Few names in Canadian journalism carry as much weight, or as much controversy, as Barbara Amiel. Over a career spanning six decades, Barbara Amiel built a reputation as a sharp-tongued conservative columnist, a trailblazing newspaper editor, and one half of a marriage that became international tabloid fodder. She has been praised for her fearless writing and criticized for her extravagance, but no one disputes that Barbara Amiel changed the landscape of Canadian media.
This article looks at who Barbara Amiel is, how she rose through the ranks of journalism, her marriage to media baron Conrad Black, and where she stands today. Along the way, we’ll answer the questions people search for most: Barbara Amiel’s age, her health struggles, whether Barbara Amiel has children, and what she’s doing now.
Who Is Barbara Amiel?
Barbara Amiel was born Barbara Joan Estelle Amiel on December 4, 1940, in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, into a Jewish family that lived through the tension of the Blitz. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old, and in 1952 she emigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, with her mother, sister, and stepfather. That move from England to small-town Canada shaped much of her later writing, which often circled back to themes of displacement, ambition, and reinvention.
She studied at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1963, and briefly worked as a researcher for the CBC before drifting through a stint in Hollywood. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that Barbara Amiel found her true calling: opinion journalism. From there, her career took off quickly, and she became one of the most recognizable bylines in Canadian and British media.
Barbara Amiel’s Rise in Journalism
Barbara Amiel didn’t just write columns, she reshaped what a Canadian columnist could be. Her voice was unapologetically conservative at a time when much of Canadian media leaned left, and that contrast made her both influential and polarizing.
Key milestones in her career include:
- Editor of the Toronto Sun — Barbara Amiel became the first woman to edit a major daily newspaper in Canada, a genuine breakthrough for women in the industry.
- Columnist for The Times of London and The Daily Telegraph — she brought her conservative worldview to a British readership and quickly built a following.
- Senior political columnist for The Sunday Times — a role that cemented her standing among Britain’s most-read commentators.
- Columnist for Maclean’s — her long association with Canada’s national newsmagazine kept her connected to Canadian readers throughout her career.
- Vice-president of editorial for Hollinger newspapers — a corporate role that put her at the centre of one of the largest newspaper empires in the world.
- Co-author of By Persons Unknown — this true-crime book, written with George Jonas, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Her writing style was direct, often provocative, and rarely apologetic. Whether readers agreed with her or not, Barbara Amiel commanded attention, which is exactly what made her one of the most talked-about journalists of her generation.
Barbara Amiel and Conrad Black: A Marriage in the Spotlight
No discussion of Barbara Amiel is complete without her marriage to Conrad Black, the media proprietor who once controlled a global newspaper empire that included the Telegraph Group, the National Post, and hundreds of other publications. The couple married in 1992, and Barbara Amiel’s fourth marriage turned out to be her longest and most consequential.
Their life together was defined by extraordinary wealth, high society, and eventually, a very public legal battle. When Conrad Black was charged and later convicted of fraud in the United States in 2007 (a conviction that was partially overturned on appeal), Barbara Amiel stood by him throughout the ordeal. She wrote candidly about the experience in interviews and in her memoir, describing how former friends and members of high society distanced themselves once the couple’s fortunes changed.
That period, often described as her fall from grace among the social elite, became one of the most compelling threads of her later writing. She has said the experience taught her who her real friends were, and the bitterness of that lesson shows up throughout her memoir.
Barbara Amiel’s Memoir: Friends and Enemies
In 2020, Barbara Amiel published Friends and Enemies: A Memoir, a sprawling, unflinching account of her life. The book covers her difficult childhood, her four marriages, her rise in journalism, and the fallout from her husband’s legal troubles. It also addresses her mental health, including struggles with depression, and other chronic health issues she experienced over the years.
Critics called the memoir blistering and shockingly candid. Reviewers noted that Barbara Amiel spared no one, including herself, and that the book reads less like a polished autobiography and more like a settling of scores. Whatever your opinion of her politics or her lifestyle, the memoir offers rare insight into what it’s like to lose social standing overnight after decades near the top.
Barbara Amiel Age: How Old Is She Now?
One of the most common searches related to Barbara Amiel is her current age. Born on December 4, 1940, Barbara Amiel is 85 years old as of 2026. She belongs to what’s often called the Silent Generation, and her birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign.
Given her age, questions about her health and daily life naturally come up often, which brings us to another frequently searched topic.
Barbara Amiel Illness: What Health Issues Has She Faced?
