Lady Anne Glenconner's royal connections go way back to her childhood – she was the late Queen's maid of honour and worked with Princess Margaret as her lady-in-waiting for more than three decades.
When Lady Anne married Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner in 1956, the guests included Princess Margaret and the late Queen Mother.
She even wore a wedding dress designed by the late Queen Elizabeth's dressmaker at the time, Norman Hartnell.
And now the beautiful gown can be seen up-close at Holkham Hall near Lady Anne's home as part of their Christmas display.
To mark the occasion, HELLO! spoke exclusively with Lady Anne Glenconner on its royal community The HELLO! Royal Club! Here is an excerpt...
With Christmas just round the corner, how do you remember spending Christmas with the royal family?
We never spent Christmas Day with the royal family, but we did go over to Sandringham during the Christmas holidays for drinks. They always had a beautiful tree and we were very excited to visit.
© Joel BygravesAny royal traditions you’ve incorporated into your own celebrations?
I suppose our Christmas Day at Holkham was similar - though we always opened our presents on Christmas Day and the royal family always opened theirs on Christmas Eve - and we spent ours in a much bigger house than Sandringham! These days, Christmas is a much simpler affair which I enjoy spending at home with family and close friends.
Did you host the royals at Holkham Hall?
The late King always came over to Holkham for the Boxing Day shooting party. The women, including the Queen Mother and sometimes Princess Margaret, would join the men for lunch in The Temple where we would start with a stiff drink and warm ourselves in front of the roaring fire.
© Joel BygravesHow important is it that the King is continuing the royal Sandringham tradition at Christmas?
I think it is terribly important that King Charles is carrying on the royal Sandringham tradition and I am sure the late Queen would be so pleased.
To continue reading, and to discover which current royal bride's wedding dress Lady Anne's gown bears a similarity to, subscribe to become a part of our club here.
Lady Anne Glenconner's latest book "Whatever Next?” is now available in paperback, published by Hodder.
LISTEN: A Right Royal Podcast: Waving goodbye to The Crown
