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Royal Witch

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Royal Witch

By: Philippa Gregory
Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
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Ambition. Sorcery. Treason. How far will one woman dare to go?

1420. Eleanor Cobham arrives at the court of Henry V. Pretty but not highborn, she hopes for little more than to marry well.

England is in a golden age – but beneath the glittering surface, ancient rivalries fester and chaos lurks in the shadows.

And chaos, Eleanor discovers, creates opportunities. Appointed lady-in-waiting to a Countess who commands her own army, she begins to see what a woman can truly become.

She dares to dream of real power. Perhaps even the crown itself. But for that, she must turn to darker arts. And the higher she climbs, the darker the path becomes…

Philippa Gregory tells a breathtaking story of sorcery, ambition and one woman's extraordinary rise.

Includes an exclusive Q&A between Philippa Gregory and Gemma Whelan – only available in audiobook.

'An extraordinary story of an ambitious woman’s rise and fall … a rewarding and complex novel’ The Times

'Gregory makes brilliant use of what historical material there is, recreating Eleanor’s treasonous queenly quest as a tale of ill wishing, courtly machinations and secretive rituals' Daily Mail

'With rich historical detail, Gregory masterfully weaves together courtly intrigue with Eleanor’s fierce pursuit to shape her destiny in a world determined to deny it' Booklist

'A detailed portrait of the bold life of a woman overlooked by historians' Kirkus Reviews

'Vividly bringing to life four overlooked historical women, this is a scandalous mix of courtly ambition, midwifery and witchcraft' Woman&Home

©2026 Philippa Gregory (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers
Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Political Renaissance World Literature
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Critic reviews

Acclaim for Philippa Gregory:
'Gregory’s great skill lies in her eye for telling period detail, and in her vivid recreation of a court in which sex and politics are intertwined and deadly' The Times
'As perilous as it is thrilling’ Mail on Sunday
‘Beautifully written, meticulously researched … utterly compelling and unputdownable’ SANTA MONTEFIORE
A stunning tour de force: compelling, thrilling, mesmerising, completely engrossing’ BARBARA ERSKINE
‘A masterful examination of how power becomes tyranny … I was gripped from beginning to end’ REETA CHAKRABARTI
‘An enthralling historical thriller and a mirror on contemporary politics … rich and compelling’ C J COOKE
‘A propulsive, emotional, thrill ride through the Tudor court’ LUCY CLARKE
All stars
Most relevant
what a women, sometimes I could not like her... she was vindictive, vicious, scheming and so dangerous! other times you fully understood where she came from and her ambition to be 'Queen'! to out shine everyone and get revenge for all her hurt and failures. loved this book and the narrator was brilliant, certainly painted the scenes with excellent accents and voices. looking forward to your next book x

love or hate her

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Brilliant! Classic fabulous Philippa Gregory, refreshing - this time a period and a character I was unfamiliar with, loved it, great story, great narration!

Perfect Autumn witchy audiobook!

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It said this was her best book, I disagree with that, I was very disappointed.

Very disappointed

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Beautiful and despicable, ambitious and mad, totally unforgettable. What a lady! What a story! She wanted more than she was allowed by patriarchy. She loved more strongly than times allowed.
Having just finished the tedious Peck&Peck by B.Garmus, this was the most welcome new release. It didn’t disappoint. Totally brilliant in building the plot and the characters and teaching me about the chapter in British history I hadn’t known much about. Thank you Philippa Gregory.

Brilliant

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I like the attention to detail but it feels much slower and padded out compared to previous books. I didn’t finish it as I found it a bit boring.

A bit slow

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