The young Barbara Cartland was entranced by the blossoming romances and fashions. Sadly, during the First World War, tragedy struck again, her father Bertie was killed in the trenches. Poignantly, Barbara wrote to her mother 'I have had my coat and skirt dyed black,' apparently their available funds didn't stretch to such luxuries as buying new mourning clothes.
Still hanging on to their lives amongst the wealthier families Barbara was fascinated by high society, she managed to have a London season and cunningly coerced the art student Norman Hartnell, (eventually famed for our late Queen's wardrobe) to make her dresses for free. Presumably the charming Barbara was an attractive model and this arrangement worked rather well for both of them.
Having experienced a London season it wasn't long before Barbara managed to get her first job as a gossip columnist, whilst harbouring the ambition to write her own novels. In 1923 she achieved this ambition with her first romance book 'Jigsaw' earning her the grand sum of £200.
During this era Barbara reputedly received around fifty marriage proposals! She later in life confessed that she actually didn't like being touched very much and that she turned down marriage proposals after her mother explained to her what happened during 'marital relations' between men and women.
When she eventually married it was to Alexander George McCorquodale in 1927. He drank and 'marital relations' apparently were not good, the final straw came when she found scandalous love letters in his wallet. She did have a child with her husband, Raine, but subsequently they divorced in 1933. During the contentious divorce proceedings, where she sued her husband for adultery, he cited Barbara's relations with his brother Hugo Mcorquodale whom he claimed 'visited' her in her bedroom. The judge dismissed the relevance of this but it was no surprise that she later married Hugh McCorquodale in 1936.
Her marriage to Hugh produced two children Ian and Glen, and at the end of her days Barbara said that the twenty seven years she spent with Hugh were the happiest of her life. Through her daughter from her first marriage Raine, Barbara eventually became connected to royalty when Raine's stepdaughter, Diana wed the Prince of Wales.
Barbara famously stated that Diana would "reign forever as the queen of love". However, when the marriage faltered, Dame Barbara was quick to remark, "She has never really understood men."
According to Barbara the only books Princess Diana read were her own romantic novels, (and there certainly is a photo of a young Diana surrounded by Barbara Cartland paperbacks) she did admit in later life that this probably gave the young Diana rather unrealistic romantic expectations.
Barbara had a steely determination to go through life on her own terms, somewhat at odds with her unfailing romanticism. She believed in love and all things pink and maintained an air of glamour throughout the entirety of her life. Her views on women's roles in marriage have been castigated but she also did much pioneering work in natural health as well as charitable work particularly with St John's Ambulance. For her continued efforts for this charity, she was invested as a member of the Order of St John in 1946, her subsequent work seeing her awarded the rank of Dame of Grace within the Order.
The second world war took the lives of both her brothers, Ronald and Tony, both brothers were killed in action at Dunkirk. Her brother Ronald was closely affiliated with Winston Churchill who wrote a glowing foreword to Barbara's memoir of him. Spurred on by this tragedy during the Second World War she joined the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) and as a welfare officer she put her romantic expertise to good use assuming the role of a wedding planner. To help wartime wives achieve the longed for white wedding she set up a much loved service providing second-hand wedding dresses for the bride's special days at a time when such luxuries were extremely scarce. It is no doubt this service was very well received.
Her romance books, although light-hearted were meticulously researched, often with a historical note at the beginning of each book to set the scene. She purportedly clashed with the author Georgette Heyer who wrote disgruntled letters claiming direct plagiarism although this was never definitively proved Barbara did seem to make a concession with one of her novels later published as being written 'in the style of Georgette Heyer'. There is no denying however, that Barbara Cartland had her own definitive style. Fun, Frothy and Frou Frou. She still became one of the greatest selling authors of all time.
Much like Enid Blyton her prolific output followed a rigid routine. Every day she dictated to her secretary in the living room of her Hampshire mansion she mockingly called 'the factory'. After the loss of her husband Hugh her writing output dramatically increased, she probably found great solace in the world of romance she created.
Cartland wrote and published hundreds of novels, both contemporary and historical romances. Many of her historical novels were set in the Victorian or Edwardian periods, capturing the elegance, grandeur, and societal norms of those eras. Her contemporary romances often depicted passionate love stories in glamorous settings.
Cartland's novels were known for their romantic plots, strong and virtuous heroines, dashing heroes, and happy endings. Her books explored the enduring themes of love, honour, loyalty, and overcoming obstacles in the pursuit of true love. Cartland's inimitable writing style, frothy and scintillating, with vivid and enthusiastic descriptions (very much like the personality of the lady herself), endeared her to millions of romance readers worldwide.
Barbara received several awards, including the Gold Medal of the City of Paris for Achievement in 1988, for selling 25 million books in France. It took many years but eventually in 1991, with great pride she achieved the Damehood that she had long coveted becoming Dame Barbara Cartland, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) invested by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
Even greater perhaps, than her Damehood, she certainly earned the title given to her by Vogue magazine, the 'Queen of Romance'. Cartland's legacy as the Queen of Romance continues to resonate with readers and writers alike. Her influence on the romance genre, particularly that of historical romance books, is undeniable. She popularized the formula of passionate love stories with happy endings. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and she is now believed to have sold nearly a billion copies of her books, that number around 700 titles.
We can forever connect the name of Barbara Cartland with the word 'Romance' and as with Schiaperelli, she is completely inseparable in our minds from her trademark pink!
If only one more thing could be said about Dame Barbara Cartland, it would be that she was determined to see her world through the rose-coloured spectacles of romance.
Some Fun Facts:
📚 Barbara Cartland wrote 723 novels, mostly romance, selling over 750 million copies.
💍 Her heroines never go to bed without a ring on their fingers.
🏰 She rented her London home to Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II.
👗 She organized white dresses for women in the service so they wouldn't have to get married in uniform.
🏡 She moved into the house where Beatrix Potter wrote "The Tale of Peter Rabbit."
🗣️ She produced 8000 words a day, dictating them to assistants.
🌹 She championed the rights of Romany people in England.
🎨 She tried her hand at designing wallpaper and perfume.
👑 Her daughter Raine married Princess Diana's stepmother.
👩👧👦 The late Princess Diana was an avid reader of Barbara Cartland's books.
