Lady Anne Glenconner in Conversation with Tina Brown: Whatever Next? Lessons from an Unexpected Life

Lady Anne Glenconner, maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation, and later to Princess Margaret, accompanying her on state occasions and foreign tours for thirty years until the Princess’s death joins New York Times bestselling author and Royal expert Tina Brown to discuss her new book Whatever Next? Lessons from an Unexpected Life sharing rare insights from life inside her privileged circle, which though golden didn’t always glitter. An extraordinary life in the shadow of the crown and what it was like being a courtier and friend to royalty - no doubt offering some insights into the Royals of 2023.
Recorded Feb 21, 2023 at 92nd Street Y, New York.
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[@amylo9445]

I loved her first book, Lady in Waiting. She has suffered many tragedies in her life but she does not pity or feel sorry for herself. What a remarkable person！

[@michelegraham9044]

She’s from a generation with real backbone and resilience the likes of which I don’t think we’ll ever see again sadly.

[@evelynharper6346]

I've no idea why this popped up on my feed but I'm so pleased it did. What a marvelous woman she is ! Obviously I've heard of Lady Glenconner but didn't know a great deal about her, what a woman, fascinating!

[@douglasduff4466]

I must get it.

[@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201]

​@@michelegraham9044agree it that generation but also hard to ignore her elevated status of her childhood, coronation , family's importance etc did not give her great self-confidence

[@chimerat8012]

Keep calm and carry on.She is the personnificatipn of all that stiff upper British lip. 👏❤👏

[@Shazita1-qe9ix]

Wow I am at the point of her losing her sons and her son being in the coma…. I lost my brother at 30 but being a Mother and losing two sons is just so tragic. God bless her she is just lovely

[@VenusEvan_1885]

Omg she is 92 years old, and way sharper than Joe Biden that's for sure.

[@joysutton5528]

Absolutely!

[@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201]

Maybe not as taxed by life in her life as much as Joe Biden

[@lemorab1]

@@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201 If anything, she's been more taxed than Joe Biden.

[@sfchrisrom]

​@@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201 Indeed, Lady Glenconner doesn't belong to a crime family 😜

[@LorenL-vq7fn]

En very beautiful 😍

[@leslieacoca5876]

I am inspired by Lady Glenconner's graceful, energetic perseverance.

[@hollyeggert9426]

How grand a soul she is. She nursed and loved while suffering tremendously.

[@CWhandlei]

What suffering?

[@joreiwik1234]

@@CWhandlei read or listen to her books. jesus

[@ingridsweeney1787]

Lady Anne, I think you are fabulous💕

[@grainnehenry4766]

Lady Ann is such a brilliant person thank god for people like her.

[@lauramason5667]

What a delightful lady. Still beautiful.❤

[@shep5041]

I had no idea what she has endured. What a woman❤

[@PS_testing321...]

Lady Anne is still a very beautiful woman at her age. I know she has had so much heartbreak in her life, but I am happy that she had such exciting adventures. An incredible woman who is living an incredible life. Such a pillar of strength. The NY people giggled when the question of King Charles being king came up. I think he was very proud of his mother and is dedicated to caring on, very much in his own way, but in respect od his mother. Lovely to learn about you, Lady Anne. I am so sorry about your boys. I have one and he is my ride and joy. I can't imagine your heartbreak.

[@stephemmurphy2554]

Lady Anne gets more beautiful with the years. Highly entertaining, great lady.

[@l.g.8028]

Wonderful lady, she es getting to be one of the last links to a bygone era which is difficult to understand these days.

[@kitty6720]

Fantastic interview. Great woman. It takes a strong character to get through what she has.I loved her cheeky comment "I know it's not allowed to ask these days "Where do you come from"?".

