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{{Short description|English historical novelist}}
{{Short description|English historical novelist (born 1954)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox writer
{{Infobox writer
| name = Philippa Gregory<br><small>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]</small>
| name = Philippa Gregory
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
| image = Philippa gregory 2011.jpg
| alt =
| image_size =
| caption = Gregory in 2011
| alt =
| pseudonym =
⚫
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|1|9|df=y}}
| caption = Philippa Gregory at the 2011 Texas Book Festival.
⚫
| birth_place = [[Nairobi]], [[British Kenya|Colony of Kenya]] (modern-day [[Nairobi County]], [[Kenya|Republic of Kenya]])
| pseudonym = Kate Wedd
⚫
| resting_place =
⚫
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|1|9|df=y}}
| occupation = Novelist
⚫
| birth_place = [[Nairobi]], [[British Kenya|Colony of Kenya]] (modern-day [[Nairobi County]], [[Kenya|Republic of Kenya]])
| language = English
⚫
| resting_place =
| occupation = Novelist
| nationality =
| language = English
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| education =
⚫
| alma_mater = [[University of Sussex]]<br>[[University of Edinburgh]]
| citizenship =
| education =
| period = 1987–present
⚫
| genre = [[Historical novel|Historical fiction]], [[Romance novel|romance]], [[Fantasy literature|fantasy]]
⚫
| alma_mater = [[University of Sussex]]<br>[[University of Edinburgh]]
| period = 1987–present
| subject =
| movement =
⚫
| genre = [[Historical novel|Historical fiction]], [[Romance novel|romance]], [[Fantasy literature|fantasy]]
| subject =
| notableworks =
| movement =
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
| notableworks =
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
*Peter Chislett (divorced)
*Peter Chislett (divorced)
*Paul Carter (divorced)
*Paul Carter (divorced)
*Anthony Mason
*Anthony Mason (divorced)
}}
}}
| partner =
| partner =
| children = 2
| children = 2
| relatives =
| relatives =
| awards = [[RoNA Award]]
| awards = [[RoNA Award]]
| signature =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|http://www.philippagregory.com}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.philippagregory.com/}}
| portaldisp =
| portaldisp =
|module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Philippa Gregory BBC Radio4 Bookclub 3 June 2012 b01jgb94.flac|title={{center|Philippa Gregory's voice}}|type=speech|description={{center|[[:File:Philippa Gregory BBC Radio4 Bookclub 3 June 2012 b01jgb94.flac|Recorded June 2012]] from the BBC Radio 4 programme ''[[Bookclub (radio)|Bookclub]]''}}}}
| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Philippa Gregory BBC Radio4 Bookclub 3 June 2012 b01jgb94.flac|title={{center|Philippa Gregory's voice}}|type=speech|description={{center|Recorded June 2012 from the [[BBC Radio 4]] programme ''[[Bookclub (radio programme)|Bookclub]]''}}}}
| image = Philippa gregory 2011.jpg
}}
}}


'''Philippa Gregory''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]]'' (2001), which in 2002 won the [[Romantic Novel of the Year Award]] from the [[Romantic Novelists' Association]]<ref name="RoNAAwards">{{Citation|title=Awards by the Romantic Novelists' Association |url=http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/index.php/awards|date=13 October 2012}}</ref> and has been adapted into two separate films.
'''Philippa Gregory''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]]'' (2001), which in 2002 won the [[Romantic Novel of the Year Award]] from the [[Romantic Novelists' Association]]<ref name="RoNAAwards">{{Citation|title=Awards by the Romantic Novelists' Association |url=http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/index.php/awards|date=13 October 2012}}</ref> and has been adapted into two films.


''[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]]'' magazine has called Gregory "the queen of British historical fiction".<ref name="AF Red Queen">{{cite web |url=http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/58428/ |title=Audiobook Review: ''The Red Queen'' (2010) |work=[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]] |access-date=12 December 2014}}</ref>
''[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]]'' magazine has called Gregory "the queen of British historical fiction".<ref name="AF Red Queen">{{cite web |url=http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/58428/ |title=Audiobook Review: ''The Red Queen'' (2010) |work=[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]] |access-date=12 December 2014}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Philippa Gregory was born on 9 January 1954 in [[Nairobi]], at that time serving as capital city of the [[Kenya Colony|Colony and Protectorate of Kenya]] (modern-day [[Kenya|Republic of Kenya]]), the second daughter of Elaine (Wedd) and Arthur Percy Gregory, a radio operator and navigator for [[East African Airways]].<ref name="WorldAuthors">{{Citation|author1=Jennifer Curry|title=World Authors, 2000–2005|year=2007|publisher=H.W. Wilson|pages=800}}</ref> When she was two years old, her family moved to [[Bristol]], England.<ref name=bbc>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2006/08/31/philippa_gregory_walk_feature.shtml Philippa Gregory walk at BBC Bristol]. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref>
Philippa Gregory was born on 9 January 1954 in [[Nairobi]], at that time serving as capital city of the [[Kenya Colony|Colony and Protectorate of Kenya]] (modern-day [[Kenya|Republic of Kenya]]), the second daughter of Elaine (Wedd) and Arthur Percy Gregory, a radio operator and navigator for [[East African Airways]].<ref name="WorldAuthors">{{Citation|author1=Jennifer Curry|title=World Authors, 2000–2005|year=2007|publisher=H. W. Wilson|page=800}}</ref> When she was two years old, her family moved to [[Bristol]], UK.<ref name=bbc>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2006/08/31/philippa_gregory_walk_feature.shtml Philippa Gregory walk at BBC Bristol]. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref>


