character of Princess Margaret, as well as offering a detailed glimpse into the lives of the aristocracy.

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