[@chnalvr]

What a treasure and how wonderful that she is publicly sharing not only the grand times of her life but the hardships too. She is one of the very few left from that generation, so how fantastic to hear her stories and perspectives. I often thought that aristocratic women were treated well, but it sounds like they had few to no rights, like so many women of that time. Yet, as she said, it all made her strong.

[@atrinder8944]

Couldn’t agree more about the crown, started wonderfully and then became something of a hatchet job.

[@Rodmic-hd9pn]

This lady is a Lady . I’ believe that she is so strong.No one can truly understand having a child as an addict and a gay son in that era die from AIDS, a son that was in a permanent vegetative state.I wonder if she had a good support group of friends.

[@lisalivingston6473]

As much as I love Tina Brown, I'm sure Lady Glenconner could have held court all by herself recalling all the interesting stories from her life. How sad that she and many women from her generation had to contend with domestic abuse, because ladies of the time were expected to shut up and take it. It's difficult for women who today who are victims of domestic abuse, but thank goodness for all the resources available to women who choose not to be their husbands' punching bags. I'm sure Lady Glenconner's book will inspire many women who will be able to relate to her struggles as a victim of spousal abuse and as a mother who was devoted to nursing her children and others back to health. I will definitely be reading both of her books! P. S. I chuckled when Lady Glenconner let it slip that Harry had been an angry child. It explains so much about the petulant man-child!

[@Kimllg88]

yes he was very troublesome

[@greeneyedwarlock882]

How "nice" that she and you felt that mentioning that was SOMEhow "worthy" or "funny" or at the least "relevant".

[@benajminpadilla6360]

​@@greeneyedwarlock882Agreed! 👍

[@benajminpadilla6360]

Keep Harry's name out of your mouth!

[@ralphredpath4435]

@@benajminpadilla6360😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@alisonlyons4691]

So interesting, and an amazing life. She isnt alone to experience such tragedy , but her strength got her through, great attitude, loving and caring through it all

[@philipwaghorne7082]

AMAZING TENDERNESS AND COURAGE.A LESSON FOR THE WHOLE WORLD

[@annea8216]

I love listening & reading everything Lady Anne has said provided! I’ve bought BOTH books! I wish she would’ve been able to talk more and Tina brown would haven’t had talked over her & interrupted her so much.

[@lynnewilliams6662]

What an inspirational lady ❤️❤️❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@jamesallison4875]

An amazing woman. Strong, intelligent, sesitve and loving. What a jewel! Reminds me of my own mother. Great lady.

[@sharionsadler4597]

Excellent interview! Lady Anne's life has been filled with amazing adventures and tragic events. God bless her and her family.

[@ErinAbou]

Lady Glenconner mentioned Princess Margaret’s education. I believe that the late Queen Mother did both of her daughters a disservice by not sending them to a proper school, and Margaret in particular could have been sent to university after the war. I think many of her problems were born out of boredom.

[@joreiwik1234]

her potential was wasted

[@ErinAbou]

@@joreiwik1234 yes, it’s really sad.

[@ruthie7]

I read somewhere that Queen Mary took over educating Princess Elizabeth when George VI became King as her mother didn’t seem to think it important.

[@ErinAbou]

@@ruthie7 I like Queen Mary, she must have been such an intelligent grandmother.

[@roviannematovu3756]

She had a beautiful voice, despite the cigs, musical & cd do Telegraph Crossword quicker than anyone. Do see KC3's beautiful address after her death. Also her on Desert Island Disc radio bbc3. Complex woman

[@dottieparker7274]

I've read the two books and adored every word. She is for me nobless personified. I must also say that I don't think I've seen such a young looking 91 year old, it's amazing!

[@cabbagetownrose5931]

Her two novels are great reads as well. Based somewhat on her life

[@dottieparker7274]

@@cabbagetownrose5931 Yes, I know she's written novels, but I've become quite dogmatic about reading nonfiction in my old age, possibly wanting to absorb as much as possible before I break my pipe, as they say in French. I overdosed on (good) fiction in my youth and am content with that. 🌛

[@user-ev4ie2wx7k]

Noblesse.

