Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland DBE CStJ (9 July 1901 – 21 May 2000) was one of the most successful writers of romance novels of all time, specialising in historical love themes. She also became one of the United Kingdom's most popular media personalities, appearing often at public events and on television, dressed in her trademark pink and discoursing on love, health and social issues. A pseudonym (Greek: , pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons legal name. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area and ward in the city of Birmingham in England. ... This article is about the British city. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about work. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or content. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... HRH The Duke of Gloucester is Grand Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. ...

Early life

Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland in her court presentation dress by Norman Hartnell, 1925

Born at 31 Augustus Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, she was the only daughter and eldest child of a British army officer, Major Bertram Cartland, and his wife, Mary Polly Hamilton Scobell. Though she was born into an enviable degree of middle-class comfort, the family's security was severely shaken after the suicide of her paternal grandfather, James Cartland, a financier, who shot himself in the wake of bankruptcy. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (510x1033, 209 KB) Randy Bryan Bigham Collection, owner by way of gift from subject/copyright holder I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (510x1033, 209 KB) Randy Bryan Bigham Collection, owner by way of gift from subject/copyright holder I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell, KCVO, (b. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area and ward in the city of Birmingham in England. ... This article is about the British city. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... This article is about the socio-economic class from a global vantage point. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ...

This was followed soon after by her father's death on a Flanders battlefield in World War I. However, her enterprising mother opened a London dress shop to make ends meet — "Poor I may be," Polly Cartland once remarked, "but common I am not" — and to raise Cartland and her two brothers, Anthony and Ronald, both of whom were eventually killed in battle, one day apart, in 1940. For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Ronald Cartland MP (3 January 1907 — 30 May 1940)[1] was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kings Norton, Birmingham, from 1935 until his death in 1940. ... Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ...

After attending Malvern Girls' College and Abbey House, an educational institution in Hampshire, Cartland soon became successful as a society reporter and writer of romantic fiction. Cartland admitted she was inspired in her early work by the novels of Edwardian author Elinor Glyn, whom she idolised and eventually befriended. Malvern Girls College was founded in 1893 by Lily Poulton and Isabella Greenslade. ... Abbey House may refer to: Abbey House, Cirencester Abbey House, Wiltshire, for which see Abbey House Gardens Abbey House, Barrow-in-Furness Abbey House, Baker Street, London; a possible location of 221B Baker Street, the fictional residence of Sherlock Holmes. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Elinor Glyn (October 17, 1864 - September 23, 1943), born Nellie Sutherland in Jersey, was the author of It, Three Weeks, Beyond the Rocks, and other novels in a similarly softcore vein. ...

Novels

See also List of books by Barbara Cartland.

After a year as a gossip columnist for the Daily Express, Cartland published her first novel, Jigsaw (1923), a slightly naughty society thriller that became a bestseller. She also began writing and producing somewhat racy plays, one of which, Blood Money (1926), was banned by the Lord Chamberlain's Office. In the 1920s and '30s Cartland was one of the leading young hostesses in London society, noted for her beauty, energetic charm and daring parties. Her fashion sense also had a part in launching her fame. She was in fact one of the first clients of designer Sir Norman Hartnell, who was later appointed dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II. This is an incomplete list of books written by Barbara Cartland. ... For other uses, see Daily Express (disambiguation). ... Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell (b. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

Barbara Cartland's image as a self-appointed "expert" on romance drew some ridicule in her later years, when her social views became more conservative. Indeed, although her first novels were considered sensational, Barbara Cartland's later (and arguably most popular) titles were comparatively tame with virginal heroines and few, if any, suggestive situations. Almost all of Cartland's later books were historical in theme, which allowed for the believability of chastity (at least, to many of her audience).

Despite their tame story lines, Barbara Cartland's later novels were highly successful. By 1983 she rated the longest entry in the British Who's Who, and was named the top-selling author in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. In the mid-1990s, by which time she had sold over a billion books, Vogue magazine called her "the true Queen of Romance". She became a mainstay of the popular media in her trademark pink dresses and plumed hats, discoursing on matters of love, marriage, politics, religion, health and fashion. She was publicly opposed to the removal of prayer from state schools and spoke against infidelity and divorce, although she admitted to being acquainted with both "sins". Whos Who is the name of a number of publications, generally containing concise biographical information on a particular group of people. ... The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of superlatives: both in terms of human achievement and the extrema of the natural world. ... For other meanings, see vogue. ...

Contribution to aviation

Privately, Cartland took an interest in the early gliding movement. Although aerotowing for launching gliders first occurred in Germany, she thought of long distance tows in 1931 and did a 200 mile tow in a two-seater glider. The idea led to troop-carrying gliders. In 1984, she was awarded the Bishop Wright Air Industry Award for this contribution.^[1] A modern glider crossing the finish line of a competition at high speed. ... Gliders or Sailplanes are heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight. ... Gliders built by the military of various countries were used for carrying troops and heavy equipment, mainly during the Second World War. ...

Marriage and relationships

According to an obituary published in The Daily Telegraph on 22 May 2000, Cartland reportedly broke off her first engagement, to a Guards officer, when she learned about sexual intercourse and recoiled. This claim fits in with her image as part of a generation for whom such matters were never discussed, but sits uneasily with her having produced work controversial at the time for its sexual subject matter, as described above. In any case, she was married, from 1927 to 1932, to Alexander George McCorquodale, an Army officer who was heir to a British printing fortune (he died in 1964). This article concerns the British newspaper. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ...

