Barbara Cartland is a British writer who has created several hundred love stories over her long life (she lived for almost 99 years). She has been called one of the most prolific novelists of the 20th century.
Early years and first novel
Barbara Cartland was born on July 9, 1901 in Edgbaston (West England) in a very wealthy family. Father's name is Bertrand Cartland, mother's name is Mary Hamilton Scobel. When World War I broke out, Bertrand went to the front. He was killed in one of the battles in Flanders in 1918. Having received the news of his death, Mary Hamilton with her grown children (including Barbara) moved to the capital - London.
In 1920, young Barbara got a job - she became a journalist for the famous newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Here she specialized in gossip and led her own column.
Barbara wrote her first fiction novel on a dispute with her brother. This novel was called Jig Saw. It was published in 1923 and made Barbara very famous. After that, her works of art were published one after another.
Literary heritage
Barbara Cartland has created 657 love stories in her life. In addition, she compiled collections of culinary recipes, wrote biographies of contemporaries, works on household chores and a healthy lifestyle. She is the author of 723 books in total. And today their total circulation is more than a billion copies.
At times she published over twenty books a year. Let's say in 1983 she released 26 love novels (this is a record officially marked in the Guinness Book). Barbara Cartland was often accused of overwhelming sentimentality, banality of plots, and non-observance of historical truth. But be that as it may, her love stories were (and still are) very successful commercially - the sales and circulation figures are really impressive.
The works of Barbara Cartland, in addition to everything, have been repeatedly filmed. Examples include films such as The Lady and the Robber (1989), The Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990), Duel of Hearts (1991).
Contribution to gliding
In the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century, gliders were actually operated only at short distances. And in 1931, Cartland used a two-seater glider for a long flight (more than two hundred miles). At the same time, she took with her a valuable postage. We can say that Barbara showed by personal example how effective gliders can be. And later, during the Second World War, these aircraft were indeed quite often used to transport cargo over considerable distances.
Personal life
The writer was married twice. The first husband of the novelist was Alexander McCorkodale, they got married in 1927. From Alexander, Barbara gave birth to a daughter, who was given the name Rein. This marriage ended in a loud divorce in 1933. The reason was banal: Alexander did not remain faithful to his wife.
In 1936, Barbara remarried - to Hugh McCorkodale, cousin of her first husband (therefore they have the same last name). From Hugh, Barbara gave birth to two more children - boys Ian and Glen. The couple lived together until Hugh's death, that is, until 1963. And becoming a widow, Barbara never married again.
Barbara Cartland in old age
In adulthood, Cartland became a prominent representative of the high society of Great Britain. She loved pink, white Cadillacs without a roof and little dogs. Hats with beautiful feathers and expensive furs were also important elements of her style. Barbara Cartland could often be seen on British TV in various talk shows, she willingly gave interviews and spoke on various topical topics. In 1990, she was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Interestingly, the daughter of Cartland Raine in 1976 became the wife of Earl John Spencer and, accordingly, the stepmother of his daughter, Diana. When Diana grew up, she married the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, thus obtaining the status of Princess of Wales. It is known that Lady Diana was fond of the artworks of Cartland, but her relationship with the writer herself was strained.
Another important fact: before her death, Barbara Cartland sold through the Sotheby's auction more than fifty personal jewelry that her fans once gave her.
The writer died in a dream on May 21, 2000, in her mansion in Hatfield, not having lived quite a bit before her 99th birthday.
