Barbara Cartland

After a year as a gossip columnist for the Daily Express, Cartland published her first novel, Jigsaw (1923), a risqué 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 1930s, Cartland was a prominent young hostess in London society, noted for her beauty, energetic charm and daring parties. Her fashion sense also had a part, and she was one of the first clients of designer Norman Hartnell; she remained a client until he died in 1979. He made her presentation and wedding dresses; the latter was made to her own design against Hartnell's wishes, and she admitted it was a failure.

In 1950, Cartland was accused of plagiarism by author Georgette Heyer, after a reader drew attention to the apparent borrowing of Heyer's character names, character traits, dialogue and plot points in Cartland's early historical romances. In particular, A Hazard of Hearts (1949) replicated characters (including names) from Heyer's Friday's Child (1944) and The Knave of Hearts (1950) which, Heyer alleged, "the conception ... , the principal characters, and many of the incidents, derive directly from an early book of my own, entitled These Old Shades, first published in 1926. ... For minor situations and other characters she has drawn upon four of my other novels." Heyer completed a detailed analysis of the alleged plagiarisms for her solicitors, but the case never came to court.[15]

As well as writing novels, Cartland wrote a guide to married life in the 1950s, which was banned in Ireland.[16]

Despite their tame story lines, Cartland's later novels were highly successful. By 1983, she rated the longest entry in Who's Who (though most of that article was a list of her books), and she was named the top-selling author in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.[17] Additionally, in 1976, Cartland wrote 23 novels, earning her the Guinness World Record for the most novels written in a single year.[18] The 1970s and 1980s were her most prolific period; she also regularly appeared on television in that era.[19]

In 2000, her publishers estimated that since her writing career began in 1923, Cartland had produced a total of 723 titles.

In the mid-1990s, by which time she had sold over a billion books, Vogue called Cartland "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 of these subjects.

Privately, Cartland took an interest in the early gliding movement and in 1931 created and devised a 200-mile (360 km) tow in a glider carrying mail. In 1984, she was awarded the Bishop Wright Air Industry Award for this contribution.[20]

She regularly attended Brooklands aerodrome and motor-racing circuit during the 1920s and 30s, and the Brooklands Museum has preserved a sitting-room from that era and named it after her.

Cartland wrote several biographies of major figures, including Metternich: The Passionate Diplomat in 1964, The Outrageous Queen: A Biography of Christina of Sweden in 1956, The Private Life of Charles II: The Women He Loved in 1958, and Josephine, Empress of France in 1961. Her biography of Klemens von Metternich focused on his many love affairs and contained passages such as: "He was a virile, experienced and satisfying lover.... Even the most sophisticated women felt as if in his arms they learnt something they had never known before. Every woman rose with him to heights of emotional ecstasy beyond the power of expression."[21]

After the death of her brother Ronald Cartland during World War II, a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Cartland published a biography of him with a preface by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

The war marked the beginning of a lifelong interest in civic welfare and politics for 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.

In 1955, Cartland was elected a councillor on Hertfordshire County Council[10] 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 Romani.

A radio operetta, The Rose and the Violet, broadcast by the BBC in 1942, was composed by Mark Lubbock with book and lyrics by Cartland. It was set against the Edwardian background of Rotten Row.[22]

Cartland recorded an EP vinyl in conjunction with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1978, titled An Album of Love Songs released through State Records, and produced by Norman Newell.[23] The album featured Cartland performing covers of a series of popular standards including "I'll Follow My Secret Heart" and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square".[24]

In January 1988, Cartland received the Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris, the highest honour of the city of Paris, for publishing 25 million books in France.

In 1991, Cartland was invested by Queen Elizabeth II as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in honour of the author's almost 70 years of literary, political, and social contributions.[25]

A waxwork of Cartland was on display at Madame Tussauds, though according to her son Ian, Cartland was displeased because it was not "pretty enough".

She was the subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions, in March 1958 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, and in December 1989, when Michael Aspel surprised her at Elstree Studios.

As of 1996, Cartland holds the record for the most entries in the wider format of the biographic reference book Who's Who, with an allocated 223 lines, surpassing that of former British PM Winston Churchill.[26]

The former residence of Cartland, named River Cottage, and located in Great Barford, Bedfordshire in which she resided between 1941 until 1949, will be honoured with a heritage Blue Plaque which is also a monument honouring her literary career. [27]

Barbara Cartland (last picture) taken at age 98

Cartland died in her sleep on 21 May 2000,[28] at her residence, Camfield Place, near Hatfield, Hertfordshire at the age of 98. She had been suffering from ill health and dementia for six months beforehand, and was subsequently bedridden and sequestered. Both of her sons, Ian and Glen McCorquodale, were present at her bedside when she died. Shortly afterwards, Cartland's daughter from her first marriage, Raine, travelled to the family home.[29]

After Cartland originally had decided she would like to be buried in her local parish church, featuring a coffin of marble construction, covered in angels, this was later changed; she was buried in a cardboard coffin, because of her concerns for environmental issues.[30] She was interred at her private estate in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, under an oak that had been planted by Queen Elizabeth I.[31] Cartland left a gross estate of £1,139,123, but following debts and liabilities, the net sum was nil. She had once admitted: "I have no idea what I make....Occasionally I ask, 'Are we in debt?' We always are."[31]

Cartland left behind a series of 160 unpublished novels, known as the Barbara Cartland Pink Collection. These were published in ebook format by her son, Ian McCorquodale; each month, a new novel was published from that collection until, in 2018, all 160 novels had been published.[32][33]

In 2010, to mark the 10th anniversary of her death, Cartland's first novel, Jig-Saw (first published in 1925), was reprinted.[34]

"As a tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee and to Barbara's enduring appeal to romantics everywhere, her publishers have re-released her catalogue collection, entitled – "The Eternal Collection". This collection, released beginning in November 2013, includes some novels published at the time Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952.[35][36]

In addition, her collections of ebooks are available in Spanish, Italian, German and Dutch.

BBC Four aired a biopic drama film, titled In Love with Barbara (26 October 2008), starring Anne Reid as Cartland and David Warner as Lord Mountbatten. The film was written by Jacquetta May.

Her last project was to be filmed and interviewed for her life story (directed by Steven Glen for Blue Melon Films). The documentary, Virgins and Heroes, includes early home ciné footage and Dame Barbara launching her website with pink computers, in early 2000.[37]

• Some papers of Barbara Cartland are held at The Women's Library at the Library of the London School of Economics, ref 7BCA

• Media related to Barbara Cartland at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to Barbara Cartland at Wikiquote
• Official website
• Barbara Cartland at IMDb 
• Interview with Barbara Cartland's son, who describes how she worked