[@dottieparker7274]

@@user-ev4ie2wx7k Thank you. Dang autocorrection.

[@gv1967]

A delightful lady with her constitution still very much in place at 92.

[@franmellor9843]

Loveee Lady Anne she's a wonderful personality

[@lindabridget49]

Don’t care for Tina Brown’s interview style. Lovely Lady Glenconner.

[@susanyates4233]

Me neither.

[@JaneScott-q7x]

I was just about to comment that Anne Glenconner makes Tina Brown look bad 🤣

[@lemorab1]

@@JaneScott-q7x All this has been covered before in her first memoir. Tina Brown is recycling tired questions. None of it covers her second memoir. Very bad interviewer. The audience questions aren't much better.

[@jacquelineharrod6386]

I think she deserves to be put forward for canonisation. A ghastly life in the main. I admire her tremendously.

[@CWhandlei]

Why ghastly?

[@lemorab1]

@@CWhandlei Read her memoir. Anne Glenconner has the most amazing ability to tolerate monstrous people. Her husband Colin was a madman of the first water. (He was also possibly a genius and a visionary, truly someone who didn't like the reality of what he was born into, so he went off and created a different reality for himself.) Being Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret was no walk in the park either.

[@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201]

I'm sure princess Margaret wasn't easy to put up with a lot of the time

[@marigauthier3475]

Tina, i love this interview, but i wish you wouldn't over talk the lady.

[@LoriBrizzle]

Lovely to listen to Lady Glenconner but I found Tina Brown a very strange interviewer. She purported to be Lady G’s friend of many years but had to use a stack of cards to conduct the interview and rarely made eye contact!

[@gwae48]

PLEASE ! Write a 3rd book !!!!!! I'll pre-order right now !!!🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@pam0626]

I just love Tina Brown and the way she tells a story. And I admire how Lady Glenconner shares most difficult parts of her marriage and the domestic abuse she suffered without rancor or self-pity.

[@patiyer4134]

An extraordinary person. Enjoyable. Interview

[@silva7493]

How fascinating!!!

[@nikkibrungard6293]

I absolutely LOVE Lady G.!

[@karensnowden962]

WONDERFUL Thank you so much.I really enjoyed it.

[@mikeandjuliecarson5067]

Adding her books to my list! Quite a lady.

[@cornelia9778]

OMG Colin was a total ass. Lady Anne was quite incredible to stick with him and suffer such mistreatment. She certainly never deserved that. What a wonderful lady. I am so sad that that SOB was such a jerk to the very end. I can’t help but wonder what her friends and family were doing

[@LotusLady9]

Great interview. She like a nice lady. I am going to read her books.

[@joreiwik1234]

interesting reflections on Camilla. not a fan, but am more likely to listen to Lady Anne Glenconner's view of her than anyone

[@johndean958]

A beautiful , real Lady in every sense. Amazing . John (Australia)

[@marianoscotti8899]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏What an amazing Lady !! A real star !!! Una genia total !!! A goooorgeous video ! And jolly nice English without an accent !😉 When I was young I looked after my uncle's ponies at Cowdray Park Polo Club, in Midhurst, and everybody there spoke just like you ! 😀😀 Muchos saludos para las dos, Mariano Scotti Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷

[@robinkelly993]

I love her

[@deanolaurence3932]

Tina brown isn’t a great interviewer don’t like her cutting lady Ann off

[@michelegraham9044]

Tina as much as you try to hide it your veiled distain for Monarchy and aristocracy is very obvious and yet I believe they’ve kept a roof over your head. Hopefully you remain living in the USA. They can have you. Lady G is a true lady. You are not.

