Spencers ‘never’ cash in

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 13

Spencers ‘never’ cash in

From

KEN COATES

in London

Business has been looking up, but cashing in on the Royal marriage— never. That is the reaction of Lady Diana Spencer’s father and stepmother to the suggestion, unsportingly made by some newspapers, that they are materially benefiting from their daughter's engagement to Prince Charles. It is also the response of that 79-year-old queen of all romantic fiction writers. Barbara Cartland, whose daughter is married to Lad; Diana's father. Miss Cartland and Lady Spencer, aged 51 (formerly

Lady Dartmouth and Lady Lewisham), the future step-mother-in-law of Prince Charles, are associated in the holiday tours venture for rich Americans, including lunch with the Spencers, at Althorp Hall. On Monday, 15 American women were at Althorp on the first of a series of romantic tours at $2400 a' head, inspired by Barbara Cartland and organised by the New York travel agents, World of Oz. Lady Diana’s father, Lord Spencer, has conceded that his home has “shot to the top

of the stately homes popularity charts,” but the entrance fee was still $2 the same as five years ago, and they were not cashing in on the royal engagement, he maintained. Lady Spencer, who regularly helps out at week-ends in the gift shop, selling plates, crystal glasses, and souvenirs,'says there is not one picture or souvenir of .Diana and Prince Charles. “We thought about it, but

decided that that sort of souvenir would not fit Althorp's image,” she says. Miss Cartland claims that criticism has taken the fun out of the tour which she had helped to inspire. "It has all been most upsetting. I only became involved in these tours originally because it was such a patriotic thing to do.” She adds that that tours were planned from New York long before the royal

wedding was announed. The tours are only a minute part of the multi-national Cartland Promotions Organisation. In France last year, Miss Cartland sold " two million paperbacks: in the United States, sales totalled 50 million copies over rhe past 15 years. Then there is the Cartland magazine "World of Romance.” to say nothing of a strip cartoon based on the Cartland books taken by 72 papers in North America, and a new venture in rhe United States. Cartland Home Furnishings.

The colour for this yeah — pink.