Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting particulars her 34-year extramarital affair

Girl Anne Glenconner can vividly recall one of many closing moments she spent together with her husband of 54 years.

The 90-year-old, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for 3 many years, sorted Lord Colin Tennant, the Baron Glenconner, as he battled prostate most cancers.

“We had separate bedrooms,” she recalled to Fox Information Digital. “I used to be very upset… and I used to be crying quietly to myself. I didn’t suppose he may hear that. He did. He got here in and he hugged me. It was the primary time in years that he touched me. He stated, ‘Was all of it dangerous, Anne?’ I stated, ‘No, in fact it wasn’t all dangerous. Quite a lot of it was high-quality.’ Nevertheless it was very touching. I all the time remembered that. And it was a beautiful factor to occur.”

Girl Anne Glenconner was one in all Queen Elizabeth II’s maids of honor at her coronation in 1953. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Photos)

The British aristocrat handed away in 2010 at age 83. Glenconner, who wrote a e book in 2020 about her friendship with Queen Elizabeth II’s youthful sister, has written a follow-up revealed on Feb. 21 titled “No matter Subsequent? Classes from an Sudden Life,” which particulars her troubled marriage. Glenconner, who was impressed by Queen Consort Camilla and her work with home violence victims, determined to lastly come ahead together with her story. She stated her three youngsters supported her resolution. Her eldest two sons handed away within the Nineties.

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Queen Elizabeth II was topped in 1953. (Hulton Archive/Getty Photos)

“[In my first book] I made mild of loads of issues,” Glenconner admitted. “I didn’t say every little thing I actually wished to say… [But] I used to be influenced, I supposed, by the Queen Consort, who has completed a lot for battered wives and girls who’re abused. And I had a chat with my youngsters… That’s why I did it.”

The previous Girl Anne Coke is the eldest daughter of the fifth Earl of Leicester. (Apic/Getty Photos)

Glenconner is the eldest daughter of the fifth Earl of Leicester and was childhood buddies with each the queen and Margaret. She went on to develop into a maid of honor on the queen’s coronation in 1953. Glenconner married Tennant, the charming and charismatic buddy of Margaret’s, in 1956.

Girl Anne Glenconner married Colin Tennant in 1956. (PA Photos through Getty Photos)

“He was fairly totally different from anyone else I’d ever met,” she stated. “He was enticing, he was humorous. He was filled with great concepts and simply made me see that my life may very well be totally different. It may very well be an excellent journey. And I utterly fell for him. He was additionally an excellent buddy of Princess Margaret. He was one of many younger males she went out with. And I used to be all the time slightly amazed that he selected me, that he really wished to marry me. And loads of the time we have been very glad.”

However in keeping with Glenconner, it didn’t take lengthy for her to see her partner’s darkish facet.

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“I had seen him lose his mood earlier than we acquired married,” she stated. “He all the time stated, ‘The minute we’re married, I gained’t have to lose my mood.’ Which, in fact, I believed. However he misplaced his mood on our honeymoon. His promise of to not lose his mood didn’t final lengthy.”

Colin Tennant, buddy of Princess Margaret, and Girl Anne Coke as they announce their engagement on Dec. 16, 1955. (Norman Potter/Central Press/Getty Photos)

Glenconner alleged that Tennent was bodily abusive behind closed doorways. She described him as having violent outbursts. He would allegedly scream at her and throw issues in her path. She claimed within the e book that at one level, he beat her with a stick, leaving her deaf in a single ear. The assault in query, she claimed, was by no means repeated. She additionally suspected that he as soon as spiked her drink so she may loosen up within the bed room.

Colin Tennant and Girl Anne Glenconner exterior the London nursing residence with their first child Charles. (PA Photos through Getty Photos)

“The difficulty was one by no means knew when he would lose his mood,” she defined. “And that made it very exhausting to be with him.”

Glenconner stated she felt as if she was “treading on eggshells” all through her marriage. The household nanny, Barbara Barnes, who later grew to become a nanny to Princes William and Harry, saved the younger youngsters at nighttime in regards to the tumultuous union.

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Barbara Barnes was later chosen by then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana to be the royal nanny for Prince William and Prince Harry. (PA Photos through Getty Photos)

“I used to be introduced up fairly old style, I suppose,” she mirrored. “We have been introduced up [with the idea] that you simply stick to issues. After I went again to my mom as soon as and stated, ‘Look, I don’t suppose I can cope,’ she stated, ‘You’re married Anne, you’ll go straight again.’ And I did. And you recognize, folks didn’t divorce a lot after I was younger. We caught with it. We tried to make one of the best of it.”