[@jackiejones690]

I agree ...the snark sure flowed in the Palace Diaries

[@michelegraham9044]

@@jackiejones690 I didn’t read them but watched 2 interviews with her promoting it. For the English woman who interviewed her for the English audience she said one thing and then for the American audience she said almost the opposite so I did some digging. One former colleague called her “Stalin in heels.” And yet she accepted an OBE, so a hypocrite and opportunist as well.

[@niallmcdonaghcosolicitors1201]

A bit bitter

[@lyno1980]

I met Lady Anne is 2007 at the Asda car park, Telford Road, Slough, she was scrapping bird dirt from her windscreen with her debit card, she was lovely and signed my youngest child’s arm, which was later made into a tattoo, she is a very classy lady

[@valerieforbes8096]

I’ve read her first just ordered this one. She is a wonderful woman.

[@ChloeLouiseTheRonnieRepublic]

Thank you--two amazing ladies--excellent story tellers.

[@janetclaireSays]

This lady is an inspiration.

[@idgriffin56]

Fantastic

[@ChavJag]

Wow she's amazing.

[@grazynakawka8585]

Queen Camilla embraced her role as queen marvelously. She continues to champion causes important to her and is now able to shed even more light on them. The recent summit ref litteracy (cant remember exact name) has shown how much us being done and what ambitious goals there are❗ Other causes, too 👏👏❤️ Like women abuse that Lady Glenconner referred to

[@praktyknlp]

An example of the impact the royals' tireless work can have 👍❤️

[@khinsandawin2219]

Bravo!

[@junejones6333]

😊

[@maryjones0147]

Her husband had a terrible temper. There is a video where he gets horrible anger with the help in Mustique.

[@Tidyisland]

What a great conversation and commentary.

[@CWhandlei]

Lady Ann is quite amazing. Tina is horrible.

[@Freespeech141]

What a wonderful lady! I did see a brief video on utube a few years ago of when they got back to Buckingham Palace after the coronation, it must have been part of the private one mentioned here. The Queen and the girls walk in and literally flop onto couches, arms outstretched, as I do after a difficult day! They are laughing and chatting, whilst footmen serve them champagne. It’s a wonderful sight! We can see the relief on all their faces that it was all over, and we can see that they are friends enjoying a delightful moment, totally being themselves! It’s no longer on utube sadly.

[@helzhathnofury7363]

Loved this interview, thank you

[@bethcaswell9670]

I SALUTE HER! she explains what it was like even if You were from wealth!!!love her observations..point of view..Women's enduring..when rights were.nonexistant..such cruelty...endured!!..loved her telling the CROWN was NOT true...actually fiction/ lies... misrepresented events as unflatterringly as possible and sadly thats what many will think IS history of Royal Family!

[@neatpaws]

Amazing! I read the first book. Such a good read! 🤗

[@gwp5066]

He and Margaret may also have lived longer had they not smoked 3 packs per day. It was the Queen Mother, who was incredibly savvy, who ran with the theory that Uncle David killed her husband by abdicating. No the nicotine did it.

[@ErinAbou]

Yes, smoking killed several royals. They all would have lived longer if they didn’t smoke (and drink so heavily!).

[@maryswann7623]

@@ErinAboubut that was how they coped with the stresses that were going on.

[@cato1684]

The government recommended smoking to the British Public after WW2, I think it may have been because of rationing and if you smoked you would not be so hungry. Same government now demanding that we stop smoking.

[@grazynakawka8585]

​@@ErinAbou Which royals did smoking kill? I know of George VI and likely Princess Margaret. Who else?

[@juttadestiny6810]

Duke of windsor

[@bridgetgee3152]

I wish Tina didn’t interrupt so much.

[@user-ld5ew3yy1b]

I believe Tina gave it direction and kept lady G interesting by focusing on subjects of interest to listeners.

[@bryan7938]

Agreed re her book. Great.

[@lafleurproductions]

Fabulous interview. Thanks to you both. Bought the book.

[@sebastianhall6554]

This interviewer is irritating , let her speak organically !!!

