Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne GlenconnerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Going the full 5 for pure entertainment value. The audiobook edition, narrated by Glenconner herself, is essential - she speaks in the true upper-class Queen's ("off" is "orf" etc) and there's definite emotion in her voice when she recounts some of the more difficult periods in her life. I'm not sure I've read such an honest autobiography before from someone born into the upper echelons of the British aristocracy.
I grew up very close to Holkham Hall (and worked there in the restaurant for several summers as a teenager) where Glenconner's family are from so knew many of the places and people she was discussing very well.
It's interesting to see first hand how broken so many of the upper classes are, a lot seemingly stemming from their childhood largely being raised by nannies and going to horrible boarding schools rather than in a loving and stable home. Infidelity is rife and clearly accepted too - Glenconner's awful sounding husband at one point starts moaning to her about how annoying his mistress is(!). The level of privilege and complete unawareness of how ordinary people live is quite outstanding too, truly on a different planet.
Even as a staunch republican, I couldn't help but be thoroughly entertained by this book - Russian hitmen, illegal cock-fighting, and bestiality; what more do you need?
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