Best-selling author Charlotte Bingham has died at the age of 83, her family has said.
A statement, announcing that the writer died on Sunday (16 November), read: “Charlotte Bingham’s writing combined elegance, humour, and humanity. She was admired for her professionalism, generosity, and her gift for portraying love, friendship, and family life with grace and wit.
“She leaves a body of work defined by intelligence, warmth, and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling.”
The celebrated novelist and screenwriter published her first book, Coronet Among the Weeds, when she was just 19 years old and went on to have a career spanning more than six decades.
Bingham was the daughter of novelist and MI5 officer John Bingham, who was later revealed to have been the inspiration for John le Carré’s spy character George Smiley.
Reflecting on publishing her first novel while she was a teenager, Bingham later told The Independent: “Selling your first book at 19 is obviously great but, on the other hand, when you live at home it can be a bit difficult. Our house was plagued with photographers and journalists from about 10 countries.
“My father didn't like the house being photographed because he worked for MI5, and in the end my mother put her foot down and said, 'No more photographers in the house.’”
Along with her husband Terence Brady, Bingham also wrote for television, contributing to shows including Sixties hit Boy Meets Girl, classic drama Upstairs, Downstairs, and Three Piece Suite starring Diana Rigg.
In the 1970s, Bingham created and wrote No, Honestly, which drew 17 million viewers at its peak.
Bingham also penned more than 40 novels, including the award-winning Change of Heart, Belgravia and To Hear A Nightingale, which was adapted for the big screen.
Her final series of novels was semi-autobiographical. Beginning with 2018’s MI5 and Me, they were inspired by her brief time working for the security service as a young woman.
Bingham is survived by her son, daughter and two grandchildren.