Searches for Barbara Amiel illness usually point back to what she’s shared publicly, particularly in her memoir. Amiel has openly discussed bouts of debilitating depression and other chronic health issues throughout her adult life. She has never hidden the toll that stress, public scrutiny, and the strain of her husband’s legal battles took on her physically and emotionally.
During Conrad Black’s legal proceedings in the United States, his lawyers also referenced Barbara Amiel’s poor health as a reason the couple needed to return to Toronto rather than remain at their Palm Beach estate. While specific diagnoses haven’t always been made public, the picture that emerges from her own writing is of a woman who has dealt with real, ongoing health challenges while still maintaining an active public profile.
It’s worth noting that Barbara Amiel has been refreshingly candid compared to many public figures her age. Rather than glossing over her struggles, she’s used her platform, and her memoir in particular, to talk openly about mental health, aging, and chronic illness in a way that resonates with readers facing similar challenges.
Barbara Amiel Children: Does She Have Any?
Another frequent search is Barbara Amiel children. The answer is that Barbara Amiel does not have any children. She has written candidly about a pregnancy in 1965, when she was 24 and had an abortion, an experience she later described in a 2013 Maclean’s column and again in her memoir. She has said that decision may have been her only chance at motherhood, and she’s reflected on it with unusual honesty for a public figure of her stature.
Across her four marriages, to Gary Smith, George Jonas, David Graham, and finally Conrad Black, Barbara Amiel never had biological children. This sets her apart from many of her socialite peers and adds another layer to the personal narrative she’s shared in interviews and in print.
Barbara Amiel Today: What Is She Doing Now?
So what does Barbara Amiel today actually look like? At 85, she lives with Conrad Black near Toronto, the city that shaped much of her early life after her family immigrated from England. The couple has remained together through decades of highs and lows, including his imprisonment and the loss of much of their former wealth and social standing.
Barbara Amiel is no longer writing a regular column the way she did during her peak years at the Telegraph or the Sunday Times, but she remains a known and sometimes discussed figure in Canadian and British media circles. Her memoir continues to generate conversation, and she’s occasionally referenced in retrospectives about the Hollinger scandal or profiles of Conrad Black. She’s described herself as someone who loves Chanel, can’t cook, and adores her large Hungarian Kuvasz dogs, small details that have made her a more human, relatable figure even to readers who disagree with her politics.
Quick Facts About Barbara Amiel
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Barbara Joan Estelle Amiel, Baroness Black of Crossharbour |
| Born | December 4, 1940, Watford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Barbara Amiel age | 85 (as of 2026) |
| Education | University of Toronto (BA, 1963) |
| Known for | Journalism, editing the Toronto Sun, memoirist |
| Barbara Amiel children | None |
| Spouse | Conrad Black (married 1992) |
| Previous marriages | Gary Smith, George Jonas, David Graham |
| Notable book | Friends and Enemies: A Memoir (2020) |
Frequently Asked Questions About Barbara Amiel
Is Barbara Amiel still married to Conrad Black? Yes. Barbara Amiel and Conrad Black have remained married since 1992, having stayed together through his legal troubles and imprisonment.
What newspapers did Barbara Amiel write for? Barbara Amiel wrote for the Toronto Sun, Maclean’s, The Times of London, The Daily Telegraph, and The Sunday Times, among other publications.
Why is Barbara Amiel famous? Barbara Amiel is famous for being a groundbreaking conservative journalist and the first woman to edit a major Canadian daily newspaper, as well as for her marriage to media baron Conrad Black.
Does Barbara Amiel have children? No. Barbara Amiel has no children, a fact she has addressed openly in her memoir and in past newspaper columns.
Where does Barbara Amiel live now? Barbara Amiel today lives near Toronto, Ontario, with her husband Conrad Black.
Final Thoughts
Barbara Amiel’s story is one of reinvention, ambition, and resilience. From a childhood shaped by wartime England and a broken family, to becoming one of Canada’s most influential and controversial columnists, Barbara Amiel carved out a career that few journalists, male or female, ever match. Her marriage to Conrad Black added both glamour and hardship to her later years, and her memoir gave readers an unusually honest look at what it means to lose everything and still keep writing.
Whether you’re researching Barbara Amiel’s age, her health, her decision not to have children, or simply what she’s up to today, one thing is clear: Barbara Amiel remains one of the most fascinating figures in modern journalism. If her story interests you, her memoir Friends and Enemies is the best place to hear the rest of it in her own words.