[@CWhandlei]

Tina is awful here. She constantly interrupted and seemed very cold

[@kittiesshortie5011]

Well, she IS very cold !

[@gwae48]

yes. Ignores the answers really.

[@chezzachezza7325]

Love this lady imagine spending time with her 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@cato1684]

An interviewer who reads from her notes, really shows that she has no interest in her guest.

[@user-ld5ew3yy1b]

No it shows she wants to keep the conversation moving and interesting

[@gwae48]

Great books, great Lady. Very Funny.

[@susydyson1750]

i particularly enjoyed her details 'an awful stench of moth. balls..!' 😅

[@barahona68]

She's Lady Glenconner, not Lady Anne Glenconner, because she's the wife/widow of Lord Glenconner, not the daughter of Lord Glenconner. Actually she's the Dowager Lady Glenconner.

[@sauvignonblanc0]

I have the sense that it is her who wants people to call her 'Lady Anne'. She repeats it herself numerous times. 'the Lady Glenconner' is correct but rather impersonal.

[@cato1684]

As the daughter of an Earl, I think she is Lady Anne from birth.

[@ruthie7]

@@cato1684 Yes she is.

[@cornelia9778]

Loved this thanks so much. Will be buying both books.

[@lynbest6759]

Buy? Library!

[@Anna_Key]

36:36 is Lady Anne's son the reason Princess Margaret was such a great Patron for AIDS research?

[@twittertwice]

Not a fan of Tina Brown

[@gnostic268]

Me neither. Can't stand her.

[@heidimueller1039]

Did she get to go to the Coronation? I thought this was a more current interview.

[@Mac62671]

I would love to know what makes one person this incredibly resilient and others fold like wet napkins with the least challenge.

[@allyanderson6755]

34.00 bless her. 😢

[@gwae48]

I read that when Townsend and Margaret met a year later they were totally Over each other !!!!

[@robcrisall787]

OMG… the British accent…Wow

[@ArianneAvalon]

Don't think that dreadful Brown was necessary.

[@bridgetcooper6331]

Margaret was a mean snob

[@kevinhickey3515]

An out and out snob but a very endearing one....She has and always had a very funny side..She is so interesting.....love her........

[@greeneyedwarlock882]

A "out and out SNOB".....REALLY? After everything she's suffered through and LOST and has had the GUTS & HEART to share with the world at 91, but SHE'S A SNOB?!? GTFO!!!🖕🖕🖕

[@gwae48]

I wouldn't want this Tina interviewing me. No empathy, no real interest.

[@brucebailey6269]

Tina Brown is the wrong interviewer for this Lady

[@angelareimann6433]

Yes. Dismissive toward some of her comments, hurrying to get to topics on her list. Walked all over her at times. Some friend.

[@angerjane]

"She's a Mrs. Bennett." Best line of the interview. But Tina didn't like it.

[@michelegraham9044]

Tina is extremely biased AGAINST the Monarchy and aristocratics in general in my opinion. She tries to veil it but I saw 2 interviews with her when she was promoting her book a year or 2 ago. She e had more or less the same sort of questions but very different answers depending who the audience was. It’s best she remains living in the USA.

[@angerjane]

@@michelegraham9044 In this case, Tina is protecting her much more valuable connection with the Middletons.

[@MaliKamicak]

People will never forget Carol for daring to create something of herself and for her children. In their eyes, she should have known her place and stayed in a council flat.

[@grazynakawka8585]

​@@MaliKamicak I agree with you👌 I admire any woman who has built herself up through creativity and hard work. Carole and Michael Middleton educated their children and by all accounts gave them wonderful and stable family background. Bravo‼️I say

[@praktyknlp]

​@@grazynakawka8585True ❤

[@BesmaL]

Tina Brown is an amazing journalist and interviewer !

