Princess Margaret’s former lady-in-waiting has stirred controversy by claiming that Queen Elizabeth II did not take sufficient steps to assist her son, Charles, in finding a suitable spouse, which led to his unsuccessful marriage to Princess Diana. This claim is made in Lady Glenconner’s upcoming book, Manners and Mischief: An A–Z of Royal Tales and Surprising Wisdom from Princess Margaret’s Lady-in-Waiting, scheduled for release on November 6, 2025.
An excerpt from the book was published by The Daily Mail on Saturday, October 25, 2025, in which Lady Glenconner wrote, “I do slightly feel that the late Queen Elizabeth could have worked harder to try to find Prince Charles a suitable wife.”
Lady Glenconner, aged 93, who was a maid of honor at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and spent many years as Princess Margaret’s companion, suggested that the queen’s own happiness in her marriage to Prince Philip might have caused her to overlook her son’s needs. She noted that since the queen was happily married, she might not have focused on Charles’s marriage as some other European royals did.
Glenconner compared this to practices in Greece and Spain, where queens traditionally hosted royal princesses from other European nations to find brides for their sons. This strategic approach to royal matchmaking differed significantly from how Charles’s situation was handled.
The former lady-in-waiting also revealed that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were not the only ones encouraging Charles to marry Diana. According to Glenconner, the Queen Mother and Lady Fermoy, Diana’s grandmother, were also supportive of the marriage. The Queen Mother expressed her approval in writing, and Prince Philip was a strong advocate for the union.
Charles and Diana first met at a party in 1980 after Lord Mountbatten’s death. Diana was sympathetic to Charles, who was in a relationship at the time, but she left a strong impression on him, according to Glenconner.
The most significant criticism from Glenconner focused on Diana’s age and lack of experience. Glenconner stated that Diana “was so young when they married and had very little life experience.” She added that Diana’s popularity with the public made it difficult for Charles to manage.
Diana was 20 years old when she married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981. Their marriage, which attracted worldwide attention, ended in divorce on August 28, 1996, after years of public disputes and revelations of affairs.
The book is the latest work by Glenconner, who has become a bestselling author in her nineties. Her previous memoir, Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2019, provided insights into her years with Princess Margaret and her own challenging marriage to Colin Tennant, the third Baron Glenconner.
Jamie Hodder-Williams at Bedford Square Publishers acquired world English-language rights to the new book from Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown. The publisher describes the book as a collection of reflections on various themes, offering stories of coronations, fashion, and challenges, with Glenconner’s distinctive spirit and life lessons.
Born Lady Anne Coke in 1932 as the eldest daughter of the fifth Earl of Leicester, Glenconner grew up at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. She was appointed lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971 and served in numerous state events and foreign tours until the princess’s death in 2002. She and her husband also developed the Caribbean island of Mustique into a destination for the wealthy, giving Princess Margaret a plot for a home.
The book includes over 20 previously unseen photographs from Glenconner’s personal collection. Reflecting on her current life, Glenconner mentioned that in her nineties, she is enjoying life more than ever, finding joy in everyday pleasures rather than grand events.
Her observations about Queen Elizabeth’s involvement in Charles’s marriage choice add to ongoing discussions about the royal family’s decision-making during one of the most examined periods in modern monarchy history.
The claims surface at a time when King Charles and Queen Camilla have achieved their own marital happiness, with Glenconner praising Camilla as the ideal partner for Charles, noting that she is “down to earth, great fun and has a wonderful sense of humour” and that she makes Charles “very happy.”
