Margaret Campbell Wood was born on 17 February 1891 in Rotherfield, Sussex, England, UK. She was the youngest of ten children, who lied a happy childhood in the Sussex country side. She was eventually educated at small private schools in Paris and London. She married Peter Barnes in 1917, a furniture salesman, and the couple had two sons, Michael and John. Michael, a Royal Armoured Corps Lieutenant, was killed during WW II. She died on 1 April 1962 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Her books are historical novels, called Shadows of the Crown, that follow the history of the English Crown. The majority of her books were written between the 1940's and 1950's. Her last and posthumous novel Lady on the Coin was finished by the novelist Hebe Elsna Over two million copies of Margaret's historical novels have been sold worldwide. Her historical fiction has recently seen a renewed interest and her excellent writing and research outshines the majority of the "historical" books on the market today.