[@denisecohen2220]

-😊

[@douglasbrown283]

The Dauphan Charles remembers you with fondness

[@tonylarussa4046]

The Duke of Windsor abdicating shortened George VI's life, not the heavy smoking.

[@gwae48]

No. The Smoking did it. The Xrays tell the truth.

[@deanolaurence3932]

Did she go to the coronation ?

[@gwae48]

didn't see her, looked for her, just read her book.🙂

[@Barneysma]

Yes she did 😁. She wrote a piece about it in the Daily Mail. Google and you will find it.

[@angela8858]

I have much sympathy for her but when Tina Brown complimented on her being a very strong woman apparently it took the mother to confront the husband. And when asked why she didn’t leave him her reply was “we were brought up not to do that”. I find that a pathetic response. If she had said for example she stayed because of the children it would have sounded more valid but her husband was a monster from beginning to end. I can relate to her story but the truth always comes out in the end.

[@maryswann7623]

That is how it was. Divorce was not accepted. That’s why Margaret and Uncle David were affected. Margaret said it wasn’t possible because the church didn’t allow it. Uncle gave us his Kingdom.

[@franmellor9843]

That's really REALLY how it was back then for the aristocrat & the commoners NOTHING pathetic about IT

[@fabulousnewt770]

Really showing your ignorance.

[@sandyschneider6792]

Tina Brown…stop interrupting and let her speak and maintain some eye contact!! You were very disruptive in the interview and rather rude at times 😩😵‍💫

[@kimwilliams8375]

🇵🇱😖

[@dafinker3443]

Glenconner often sounds like Kamala Harris ! ! Er to be treated so badly by the most boring of all men at the time , quite tragic. 🙄

[@MsJoybird1]

Lady Anne does not seem very bright to put up with her husband and explain it like she does! To become an icon because her son died of aides!! Really! This is such a strange family!

[@gwae48]

Different times !!!! She would have been ostracized by her entire World. Wives kept their mouths shut and put up with it. She's EXTREMELY BRIGHT, believe me.

[@CJCappella]

The problem with listening to Lady Glenconner is that she is in such a rush to say what she wants. It's irritating!

[@jackiejones690]

Really!!!!! What an ass you are

[@user-ld5ew3yy1b]

Tina helped to keep that in check. Kept Lady G from becoming boring.

[@bethcaswell9670]

May YOU be as eloquent when You are 90 plus!!!!!!!

[@saraneuss4089]

She needs money

[@lisalivingston6473]

@@saraneuss4089 Yes, she needs money, because her sadistic husband left everything to his personal valet in his will. I hope Lady Glenconner makes a ton of money with the publishing of both her books, because she has definitely earned it! What an absolute bastard her husband was!

[@gv1967]

​@@lisalivingston6473 what a bastard! I'm glad this lady chose to move on without wallowing in self pity.

[@lisalivingston6473]

​@@gv1967Lady Anne Glenconner is the ultimate survivor, and it's nice to see her now living in peace and happiness attracting admirers with each book she sells through her engaging interviews. I always enjoy supporting the underdog and the mistreated. She got the last laugh! Bravo, Lady Glenconner! 😊❤

[@michaelwoodbodley8099]

I found all four of her books engrossing - two biographies, one murder mystery set at Holcomb, and another set on Mustique. I hope she writes more.

[@gillianprescott-smith7046]

Cynical of you ….. she’s passing on interesting,social history… she doesn’t need the money. Apart from the fact she’s wealthy in her own right, her previous book was a best seller and she’s old enough not to have to worry about the future

[@ewartjeffries2498]

Wow dont these has beens jump on the band wagon is this all the have achieved? Correct me if I am wrong. Please

[@sandyschneider6792]

You sound jealous. Don’t listen if you don’t like it! You have a choice!

[@sandyschneider6792]

She has achieved A LOT and inspired abused women, and assisted family members with those in a coma. Not everything is about $$ & fame. AND her age brings wisdom…MOT a “hazbeen”