Barbara Cartland was the best selling authoress in the world, and had held the world record for 18 years with an average of 23 books per annual. Not only did she write books, she was also an historian, playwright, lecturer, political speaker, and television personality. Her various campaigns had evoked a Government enquiry into the "Housing and conditions of old people", had the law changed so that Gypsy children could go to school, and had local authorities to provide camps for their own Gypsies. She founded the National Association for Health in 1964, and her interest in health and vitamins also led her to write health books like The Magic of Honey. Some Events in Life... 1901 - Born and Christianed Mary Barbara Hamilton, on July 9. 1922 - Began to write gossip columns to the Daily Express. 1923 - Wrote her first novel, Jigsaw. 1924 - Became one of the 'BRIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE'. 1925 - First play called Blood Money performed. 1927 - Married Alexander McCorquodale, formerly of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. 1929 - Her daughter Raine born. 1931 - Had the idea of an aeroplane-towed glider. 1933 - Gave one of the best scoops in newspaper history to the Press - the Prisoner in the Tower. Marriage dissolved. 1935 - Helped her brother, Ronald, fought and won a Parliamentary seat. Helped in the first New Housing Estate ever built. 1936 - Married Hugh McCorquodale formerly of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders who received the Military Cross for Gallantry. 1937 - Her son Ian born. 1939 - Her son Glen born. 1940 - Both her brothers, Ronald and Anthony, killed. First woman and children home as she would not allow her children to take privileges in wartime. Joined the W.V.S. 1941 - Became Chief Lady Welfare Officer to the Services in Bedfordshire, Gasetted Honorary Junior Commander in A.T.S. 1942 - Published the life of her brother, Ronald, with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to write the preface. Redocorated the very secret R.A.F. stations where morale was low, with great success. Looked after the Flying Fortress Americans until the Red Cross from the U.S.A. arrived. Wrote Sleeping Swords, a political novel which was the first work of fiction ever accepted by the House of Commons Library. 1943 - Became a County Cadet Officer for the St. John Ambulance Brigade in Bedfordshire, and wrote the Cadet Marching Song with Jan Kerrison. 1944 - Organised an Exhibition for the St. John Ambulance Brigade which toured the country and made 35,000 pounds for local funds. 1945 - Received Certificate of Merit from Eastern Command. 1947 - Her daughter Raine became the 'Deb of the Year'. 1948 - Visited America to represent 140 British authors. 1953 - Made a Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and invested by the Duke of Gloucester at Buckingham Palace. Published her 50th novel. 1955 - Won for the Conservatives, the Socialist-held seat of Hatfield on the Hertfordshire County Council. Was a County Councillor for 9 years. Fought for improvements and evoked a Government enquiry into the "Homes and conditions of the Elderly". 1956 - Ran a 500-acre farm, started new methods for a County Councillor to keep in touch with electorate. Was a historian, political speaker, lecturer and had own column in Sunday newspaper. 5 times on television. 1958 - Was the subject of 'This is Your Life'. Together with her daughter and her mother, they were hailed as the most exciting trio in Britain. Began her fight for better salaries and conditions for Midwives and Nurses. 1960 - Became Vice-President of the Romantic Novelists Association. 1961 - Started her campaign for camps and education for gypsies. Founded the 'Barbara Cartland-Onslow Romany Fund' with the Earl of Onslow and the Earl of Birkenhead. Presented with the first President's Badge of Office ever given in Great Britain by the Hertfordshire Branch of the Royal College of Midwives. 1962 - Had the law changed to have local councils provide gypsies with camps so that children could go to school. 1963 - Published her 100th book. Started her fight against fluoridation of the water supplies. Her husband died of wounds contracted at the Battle of Passchendaele. 1964 - The Home Secretary ordered all Local Authorities to provide camps for their own Gypsies. Owned the first Gypsy Camp in Hertfordshire which the gypsies themselves christened "Barbaraville". Founded and became President of the National Association of Health. 1965 - Vice President of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Nursing Division in Hertfordshire. Answered 5,000 letters personally on health problems. 