Dame Barbara Cartland with her friend, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, 1978

Their daughter, Raine McCorquodale (born in 1929), became "Deb of the Year" in 1947. After the McCorquodales' 1936 divorce, which involved charges and countercharges of infidelity, Cartland married a man her husband had accused her of dallying with — his cousin Hugh McCorquodale, a former military officer. She and her second husband, who died in 1963, had two sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (780x1086, 294 KB) Randy Bryan Bigham Collection, owner by way of gift from subject/copyright holder I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (780x1086, 294 KB) Randy Bryan Bigham Collection, owner by way of gift from subject/copyright holder I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC (25 June 1900–27 August 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Raine, Countess Spencer was born Raine McCorquodale on September 9, 1929, the only child of the celebrated romance novelist Dame Barbara Cartland and her first husband, Alexander McCorquodale, an Army officer who was an heir to a printing fortune. ...

Cartland maintained a long-time friendship with Lord Mountbatten of Burma, whose 1979 death she claimed was the "greatest sadness of my life". Mountbatten supported Cartland in her various charitable works, particularly for United World Colleges, and even helped her write her book Love at the Helm, providing background naval and historical information. Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC (25 June 1900–27 August 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Mountbatten Memorial Trust, established by Mountbatten's great nephew the Prince of Wales after Mountbatten was assassinated in Ireland, was the recipient of the proceeds of this book on its release in 1980. “Prince Charles” redirects here. ...

In 1991, Barbara Cartland was invested by Queen Elizabeth II as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in honor of the author's nearly 70 years of literary, political and social contributions. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander...

Cartland was openly critical of her step-daughter Diana, Princess of Wales's divorce from the Prince of Wales, which caused a rift between them, one mended shortly before Diana's fatal car crash in Paris in 1997. Princess Diana redirects here. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

Political influence

After the death during World War II of her brother Ronald Cartland, a popular Member of Parliament, she published a biography of him with a preface by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The war marked the beginning of a life-long interest in civic welfare and politics for Barbara Cartland, who served the War Office in various charitable capacities as well as the St. John Ambulance Brigade; in 1953 she was invested at Buckingham Palace as a Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem for her services. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Old War Office Building, seen from Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ... St. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known by such names as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, and Order of St John of Jerusalem) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine hospitaller Order founded in Jerusalem, following the First Crusade, ca. ...

In 1955 Barbara Cartland was elected a councillor on Hertfordshire County Council as a Conservative and served for nine years. During this time she campaigned successfully for nursing home reform, improvement in the salaries of midwives, and the legalisation of education for the children of Gypsies. She also founded the National Association of Health, promoting a variety of medications and remedies, including an anti-aging cream and a so-called "brain pill" for increasing mental energy. For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Celebrity status

Her high-profile in the UK, France and the United States between the 1970s and 1990s was aided greatly through her frequent appearance on TV talk shows. Her daughter's social success, which repeated and surpassed her own, also brought her added attention. Raine's marriage to the 9th Earl of Dartmouth, however, ended in divorce, and she remarried in 1976 to the 8th Earl Spencer, whose children included Lady Diana Spencer, the future Princess of Wales. Gerald Humphry Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth FCA (26 April 1924–14 December 1997) was a British peer and businessman. ... Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (January 24, 1924 - March 29, 1992) was born at 24 Sussex Square, London, England, the son of Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1892-1975) and his wife, the former Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton (1897-1972), daughter of the 3rd Duke of Abercorn. ... Princess Diana redirects here. ...

She was burlesqued as 'Amelia Nettleship' in the Rumpole TV show episode "Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation" (Season 5, Episode 1 - 1988).

Later life and death

Dame Barbara Cartland with reporter Randy Bryan Bigham, in one of her last photos, 2000

Her physical and mental health began to fail in her mid-90s but her spirit and courage were undiminished, and she remained a favourite with the press, granting interviews to international news agencies even during the final months of her life. Two of her last interviews were with the BBC and US journalist Randy Bryan Bigham. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (585x793, 222 KB) Summary Barbara Cartland, Randy Bryan Bigham, 2000. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (585x793, 222 KB) Summary Barbara Cartland, Randy Bryan Bigham, 2000. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

Her last project was to be filmed and interviewed for her life story (Directed by Steven Glen for Blue Melon Films). The documentary, titled 'Virgins and Heroes', includes unique early home cine footage and Dame Barbara launching her website with pink computers in early 2000. At that time, her publishers estimated that since her writing career began in 1923, Dame Barbara Cartland had produced a total of 723 titles. After years of wearing her trademark anti-wrinkle cream and heavy makeup, she had herself photographed repeatedly without any cosmetics before she died. She was 98 years of age at her death.

Due to her concern for the environment, she requested to be buried in a cardboard coffin. This request was honoured and she was buried at her estate in Hatfield under a tree that had been planted by Queen Elizabeth I.^[2] Arms of the former Hatfield Rural District Council Hatfield, originally Bishops Hatfield, is in the Welwyn Hatfield district of Hertfordshire, in the south of England. ...

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Barbara Cartland

• Official website