London – From being Maid of Honour at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and Lady in Waiting to her childhood friend Princess Margaret, to hosting rockstars on her husband's private island of Mustique, facing great personal tragedies, and literary success, Lady Glenconner is a woman with many stories to tell. Now items from her personal collection will go up to auction as part of Bonhams' upcoming sale Lady Glenconner, My Life in Objects on 18 November at Bonhams New Bond Street, London.

Charlie Thomas, Head of Private and Iconic Collections at Bonhams: commented: "Royalty, glamour, and a roller-coaster marriage, Lady Glenconner has led an extraordinary life. Through her many books, across both fiction and nonfiction, she has become widely known for her incredible wit and exceptional strength. We are delighted to be able to offer highlights from her collection at Bonhams and help tell her Life in Objects."

Lady Glenconner commented: "I have had such great pleasure living with these wonderful objects, each telling their own fascinating story and I am delighted that they will soon be going on to new homes and their stories will enter a new chapter."

Highlights of the collection include:

• Thomas Smith of Derby (British, 1715-1767), The Cullen Arabian held by a groom, before a landscape with classical ruins. Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000.

• A 9 carat gold Cartier box gifted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Jacques Cartier, London, 1954, engraved 'Cartier London', incuse stamped 'W' (2). Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000.

• Victor Pasmore R.A. (British, 1908-1998) The Painting Lesson 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.) (Painted in 1939). Estimate: £30,000 - 50,000.

• Sir Norman Hartnell (British, 1901-1979), Lady Glenconner's wedding dress together with a photographic print of Lady Glenconner taken by Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Estimate: £1,000-1,500.

• Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980), The Queen with her Maids of Honour. Estimate: £700 - 1,000.

Lady Glenconner's new book, Manners & Mischief, An A-Z of a Life Lived Well is published by Bedford Square Publishers on 6th November, price £18.99 hardback.

Lady Glenconner was born Lady Anne Coke in 1932, the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Leicester, and grew up in their ancestral estate at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. A Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation, she married Lord Glenconner in 1956. They had 5 children together of whom 3 survive. In 1958 she and her husband began to transform the island of Mustique into a paradise for the rich and famous. They gifted a plot of land to Princess Margaret who built her favourite home there. She was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1973 and kept this role – accompanying her on many state occasions and foreign tours – until her death in 2002. Lord Glenconner died in 2010, leaving everything in his will to his former employee. She now lives in a farmhouse near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

Lady Glenconner's memoir, Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, was published in 2019 and was an immediate international bestseller. Her first novel Murder on Mustique was published in 2020.

Lady Glenconner was also inspiration behind the character of Lady Mary in the series Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey: The Auction runs until 16 September on bonhams.com.