1967 - Published Search for Rainbows, the 3rd volume for her autobiography and her 114th book. 1969 - A film of the Camfield Place ghost was made by a French-Canadian Unit. A million and a half paperbacks sold during the year. 1970 - Published her 122nd book - The Magic of Honey which emptied the Health Food Shops of honey. 26 novels published in U.S.A. 1971 - Brought out her Health Food Cookery Book, although she didn't cook. 1973 - Introduced the Brain Pill (Celaton CH3 TRI-PLUS) to Great Britain on "Russell Harty Plus" London Weekend Television and "Open House" BBC Radio 2. Wrote 10 novels and "Men Are Wonderful". 1974 - One of the first women after a thousand years to become a member of the St. John Chapter General. Wrote 18 novels, and a cookery book Food for Love. 1975 - 150th book published in January. Sales reached 50 million. 1976 - Polly, her wonderful mother, died at the age of 98. Raine became Countess Spencer. Wrote the novel The Dream and the Glory in aid of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. Started the Library of Love in Britain and the U.S.A. 1977 - The "60 Minute Show" filmed in 1976 a huge succes in U.S.A. with 30 million viewers. Achieved world record for the 4th year with 24 books. 80 million sold over the world. Brought out Barbara Cartland's Book of Useless Information with a foreword by Earl Mountbatten of Burma in aid of the United World Colleges. 1978 - Celebrated in January the publication of her 200th book - No Escape From Love. Wrote I Seek the Miraculous and started the Library of Ancient Wisdom. Became the Deputy President of the St. John Ambulance Brigade in Hertfordshire. Made a cassette of I Search for Rainbows and sang an album of love songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 1979 - Had Book of Prayer - The Light of Love - published. Flew to New Orleans for the launching of her first film The Flame is Love. Barbara Cartland's World of Romance magazine was published in the U.S.A. and Crusader in Pink a biography by Henry Cloud in Great Britain. Broke world record for the 6th year running with 23 books. A loved friend and the last hero Earl Mountbatten of Burma is assassinated in Ireland. 1980 - Love at the Helm inspired and helped by Lord Mountbatten was published in aid of the Mountbatten Memorial Fund. Sales reached 50 million. Guinness Book of Records proclaimed her the most prolific author alive with more lines in Who's Who than any other entry. Broke the world record for the 7th year running by writing 24 books. 1981 - Received the award of "Achiever of the Year" from the National Home Furnishing Association at Colorado Springs. Opened display of her "Decorating ith Love" at Macy's. Celebrated her 80th birthday with 300th book Enchanted. 200 million sold over the world. Published Romantic Royal Marriages. 1982 - Published Written with Love and Barbara Cartland's Celebrities. 350 million books sold, 25 written during the year, breaking world record for the 9th year running. 1983 - In Guinness Book of Records as top-selling author in the world, has longest entry in Who's Who. In April, visited New York as Queen of Romance for Conference of Romantic Book Lovers. Bill Bass voted her best dressed woman in the world. 40 years with the St. John Ambulance Brigade. 1984 - Spoke at Round Table, Florida's Intellectual Forum. Published Romances of Food. Received Bishop Wright Air Industry Award at Kennedy Airport for carrying the first Aeroplane towed Glider Airmail in 1931. World Record for 11th year for 22 books. Sales in France over 10 million. 1985 - Introduced D.L.P.A. which cures Rheumatic pains. Authorised biography published in England and U.S.A. Broke world record and own record by writing 26 books. 1986 - Opened Barbara Cartland Suite at Oriental Hotel, Bangkok. Eagle Moss produced hardback novel every fortnight. On TV Adverts 500 times in the New Year. First time any author promoted this way. Lord Grade announced he had 5 million pounds to make a film A Hazard of Hearts. Had written 445 books. 1987 - Film A Hazard of Hearts shown on CBS New York and got No. 1 rating. 1988 - Received the Gold Metal of Paris, which was the greatest Award the Mayor Mons Chirac could give for Achievement. Had sold 30,000,000 books in France. Publishers paid for an hour Television Show which finished with a display in the park outside of fireworks all in pink, with 'B.C.' in a heart and bursts of roses. Watched from a Rolls Royce. First time that such tribute had been given to an author. The Barbara Cartland Room in the Heritage in Helmsdale, Sutherland is opened to the public. The video A Hazard of Hearts was available in April and immediately became no. 1 for the whole country. Second film The Lady and the Highwayman was shown in the U.S.A. 1989 - Video of The Lady and the Highwayman available in August. Took the world record for the 16th year with an average of 23 books a year. 1990 - France brought out 62 new and reprinted books. 