Dame Barbara Cartland
July 9, 1901 - May 21, 2000
One of the most wonderful things I learned about while living in Britain, is Princess Diana's step-grandmother, Barbara Cartland.
Diana's father was married to the most amazing looking Raine Spencer. Diana referred to her as "ghastly" or "Acid Raine".
Apple - Tree - not too far.
Barbara was a romance novelist. As a child, Lady Diana Spencer considered those books among her favorites.
Boo.
She put Angelyne to shame.
Actually, everything puts Angelyne to shame. Angelyne defines shame.
Cartland completed a book every two weeks, completing over 720 in her life and selling over 750 million over the period of her 300 years - fact some doubt.
This is Cartland dictating one of her many novels to her secretary Jean Smith.
This is Little Britain's take on it. I wish I could find a bette quality one, but this is a fair example.
Clive James described Dame Barabara's eyes as, “Twin miracles of mascara, her eyes looked like the corpses of two small crows that had crashed into a chalk cliff.”
Cartland died in her sleep after "a short illness" in her home, Camfield Place in Hertfordshire. Her sons were at her side.
She was placed in a cardboard coffin and buried on the grounds of her estate under a tree that was planted by Queen Elizabeth I.
Take a very dramatic trip to her grave.