Dame Barbara Cartland

 Pink was Dame Barbara Cartland’s favourite colour. Together with her animated look of flamboyant outfits, oversized jewellery, big wigs and ostrich feathers, it became her signature look in later life.

Known for her garish taste, Cartland was one of the first clients of fashion designer to the royals, Norman Hartnell, remaining a loyal customer until he died in 1979.

Best known for her romantic novels, Cartland was recognised for her vivid and descriptive prose. Her hallmark was the innocent virgin and eternal happy ending where love triumphed over evil.

Several of her novels were adapted into films for television including A Hazard of Hearts, A Ghost in Monte Carlo and Duel of Hearts.

Born in Edgbaston in July 1901 to a well-heeled family, she was the only daughter of her parents. In her late teens, her grandfather and her father both died, leaving her mother to bring up Barbara and her two older brothers in challenging circumstances. She subsequently moved them all to London where she purchased a clothing shop business. Barbara’s two brothers were to both die in the First World War.

Hailed as the Queen of Romance, she wrote her first book aged 14 years old. Her first published novel was Jigsaw in 1923, released just a year after she started working for the Daily Express as a society gossip columnist, aged 22. The risqué society thriller became a bestseller and she never looked back.

Socialising at Brooklands Motor Course, Cartland persuaded the Brooklands authorities to set up Reading Room for Ladies in the 1920s.

She also organised a women’s race with MG cars. Today, the Brooklands Museum has a Barbara Cartland Room, which is a replica of the Ladies’ Reading Room.

With her talents extending also to aviation and recognised as an accomplished pilot. In 1931, Cartland designed with two RAF officers, the first aircraft-towed delivery glider. Personally flying a a record-breaking glider flight of 200 miles/360km, whilst carrying a sack of mail, she also set the record of achieving the first glider based airmail delivery. During the Second World War this technology became an important weapon for achieving penetration behind enemy lines and widely recognised as a significant factor in the success of Operation Overlord, D-Day. In 1984, she was awarded the Bishop Wright Air Industry Award at Kennedy Airport, USA for this contribution.

During the Second World War, Cartland was appointed Chief Lady Welfare Officer to the Services in Bedfordshire. One of her particular projects involved getting married women to donate their wedding dresses to forces women who were getting married during the war, at a time of clothing shortages. She was also County Cadet Officer in St. John Ambulance, raising valuable funds.

In 1950 she moved to Camfield Place in Essendon, Hertfordshire, which was once the home of Beatrix Potter’s grandparents and the setting for Peter Rabbit.

After the War, Carlton went into local politics, becoming a County Councillor in Hertfordshire. Her wider political activities included arguing for better pay and working conditions for nurses and midwives and she evoked a commission of enquiry into the treatment of the elderly by the government. She also fought for the welfare and rights of people in the Romany community (then commonly known as gypsies) resulting in Travellers’ children having the right to education in local schools. The first dedicated camp for Traveller families set up in Hertfordshire was named in her honour as Barbaraville.

During the 1960’s Cartland developed an interest in alternative medicines and health foods. Her book, “The Magic of Honey” caused a shortage of honey in health food shops. A champion of ginseng and vitamin pills, she famously consumed no fewer than 88 supplements a day.

In the 1970s, Cartland founded the National Association for Health, also acting as president.

With her interest extending also into music and the arts, Cartland released a joint album of love songs at age 77, singing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 1983, Cartland set a Guinness Book World Record for the most novels written in a single year. When she died in 2000, aged 98, Cartland had published 723 historical-romantic novels and sold 750 million copies of her books around the world. She was a phenomenal at business and marketing.

She married wealthy Alexander McCorquodale in 1923, who bought her a house in Mayfair and a Rolls Royce. However, he was a drunk and starved her of affection. The marriage was unhappy, she indulged in affairs and the couple divorced in 1933. Their daughter, Raine McCorquodale (1929-2016) was Debutante of the Year in 1947. She was later to become stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Cartland later alleged, she was in fact the daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942). He was killed in an air crash during the Second World War.

Her second marriage in 1936 was to Hugh McCorquodale, her ex husband’s cousin. They remained happy together for 28 years, until Hugh's death in 1963 and had two sons. Ian Hamilton McCorquodale (1937-2023), a Debretts publisher, and Glen McCorquodale (born 1939), a stockbroker.

Cartland claimed to have declined 49 marriage proposals.

She maintained a long friendship with Lord Mountbatten of Burma, whose assassination in 1979 she described as "the greatest sadness of my life". The Mountbatten Memorial Trust, established by Prince Charles, was the recipient of the proceeds of the book they wrote together ‘Love at the Helm’, released in 1980. He had helped her extensively with naval research.

She was snubbed by Buckingham courtiers, allegedly encouraged by Princess Margaret, when her invite to the wedding of Charles and Diana at St Paul’s Cathedral was revoked. There was reportedly a sustained campaign to influence Earl Spencer‘s decision in going against his mother in law. Rather than kick up a fuss, Cartland threw open her home, Camfield Place for a big party with St John's Ambulance volunteers.

Cartland who was openly critical of Diana’s divorce, once remarked, "The only books Diana ever read were mine, and they weren't awfully good for her." Apparently though, the rift between them was mended shortly before Diana's fatal 1997 car crash in Paris.

Suffering from dementia, her indiscretions became more extreme towards the final years of her life. She died in her sleep, a few weeks shy of her 99th birthday in 2000.

Barbara Cartland additionally was known for her philanthropy and extensive charity work. She lived a very full, accomplished and varied life. Bron: Great British Tea Party