She was a "rebel" at [[Colston's Girls' School]]<ref name=bbc /><ref name=Chronicle>[http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/history-no-longer-mystery-author-1620530 Philippa Gregory at Chroniclelive]. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref> where she obtained a B grade in English and two E grades in History and Geography at [[GCE Advanced Level|A-level]]. She then went to journalism college in [[Cardiff]] and spent a year as an apprentice with the ''[[The News (Portsmouth)|Portsmouth News]]'' before she managed to gain a place on an English literature degree course at the [[University of Sussex]], where she switched to a history course. In 1982, she received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree in history from Sussex University.<ref name=Guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/feb/03/schools.historyandhistoryofart Philippa Gregory ''The Guardian Education'' interview]. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref>
She was a "rebel" at [[Colston's Girls' School]]<ref name=bbc /><ref name=Chronicle>[http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/history-no-longer-mystery-author-1620530 Philippa Gregory at Chroniclelive]. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref> where she obtained a B grade in English and two E grades in History and Geography at [[GCE Advanced Level|A-level]]. She then went to journalism college in [[Cardiff]] and spent a year as an apprentice with the ''[[The News (Portsmouth)|Portsmouth News]]'' before she managed to gain a place on an English literature degree course at the [[University of Sussex]], where she switched to a history course. In 1982, she received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree in history from Sussex University.<ref name=Guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/feb/03/schools.historyandhistoryofart Philippa Gregory, interview], ''[[The Guardian]] Education''. Retrieved 6 June 2013.</ref>


She worked for [[BBC]] radio for two years before attending [[University of Edinburgh]], where she obtained a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree in 18th-century literature in 1985 for her thesis entitled "The popular fiction of eighteenth-century commercial circulating libraries".<ref>[https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/7447 Edinburgh Research Archive: PhD thesis Gregory, P.] - digital repository of the University of Edinburgh</ref><ref>[https://www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/notable-alumni/alumnus/gregory Alumnus of the year: 2008 - Philippa Gregory] - website of the University of Edinburgh</ref> Gregory has taught at the [[University of Durham]], [[University of Teesside]], and the [[Open University]], and was made a Fellow of [[Kingston University]] in 1994.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
She worked for [[BBC]] radio for two years before attending [[University of Edinburgh]], where she obtained a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree in 18th-century literature in 1985 for her thesis entitled ''The popular fiction of eighteenth-century commercial circulating libraries''.<ref>[https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/7447 Edinburgh Research Archive: PhD thesis Gregory, P.] – digital repository of the University of Edinburgh</ref><ref>[https://www.ed.ac.uk/alumni/services/notable-alumni/alumnus/gregory Alumnus of the year: 2008 – Philippa Gregory] – website of the University of Edinburgh</ref> Gregory has taught at the [[University of Durham]], [[University of Teesside]], and the [[Open University]], and was made a Fellow of [[Kingston University]] in 1994.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}


==Career==
==Career==
===Writing===
===Writing===
[[File:20190831EJ1137 (48684512463).jpg|thumb|right|Gregory signs books at the 2019 [[National Book Festival]]]]
She has written novels set in several different historical periods, though primarily the [[Tudor period]] and the 16th century. Reading a number of novels set in the 17th century led her to write the best-selling Lacey trilogy ''[[Wideacre]]'', which is a story about the love of land and [[incest]], ''The Favoured Child'' and ''Meridon''. This was followed by ''The Wise Woman''. ''A Respectable Trade'', a novel of the slave trade in England, set in 18th-century [[Bristol]], was adapted by Gregory for a four-part drama series for BBC television. Gregory's script was nominated for a [[BAFTA]], won an award from the Committee for Racial Equality, and the film was shown worldwide.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
She has written novels set in several different historical periods, though primarily the [[Tudor period]] and the 16th century. Reading a number of novels set in the 17th century led her to write the best-selling Lacey trilogy ''[[Wideacre]]'', which is a story about the love of land and [[incest]], ''The Favoured Child'' and ''Meridon''. This was followed by ''The Wise Woman''. ''A Respectable Trade'', a novel of the slave trade in England, set in 18th-century [[Bristol]], was adapted by Gregory for a four-part drama series for BBC television. Gregory's script was nominated for a [[BAFTA]], won an award from the Committee for Racial Equality, and the film was shown worldwide.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}


