Anthony Borgia

Sarah Mary Malet Bradford, born in 1938, is an English writer primarily recognized for her biographies, particularly those focusing on royal figures. She pursued higher education at Oxford but left before completing her degree to marry her first husband. Following her divorce, she worked at Christie's auction house in London, where she met her second husband, Viscount Bangor. Bradford has authored over a dozen books, with her writing career beginning with a book about Port wine while living in Portugal. Her biographical subjects include historical figures like Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, Disraeli, Princess Grace, King George VI, and modern figures such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Queen Elizabeth II. She has also contributed to screenwriting and appeared in documentaries related to royal families and historical figures.

Born in Bournemouth in 1938, Sarah Mary Malet Bradford, née Hayes, received her early education at St Mary's School in Shaftesbury. She later attended Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford on a State scholarship. However, her academic pursuits were interrupted when she met Anthony Bradford, a real estate developer. She left Oxford to marry him, and the couple resided in various locations including Barbados, Lisbon, and Sardinia. They had two children before their eventual divorce. Bradford later worked in the manuscript department of the auction house Christie's in London. It was there she met her second husband, William Maxwell David Ward, who would become the 8th Viscount Bangor in 1993. They married in 1976 and reside in London.

Bradford's literary output includes more than a dozen books, with her first published work, 'The Englishman's Wine,' originating during her time in Portugal. Her career has prominently featured biographies of significant historical and royal figures. Among her notable works are 'Cesare Borgia' (1976), 'The Borgias' (1981, co-authored), 'Disraeli' (1982), 'Princess Grace' (1984), and 'George VI' (1989), which was also published in America as 'The Reluctant King.' She also wrote 'Sacheverell Sitwell. Splendours and Miseries' (1993), 'Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen' (1996), 'America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' (2000), 'Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy' (2004), 'Diana' (2006), and 'Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times' (2011). Her other books include 'The Englishman's Wine: The Story of Port' (1969), 'Portugal and Madeira' (1969), and 'Portugal' (1973).

Beyond her written works, Sarah Bradford has been featured in media related to her expertise on royal history and prominent figures. She participated in interviews for the 1994 PBS video 'The Windsors: A Royal Family.' Her involvement extended to documentaries such as the 2007 BBC production 'Gladstone and Disraeli.' Furthermore, she contributed to the screenwriting for 'The Borgias,' a television series that aired in 2011. In 2012, she was reported to be working on a biography of Queen Victoria, highlighting her continued engagement with royal subjects.