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Whatever Next?

Lessons from an Unexpected Life
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( 1,519 ratings, 116 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Whatever Next? by Anne Glenconner offers an insightful glimpse into the extraordinary life of Lady Anne, who navigates the glamorous yet challenging world of British aristocracy. This memoir follows her life experiences, from her close relationship with the royal family to her personal triumphs and tragedies. With warmth and wit, it explores themes of resilience, family, and the pursuit of happiness amidst privilege and adversity.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This captivating memoir by Anne Glenconner offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret and her adventures beyond royal duties. You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by the inside stories of the British aristocracy and the resilience and humour of an extraordinary woman. It's a delightful read for those who appreciate personal tales of growth, challenge, and fascinating insights into a bygone era.

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Bracing honesty, rare insight and hilarious revelations from internationally bestselling author of LADY IN WAITING as she shares everything she's learned from her extraordinary and unexpected life.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'This second volume of memoirs is as fascinating as the first....full of wit, joy, vivid vignettes and useful insights...she has another bestseller on her hands' India Knight, Sunday Times

'It's great to have another memoir from Lady Glenconner . . . as open-minded and entertaining as she clearly is' Lynn Barber, Sunday Telegraph

'A jolly anecdote for every day of the year and excellent advice' Hilary Rose, The Times

'As glorious and highly readable as its predecessor - as well as being packed full of new stories' ipaper

'Full of eye-popping detail' Sophia Money-Coutts, Daily Telegraph

Bracing honesty, rare insight and hilarious revelations from internationally bestselling author of LADY IN WAITING as she shares everything she's learned from her extraordinary and unexpected life.

Anne Glenconner's glittering life hasn't always been golden. As she revealed in her astonishing bestselling memoir Lady in Waiting, it has been one of stark contrasts - from growing up in the splendour of Holkham Hall to living in a tent in the jungle of Mustique, from travelling the world with Princess Margaret to coping with her wildly unpredictable husband Lord Glenconner. Tragically, she has also survived the loss of two of her sons and nursed a third son back from a coma.

Now in her ninetieth year, and at her happiest, Anne brings her bracing honesty, characteristic wit and courage to reflect on and reveal more about her long and unexpected life, her extremely volatile marriage, and what it's taught her.

As a wife, she became a master in the art of keeping the peace, knowing when to pick her battles, when she needed help - and when to take a lover. As a hostess, she acquired great practical skills in throwing marvellous parties and looking after magnificent homes, and, as a lady in waiting, became well versed in diplomacy and etiquette. It was as a mother she learnt the toughest lessons of all, and through them the value of friendship, family, and laughter to get her through the worst moments in life, as well as celebrate the best of them.

Anne Glenconner's Whatever Next is the richly entertaining proof that staying open to every new adventure and being ready for whatever happens sets an inspiring example for us all.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Anne Glenconner's Whatever Next? has been praised for its charm, wit, and poignant reflections on aristocratic life. Reviewers highlight her candid and humorous storytelling, blending personal tragedy with royal anecdotes. The memoir reveals a vivid picture of her life, marked by resilience, while also offering nuanced insights into the constraints on women of her generation. Her portrayal of the royal environment, particularly Princess Margaret, is noted for its honesty and depth, making the narrative both touching and entertaining.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529397352

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 June 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder Paperback

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 212g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Lady Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and growing up in their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had 5 children together of whom 3 survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They granted a plot of land to Princess Margaret who built her favourite home there. She was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and kept this role - accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours - until her death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010, leaving everything in his will to his former employee. She now lives in a farmhouse near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

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