Lady Glenconner goes fully candid about royal life in new memoir

Lady Glenconner said age has given her the freedom to speak openly as she shares fresh royal memories in her new book, Manners & Mischief: An A-Z of a Life Lived Well.

The 93-year-old aristocrat, who grew up alongside Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and has known King Charles since he was a child, said she decided to write the book without holding back.

Her sixth memoir reflects on a lifetime spent at the heart of royal life, from serving as a maid of honour at the late Queen’s coronation to decades as Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting.

Speaking with WWD, she said, “There are quite a few of the stories I haven’t written about before, but I thought ‘I’m 93. I’m just going to write what I want.’”

“I’ve done it as an A to Z, because a lot of people don’t have time to read, and don’t want big books. It’s very easy. You can pick and choose what you want to read

“I sit down and look at them and they remind me of what I’ve done and who I’ve met. People always love a royal story.”

In her new book, Lady Glenconner revealed she still enjoys private dinners with King Charles, writing that Queen Camilla appears to trust her as a “safe pair of hands” to keep him company.

“Queen Camilla has her own children and grandchildren, and I think that at 93 she probably thinks I’m a safe pair of hands to keep him company,” she penned.

“They send a car for me, which is really kind as I don’t like driving at night, and I go over and have these lovely dinners with him where we just talk and reminisce; it’s perfect.”