Lady Glenconner, formerly known as Lady Anne Coke, was born in July 1932 as the eldest daughter of The Hon Thomas Coke and Lady Elizabeth Leicester, who held the titles of the 5th earl and Countess of Leicester. She spent her childhood at Holkham Hall, their ancestral estate in Norfolk.
In 1950, Lady Glenconner was presented at court and was named debutante of the year by Tatler magazine. Three years later, she was selected as one of the maids of honour at the Coronation of Elizabeth II.
Lady Glenconner married the Hon Colin Tennant, son of the 2nd Baron Glenconner, in 1956, and they had five children together. They remained married for 54 years until Lord Glenconner's death in 2010.
In 1971, Lady Glenconner was appointed Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret, a role she held until the princess's death in 2002. During this time, she also worked as a fundraiser for Refuge, a domestic abuse charity founded by Erin Pizzey.
In 2019, Lady Glenconner's memoir, "Lady in Waiting," was published and became a worldwide bestseller. She followed this with her first novel, "Murder on Mustique," in 2020, and a second novel, "Haunting at Holkham," in 2021. Her latest book, Trunks & Tiaras, is published on 8 October 2026. In this captivating new memoir, Lady Glenconner takes readers from grand houses and royal tours to hidden corners of the world, sharing the people, places and adventures that have shaped her remarkable life.
Lady Glenconner currently resides in Norfolk, near the family estate, and is a frequent contributor to television,
radio, and press.
From grand houses and embassies to modest huts and idyllic beaches, Anne Glenconner reveals youthful exploits on sailing boats, surprising incidents at health spas and what it’s really like to be on a state visit with a princess. Whether packing tiaras or coping with tantrums, and drawing on nearly a century of travel, she tells us about the unique people she has met, the extraordinary places she has seen and the experiences that moved her.
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