3rd film A Ghost in Monte Carlo shown in the U.S.A. and ran continuously for 6 days in New York. 2nd Barbara Cartland room opened in Welle Manor Hall, Upwell, Norfolk, home of the Norfolk Punch. 2nd film goes to no. 1 in France against all competition. Wrote her 500th book. According to the Guinness Book of Records took the world record for the 7th year with an average of 23 books a year. 1991 - Had a luncheon to launch her 500th book, proceeds of which were for the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association. Invested by Her Majesty The Queen, a Dame of the British Empire for her contribution to literature and her work in the community. Mandarin, her new publisher, brought out 4 titles for Valentine's Day,and 2 every alternate month. Her 4th film A Duel of Hearts won the 'Best Co-Production for Television Fiction Film' in Perugia, Umbria, Italy. Her films The Ghost in Monte Carlo and A Duel of Hearts were shown at the Moscow Film Festival. Her books were published in German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Portuguese, Polish, Icelandic, Maltese, Faroese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Serbo-Croatian, Rumanian, and Afrikaans. 1992 - Was presented with The Great Briton's Tie at Savoy Hotel. Received the Personality Award from the Birmingham Press Club, and was made an Honorary Member. Took the world record for the 19th year with an average of 23 books a year. Had written 575 books - the greatest number of books by a British author, passing the 564 books written by John Creasey. 1993 - Had special St. John Ceremony for 92nd birthday, having been in the organisation for 50 years. A tree was planted in garden of Camfield Place to mark the occasion. Chose favourite songs to be made into a CD with a personal introduction. The Barbara Cartland Romance Club was launched at Castle Ashby, Northampton. Took the world record for the 20th year with an average of 23 books a year. 1994 - Had a CD published of her favourite songs. Brought out her 5th autobiography for her 93rd birthday. Launched Barbara Cartland's Choice vitamins, Easy Life and Safeguard in November. Took the world record for the 21st year with an average of 23 books a year. 1995 - Filmed a South Bank Show Television Special about her life and work. 2000 - Died peacefully in her sleep on May 21. Awards 1945 Certificate of Merit. Eastern Command for inaugurating a pool of Wedding Dresses for Service Brides at the War Office. Brought 1,000 before the end of war. 1981 Received the award of "Achiever of the Year" from the National Home Furnishing Association and her designs "Decorating with love" are being sold all over the U.S.A. 1984 Received the Bishop Wright Air Industry Award for contribution to Aviation in U.S.A. (She thought of the idea of an aeroplane towed glider in 1931, and carried the first aeroplane glider Air-mail from Manston Airport to Reading.) 1988 Gold Medal of the City of Paris for Achievement - 25 million books sold in France. 1991 Invested by Her Majesty The Queen as Dame of the Order of The British Empire. 1981 Received Personality Award from the Birmingham Press Club, and was made an Honorary Member. Achievements 1931 Organised and took part in the first Women's Motor Race at Brooklands. Organised, designed and presented the first large pageant "Britain and Her Industries" at the Royal Albert Hall. Congratulated by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and C.B.Cochran. 1955 Fought for the Elderly in Council Homes and evoked a Government enquiry into the "Housing and conditions of old people". 1964 After 3 years bitter fighting, had the Law altered so that Gypsy children could go to school. Founded the National Association for Health of which she was the President, as a front for all the Health Stores and for any product made as Alternative Medicine. 1988 Was invited by the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Indian Government to open their enormous Health Resort thirteen miiles from Delhi. It is the largest in the world, and is called "Body and Soul". 1989 With the help of the Daily Star newspaper, alerted every Member of Parliament that Prayers had been taken out of State Schools for nearly eight years. Many M.P.s had no idea that this had happened. Prayers and Religious Education were restored by The House of Commons and The House of Lords in 1989. The only person to be on "This is Your Life" for the second time, with Micheal Aspel on I.T.V.