Lady In Waiting: My Extraordinary Life In The Shadow Of The Crown Quotes
"It’s not every day a Hollywood film star rings me up, although I had been expecting her call."
"The conversation was surreal as I became extremely self-aware, realising that Nancy must be absorbing what I was like."
"I tried to capture her quick wit – how she always saw the humorous side of things, not one to dwell, her attitude positive and matter-of-fact."
"I’ve always loved telling stories, but it never occurred to me to write a book until these two visits stirred up all those memories."
"From a generation where we were taught not to over-think, not to look back or question, only now do I see how extraordinary the nine decades of my life have really been."
"I had tried awfully hard to be a boy, even weighing eleven pounds at birth, but I was a girl and there was nothing to be done about it."
"My mother was very attractive and very confident, and I think that’s what drew my father to her."
"With my father in the Scots Guards, we moved all over the country, and I was brought up by nannies, who were in charge of the ins and outs of daily life."
"It was a generation and a class who were not brought up to express emotions."
"Things have a habit of working out, not necessarily in the way you expect, and you must never force them."
"The war meant that Carey and I and the Princesses were no longer in Norfolk together and the only time we saw them was when Carey, the Ogilvys and I visited Glamis Castle."
"Life at Holkham continued to revolve around farming the land, all elements of which were taken seriously."
"The only good thing about being there was that my mother managed to charm some American officers into allowing her to buy dairy products and sugar."
"At nine o’clock a trolley would be wheeled in and sometimes a mini-bar would appear, and the men rather sheepishly would ask, ‘Will you be Mother?’"
"The experience taught me the importance of staying down to earth and adapting to any situation."
"My mother’s role was largely ceremonial but the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire had an active role because, as Mistress of the Robes, it was her job to assist the 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley, the Lord Great Chamberlain, who helped with the Queen’s costume changes."
"The thought of so many millions of people watching was simply terrifying."
"The mood in Norfolk stayed sombre. A distinct silence gathered eerily inside the walls of Holkham."
"London was an extraordinary sight, the streets full of tremendously cheerful people sitting or standing in the pouring rain."
"The whole idea was that each dance of the evening would be reserved for an array of different suitors, so that by the end of the night and, by extension, of the Season, one man would have danced you off your feet and into married life."
"He looked rather puzzled but sold it to me and helpfully moved it so that it was far enough away from the house to give me some undisturbed peace."
"I could hardly lift the teapot either, and as I laboriously poured the tea, he turned his attention to Colin."
"This was how my mother dealt with things: she just got on with life, whatever it threw at her."
"I realised I was about to leave not only the house but my life as I knew it."
"As soon as the Archbishop placed the crown on the new Queen’s head, the distinct silence that had fallen broke, replaced by ‘God Save the Queen!’ ringing out in a wave of jubilant cries."
"I can’t faint in front of the entire British Empire."
"I went up to my mother’s bedroom to change out of my wedding dress and into a blue silk coat, hat and gloves."
"We had only gone to Trinidad for a short trip and now I found myself realising that our conventional life was going to change completely."
"The choir sang ‘Zadok The Priest’, the Queen was de-robed by the Lord Great Chamberlain, with help from the Mistress of the Robes, and a simple white dress put on over the Coronation dress."
"Despite the hard work involved in navigating the steps without putting a foot wrong, I can vividly remember how amazing it felt to be part of that moment."
"I always felt able to cope, happier and more independent."
"We complained but without over-indulging, speaking bluntly, then brushing our troubles aside."
"Colin was always coming up with ideas to impress the guests."
"Princess Margaret loved collecting shells to make tables decorated with shell tops."
"Being on Windstar was like being on a moving island."
"It was Colin’s eccentricity that helped put Mustique on the map."
"Sometimes we would go and have dinner with him in college with a group of undergraduates, and Princess Margaret would be in her element."
"I think from that point of view he was proved right: it attracted the top rock stars."
"It’s hard to beat those beaches: there are no big concrete hotels or car parks or anything to detract from the beauty."
"When he did appear, he would often get very anxious and start yelling for me or the children to come back, worried we were going out too far."
"Amazing, really, because it still hasn’t got all the mod-cons that other places have."
"I don’t know why my Lady in Waiting is in tears."
"Princess Margaret never remarked on Charlie’s behaviour and always took time to talk to him."
"Princess Margaret, there’s no point worrying. We will either be all right or we won’t, and there is absolutely nothing to be done about it."
"She never got any of the cats, who were far too quick and would sit on the wall, just out of reach of the hose, looking slightly smug."
"I could see Princess Margaret’s mood sinking further, a look of despair in her eyes."
"I could feel myself beginning to give up. I started to doubt whether anything would ever make a difference."
"His first word since the accident was ‘Lamborghini.’"
"The reality was that everybody was high: the bathroom was full of bowls of cocaine, the glass-topped table by the basin criss-crossed with lines."
"If I hadn’t bought it, I have no idea where I would be now."
"Having loved being surrounded by men, she now refused their company, even Colin’s, only feeling comfortable with a few female companions."
"As he recovered slowly, we enjoyed our time together."
"Colin was a uniquely difficult and brilliant man in equal measure."
"The whole congregation sat unmoving, in mournful silence."
"The reality was that Kent immediately put the contents of The Great House up for sale, including a lot of things that belonged to me."
"I stood, clutching a vodka tonic, underneath the pink and white streamers, making small-talk with government officials, policemen, soldiers, magistrates and locals."
"The Queen Mother’s protection officers weren’t too happy with the proximity of the naturists."