Whatever Next! (A Bear Family Book, 2)

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Of course I did suspect already her husband was abusive, reading how hard it actually was and that Colin trashed her once to the point she lost her hearing on one ear was... difficult to read. Especially since this woman is not bitter about all that transpired. Who knows? I’m 90 and a half and I do sometimes get exhausted. But I’m having such a wonderful time. Life is so exciting. I’m going on The One Show on Monday. Anne Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932. The eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she grew up at Holkham Hall in Norfolk and was a childhood friend of the late Queen and Princess Margaret and a maid of honour at the Queen’s coronation. She married Colin Tennant, later Lord Glenconner and the owner of Mustique, an island in the West Indies, in 1956. They had five children together, of whom three survive. Her son Charlie, a former heroin addict, died of hepatitis in 1996. Her son Henry died of Aids in 1990. She was appointed lady in waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971. Her first book, a memoir called Lady in Waiting, was published in 2019 and became a surprise hit. Now she has written another, Whatever Next?, in which she reveals that during her marriage she was a victim of domestic violence. Since the second book is definitely informed by the first one, my recommendation is to read both books of Anne Glenconnor’s autobiography. Yes, they did and if the footman carried raw eggs in a bain-marie from the kitchen to the nursery, it was so far, they were boiled on arrival. The world has changed immeasurably. I think anyone who lived through the war was marked for ever by it. We went through such a lot. I do find it a bit strange what people complain about nowadays.

This was good, and it was lovely to spend time with Lady Anne once again. I adore her. I prefer her first book, Lady in Waiting.

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Bracing honesty, rare insight, and more revelations: the New York Times bestselling author of Lady in Waiting shares everything she's learned from her extraordinary and unexpected life.

Rounded up. What I enjoyed: it was refreshing to see Anne Papp roach her marriage and the abuse she suffered with less defense of her husband and for being more honest about how horrible his behavior was. I also loved her optimism about challenges we face in life. It was a much needed reminder for me.

She still lives near Holkham, in Norfolk, where she grew up as the daughter of the Earl of Leicester. She was one of the maids of honour at the Queen’s coronation and soon afterwards married Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner. He took her to a brothel on their wedding night so she could learn what was required. That was only the first of his outrages – he expected her to carry his luggage through airports – but soon he was swept up in the excitement of creating his own island paradise, Mustique, and she saw less of him. Are you any closer now to understanding why, when he died in 2010 , he left his entire estate to his valet, Kent Adonai ? Whatever Now” is a candid look at a very interesting life full of moments of both extraordinary privilege and of tragedy. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our

The Queen always understood that the deference paid to her was because of her position and what she represented, not because of who she was as a person. I think one of the reasons she was so loved was because she was not arrogant or haughty.” Yes, but thanks to this book, I’ve had the most wonderful conversations with them. We’ve been able to talk about what Colin, their father, did to them in great detail and I’ve been able to say: “Oh, darlings.” Not long ago, I read and enjoyed "Lady in Waiting," by Anne Glenconner. You may remember that Anne was a maid of honor at Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and then served as a lady in waiting to Princess Margaret for several decades. She ended that book by looking with optimism toward the future, always wondering "Whatever next?" So, when I saw her new book, "Whatever Next?" up for review, I was happy to sign up.Anne brings her stark forthrightness, signature charm and bravery to show the world what her life has taught her, including when she endured the darkest moments of her marriage. Despite what she has endured she remains resilient and has thrived as time moves forward. She became an expert at the fine art of diplomacy, learning when to make peace and when to stand and fight, when to lean on trusted friends and when to take a lover. Alongside all of this, she gained great proficiency at throwing incredible parties, surviving at the centre of the Royal Family, maintaining a resplendent home and - as a lady in waiting - gaining much needed diplomatic skills and the finer points of etiquette. As a parent she endured some of the hardest lessons a parent can, gaining the fortitude and experience to endure even the worse life can offer, as well as how to celebrate the great things life has to offer too their fullest.

After reading "Lady in Waiting", also written by Lady Glenconner, I didn't know what else she could have added to top it but I was actually surprised by what I read: it was a more thorough approach to facts she lightly touched on her first book, and I get why she did it. Old generations raised in between WW2 and what it came afterwards weren't into dwelling on feelings, and the past: you just went on with it. At least, that is what my grandparents did. What about Princess Margaret? She’s widely portrayed as having been spoilt and difficult, but you’ve always insisted this is unfair. Anne wasn't the only one in her family to deal with marital woes; she mentions her beloved sister Carey, who had a husband "who would only talk to her through the dog for years on end." This is very sad, but I'll admit I had to laugh when I read it :) Who can believe the things some people do?! Colin was a Jekyll and Hyde figure, wasn’t he? Great fun at one moment and vicious and violent at the next. I think that Anne's life is very interesting to me because parts of it are so different than mine. But the part of her life that really inspires me is the way that she reinvents herself over and over. She is over ninety years old and has become an author and she just loves it.Anne Veronica (Coke) Tennant, LVO, Baroness Glenconner is a daughter of Thomas W.E. Coke, MVO, GOC, 5th Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth Mary (Yorke) Tennant, Countess of Leicester. You feel that your governess, Miss Bonner , who tied you to your bed at night as a child, made you more vulnerable to a man like Colin Tennant . Does she still haunt you? No, because I was able to murder her in my novel A Haunting at Holkham[published in 2021]. I got rid of her and there was a wonderful feeling of relief. This is true of a lot of the awful things that have happened to me in my life. Now I’ve written about them, I feel completely different. It’s had a wonderful effect on me. Well, I’ve given up supper. I find that eating late gives me indigestion and I wanted to lose weight around my middle. It’s marvellous. I never feel hungry. I have breakfast and a good lunch and that’s it. I lost a stone without trying. I also walk every day and properly. You’ve got to lift your feet up. You were born into another world. Did the cooks at Holkham really gather up the shed velvet from deers’ antlers, fry it and serve it on toast?