Even in the glittering world of British high society, grief and heartbreak spare no one.
Lady Anne Glenconner, the late Princess Margaret’s former lady-in-waiting, has opened up about how she found solace amid some of the most painful moments of her life in the quiet sanctuary of her garden.
The 93-year-old socialite shared her reflections in a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph to coincide with the paperback release of her book Lady Glenconner’s Picnic Papers and other Feasts with Friends.
Tragedy Strikes the Glenconner Family
Lady Glenconner’s life has been marked by personal loss.
She endured the deaths of two of her sons: Henry, who died from AIDS in 1990 at just 29, and Charles, who passed away in 1996 from hepatitis.
Her third son, Christopher, faced a near-fatal motorcycle accident in Belize during a gap year, leaving him in a coma for four months and under her devoted care for the five years following his recovery.
“My garden has been a constant companion.
It has seen me through so much sadness, so much grief,” she revealed.
“At one awful point, I thought I was going to lose all three.
When I got home from nursing Christopher, I would sit in the garden. In dark times, it became a place of solace, of peace.”
A Living Tribute to Her Children
Lady Glenconner turned her garden into a meaningful memorial for her sons.
She planted a red beech tree for Henry, reflecting his red hair, and a horse chestnut for Charles, who loved collecting conkers as a child.
Each day, she says hello to the trees that represent her children, a quiet ritual that keeps their memories alive in the space that has given her comfort.
Enduring Abuse Behind Closed Doors
Tragedy wasn’t limited to the loss of her children.
Lady Glenconner spent decades enduring the cruelty of her late husband, Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner. Their 54-year marriage included physical abuse and infidelity.
In one particularly harrowing incident during the late 1970s, Tennant attacked Lady Glenconner with a shark-bone walking stick during a family celebration on Mustique, leaving her deaf in one ear.
She recounted the terrifying ordeal: “I lay there, trying to protect my head and begging him to stop.
He didn’t: he was in a frenzy, quite out of his mind. I was utterly terrified, convinced he might actually kill me.”
Despite this, Tennant later apologized and promised it would never happen again.
A Marriage Marked by Sadism and Defiance
Tennant’s cruelty extended beyond his lifetime.
Shortly before his death in 2010, he left everything to his valet, Kent Adonai, a final act of spite Lady Glenconner described as “one last flourish of his sadistic side, the side that revelled in the distress of others.”
Yet she refused to let it break her, choosing instead to focus on healing and the positive aspects of her life.
Sharing Her Story to Help Others
Lady Glenconner has spoken openly about her experiences of abuse, inspired in part by Queen Camilla’s work with domestic abuse survivors through the Safelives charity.
By sharing her story, she hopes to empower others while reflecting on a life of extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows, always finding comfort in her garden and in the love she holds for her family.