In line with Glenconner, Tennant had many mistresses. To manage, she turned to a detailed buddy, who was additionally married. It resulted in a 34-year affair. Glenconner has by no means named her lover.

“I misplaced my belief in males,” she stated. “We noticed one another as soon as per week. We had lunch and the occasional weekend. However he gave me again [my trust]. And I noticed that males may be great, that males may very well be form, and all that. He made a lot distinction in my life.”

Girl Anne Glenconner had a decades-long affair to deal with her tumultuous marriage. She stated comparable preparations have been fairly frequent among the many elite. (Night Commonplace/Getty Photos)

Glenconner stated her lover’s spouse was conscious of the association. Affairs among the many higher crust have been quite common, she identified. And when the thriller man was on his deathbed, his spouse invited Glenconner to return to say goodbye.

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“I didn’t know she was going to ask me, however I [was] so happy when she did,” stated Glenconner. “She despatched me a memento after he died… I believe she in all probability had a few of her personal. That’s what folks used to do in marriages. That’s how they saved marriages collectively, actually. Individuals had affairs. And but, we carried on. It was a substitute for divorce.”

Glenconner additionally discovered solace in her friendship with Margaret, who was struggling in her personal marriage. She and the Earl of Snowden had their very own extramarital affairs earlier than they finally divorced in 1978.

Princess Margaret, middle, with Lord Colin Tennant and Girl Anne Glenconner within the West Indies. The royal yacht Britannia is within the background. (Ron Bell – PA Photos/PA Photos through Getty Photos)

“[Princess Margaret] knew Colin had a horrible mood,” she stated. “He used to lose his mood in entrance of her. So she knew it. As soon as, he was notably terrible to me and I began to cry. She stated to me, ‘Anne, there’s completely no level in crying. Come on. Brace up, man up.’ She was very sensible. She stated, ‘You mustn’t let him see he has this impact on you. You’ve acquired to be stronger.’ And he or she was in a really troublesome marriage herself… [And] for one great yr, I lived together with her… We might simply speak and speak. And in the long run, after I left, she stated, ‘I actually loved having you, Anne. We acquired on so properly. So significantly better than our terrible husbands.’ We simply needed to snort. It’s a must to snort. In any other case, life is not possible.”

Princess Margaret (1930 – 2002) with Colin Tennant, third Baron Glenconner, on the Caribbean island of Mustique, which Glenconner owns, February 1989. (Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Photos)

Through the closing years of her marriage, Glenconner resided in England whereas her husband stayed within the West Indies. Tennant spent huge quantities of his fortune on reworking Mustique, a tiny island within the Caribbean, into a celebration resort for the wealthy and well-known. He paid almost $54,000 for the island in 1958, the New Yorker reported.

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“I stayed with Colin,” she stated. “We have been married for 54 years, however I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone else. However I believe that we have been fortunate towards the tip, particularly. We didn’t spend an excessive amount of time collectively… We spoke to one another on the phone regularly, two or 3 times per week.”

Colin Tennant and his spouse Anne, on the island of Mustique, which he owned, circa 1973. (Slim Aarons/Getty Photos)

However Glenconner stated she obtained a closing blow from her husband when he handed away. In line with experiences, he minimize her from his will and as a substitute, left a large quantity of his fortune to his devoted valet Kent Adonai. It resulted in a authorized battle with Tennant’s grandson.

Lord Colin Tennant at residence in St.Lucia. He died there in 2010 at age 83. (David Howells/Corbis through Getty Photos)

“I acquired over every little thing else, roughly,” she stated. “All his non-public issues ought to have gone to the youngsters and me. And I minded about that. I didn’t know easy methods to take it, actually couldn’t imagine it… After seven years… we took it to courtroom and [my grandson] acquired half of it again. So one thing got here again.”

Right this moment, life for Glenconner has been “great.” Since sharing her story, she’s obtained numerous letters from ladies who’ve additionally endured struggles of their marriages. She’s additionally penned two historic novels. Her new e book affords a listing of addresses for these “who’re going by means of a troublesome time,” together with SafeLives, a charity the queen consort helps.

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Queen Consort Camilla impressed Girl Anne Glenconner to inform her story. (Finnbarr Webster – WPA Pool / Getty Photos)

“I’ve by no means been so glad,” she stated. “Strolling away from a wedding may be fairly troublesome for a lot of causes. And I hope my story helps others notice they’re not alone.”

If you happen to or somebody you recognize is affected by abuse, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.