Barbara Cartland dies

The British romantic novelist, Barbara Cartland, has died at the age of ninety-eight.

Her son said that Dame Barbara died in her sleep after a short illness.

During her long career, she wrote more than seven-hundred-and-twenty books, translated into thirty-six languages, with estimated sales of almost a billion copies.

Her prolific output once earned her an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's best-selling author.

Dame Barbara was also known for her links with the British Royal Family -- her daughter Raine was married to the father of Diana, Princess of Wales.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service