These were turbulent times for family as Barbara, had now divorced her husband whose family confiscated his money and left Barbara and Raine, aged four, with a Marriage Settlement of £500 per annum. The divorce involved charges and countercharges of infidelity and Barbara Cartland would later marry one of men Alexander McCorquodale accused her of dallying with, his cousin - Hugh Mc Corquodale.

At this time Barbara Cartland was writing for a weekly magazine and several newspapers but always under an assumed name so that no one knew who writer was. Determined that her brother should stand for Kings Norton she wrote 10,000 words a day in order to pay for his Election Expenses. The house that her Grandfather had built was still in Kings Norton. Labour decided to field a well known politician. Barbara Cartland wrote and canvassed on behalf of her brother who finally won with a majority of nearly 6000. All hard work and commitment had paid off.

Ronald and Anthony Cartland were both killed in Second World War. At entrance to Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire there is a Calvary erected to memory of Barbara Cartland's Father, Mother and two Brothers. Cartland Road in Kings Norton is named after family. Barbara Cartland went on to write a biography about Ronald which included his best political speeches. In 1936 Barbara Cartland married Hugh McCorquodale, an officer of Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and who had received Military Cross for Gallantry. The couple had two sons, Ian and Glen. Barbara Cartland speaks fondly about family visits to Scotland.

" I travel all over world. I am thrilled by exotic beauty of East and vital virility of West.

But as I turn for home, my heart is in Highlands"

Barbara Cartland lived at Camfield Place, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The family still own Estate which was originally settled on by a Knight in 1275. It once featured a Tudor Manor House which was pulled down by Beatrix Potter's Grandfather who rebuilt house in 1867. Beatrix Potter wrote that Camfield was place that she loved best and where she wrote "The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The estate features an Oak Tree, planted by H.M. Queen Elizabeth in 1550 whilst she was imprisoned at Hatfield.

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Barbara Cartland touched so many lives. Our thanks go to Ian McCorquodale for providing us with his mothers final farewell - "How I want to be Remembered", a document detailing her family history and an insight into her ninety six years which have been saddened by family tragedy and ecstatically happy through her love of her family.

Barbara acknowledges that she has been shown great kindness and also a certain amount of teasing and ridicule by Press. However, according to her publishers she has produced 724 books, sold over a billion copies and entered Guinness Book of Records as best selling author in World. Published in every country this amazing lady can afford to rise above those who might make fun of her. This marvellous woman is beyond ridicule and has no need to prove anything to anyone. The facts speak for themselves. Barbara Cartland is most successful writer of romantic fiction of all time. And - she was born in Birmingham!

Barbara Cartland was an amazingly prolific author. When her books were selling so well in late 1970's, her American and English publishers came to her and asked for more Barbara Cartlands to satisfy demanding audience.

She then doubled her output from 10 books a year to 20 books a year, and this at age of 77! She kept this up, extraordinarily for 20 years, between ages of 77 and 97. This is something that has never been achieved before by any author.

Eventually, even her publishers could not cope with her output and when she died in 2000 she left a legacy of 160 unpublished manuscripts which are now being published by her son, Ian, on internet and by mail order, under banner of Barbara Cartland Pink Collection.

Will there ever again be a writer with such genius and prolific writing skills?

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