Meghan Markle Didn’t Understand ‘All Royals Work Hard,’ Says Former Royal Lady-in-Waiting
At the end of March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will officially commence their break from royal life. Nicknamed “Megxit,” most royal watchers have an opinion about Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stepping back as senior royals.
While the general public is not privy to what goes on behind closed royal family doors, some who are acquainted with various members of the monarchy have shared their thoughts. One of the latest to do so is Lady Anne Glenconner, someone who’s seen generations of royals.
Who is Lady Glenconner?
A former lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Glenconner is the daughter of an earl and married Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, in 1956. She was the princess’s friend, confidante, and assistant for 30 years.
The 87-year-old released a memoir in late 2019 in the U.K. titled Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, which detailed her marriage, personal challenges, and experiences with Princess Margaret and the royal family.
She’s portrayed in season 3 of The Crown by Nancy Connell alongside Helena Bonham Carter’s Princess Margaret. Glenconner’s book will hit U.S. shelves on March 24, so she’s been doing a new round of interviews about her time with the late princess, her life, and the royals.
What Lady Glenconner says about Meghan Markle
During a recent interview with The Guardian, questions about Meghan were off-limits. But Glenconner told the publication one quick tidbit about the duchess.
She said though she’s a spare — a term for indirect successors to the crown, such as Prince Andrew and Prince Harry — Meghan “made the mistake” of not understanding that all royals have to put in hard work.
“I think she thought she could drive around in a golden coach. But it’s actually quite boring,” Glenconner said. “Princess Margaret did so much charity work, and without any photographers, unlike the Princess of Wales.”
The article noted that Glenconner is a traditional royalist who tends to lean more toward the old school when it comes to the monarchy. The publication also said she mentioned that Prince William and Prince Harry “go on about their mother the whole time. I think it’s a bit much.”
Lady Glenconner was close to Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth
One of the reasons Glenconner penned her own book was to dispel some of the rumors about the princess. She told the hosts of Loose Women that Margaret was the best friend she ever had and that they used to laugh so much.
She shared that Princess Margaret loved to wash Glenconner’s car and weed her garden. Glenconner was also part of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation ceremony.
According to People, she enjoyed downtime with the princess when they weren’t traveling. She said:
“My favorite times with Princess Margaret were the time I spent alone with her. We used to garden, she used to lay my fires because I wasn’t a Girl Guide. We used to go for walks and go to the beach. And when I lived with her for a year at Kensington Palace and whenever we weren’t doing anything, we would get together.”
On a side note, before she married Tennant, Glenconner was engaged to Princess Diana’s father. Due to bloodlines, his family didn’t approve of the union. He faded out of their relationship and went on to marry Diana’s mother.