Two novels about a gardening family are set during the [[English Civil War]]: ''Earthly Joys'' and ''Virgin Earth'', while she has in addition written contemporary fiction – ''Perfectly Correct'', ''Mrs Hartley and the Growth Centre'', ''The Little House'' and ''Zelda's Cut''. She has also written for children.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
Two novels about a gardening family are set during the [[English Civil War]]: ''Earthly Joys'' and ''Virgin Earth'', while she has in addition written contemporary fiction – ''Perfectly Correct'', ''Mrs Hartley and the Growth Centre'', ''The Little House'' and ''Zelda's Cut''. She has also written for children.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}


Some of her novels have won awards and have been adapted into television dramas. The most successful of her novels has been ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]],'' published in 2001 and adapted for BBC television in 2003 with [[Natascha McElhone]], [[Jodhi May]] and [[Jared Harris]]. In the year of its publication, ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' also won the [[Romantic Novel of the Year]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/romanticnoveloftheyear|title=Romantic novel of the year - Books|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]}}</ref> and it has subsequently spawned sequels – ''[[The Queen's Fool]],'' ''[[The Virgin's Lover]],'' ''[[The Constant Princess]],'' ''[[The Boleyn Inheritance]],'' and ''[[The Other Queen]]''. [[Miramax]] bought the film rights to ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' and released a [[The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 film)|film of the same name]] in February 2008.
Some of her novels have won awards and have been adapted into television dramas. The most successful of her novels has been ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]],'' published in 2001 and adapted for BBC television in 2003 with [[Natascha McElhone]], [[Jodhi May]] and [[Jared Harris]]. In the year of its publication, ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' also won the [[Romantic Novel of the Year]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/romanticnoveloftheyear|title=Romantic novel of the year – Books|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> and it has subsequently spawned sequels – ''[[The Queen's Fool]],'' ''[[The Virgin's Lover]],'' ''[[The Constant Princess]],'' ''[[The Boleyn Inheritance]],'' and ''[[The Other Queen]]''. [[Miramax]] bought the film rights to ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' and released a [[The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 film)|film of the same name]] in February 2008 starring [[Eric Bana]], [[Natalie Portman]] and [[Scarlett Johansson]].


Gregory has also published a series of books about the [[Plantagenets]], the ruling houses that preceded the [[Tudors]], and the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Her first book ''[[The White Queen (novel)|The White Queen]]'', published in 2009, centres on the life of [[Elizabeth Woodville]] the wife of [[Edward IV]]. ''[[The Red Queen (Gregory novel)|The Red Queen]]'', published in 2010, is about [[Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby|Margaret Beaufort]] the mother of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] and grandmother to [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. ''[[The Lady of the Rivers]]'' (2011), is the life of [[Jacquetta of Luxembourg]], mother of Elizabeth Woodville. ''[[The Kingmaker's Daughter]]'', published in 2012, is about [[Anne Neville]], the wife of [[Richard III]], and ''[[The White Princess]]'' (2013) centres on the life of [[Elizabeth of York]], wife of Henry VII and the mother of Henry VIII. The latest work is the 2017 novel ''[[The Last Tudor]]''. The 2013 [[BBC One]] television series ''[[The White Queen (TV series)|The White Queen]]'' is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels ''The White Queen'', ''The Red Queen'' and ''The Kingmaker's Daughter'' (2012).<ref name="BBC White Queen">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/white-queen.html |title=BBC – Media Centre: ''The White Queen'', a new ten-part drama for BBC One |website=BBC.co.uk |date=31 August 2012 |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>
Gregory has also published a series of books about the [[Plantagenets]], the ruling houses that preceded the [[Tudors]], and the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Her first book ''[[The White Queen (novel)|The White Queen]]'', published in 2009, centres on the life of [[Elizabeth Woodville]], the wife of [[Edward IV]]. ''[[The Red Queen (Gregory novel)|The Red Queen]]'', published in 2010, is about [[Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby|Margaret Beaufort]] the mother of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] and grandmother to [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. ''[[The Lady of the Rivers]]'' (2011), is the life of [[Jacquetta of Luxembourg]], mother of Elizabeth Woodville. ''[[The Kingmaker's Daughter]]'', published in 2012, is about [[Anne Neville]], the wife of [[Richard III]], and ''[[The White Princess]]'' (2013) centres on the life of [[Elizabeth of York]], wife of Henry VII and the mother of Henry VIII. ''[[The Last Tudor]]'' is a novel about [[Lady Jane Grey|Jane Grey]] and her sisters Katherine and Mary. The 2013 [[BBC One]] television series ''[[The White Queen (TV series)|The White Queen]]'' is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels ''The White Queen'', ''The Red Queen'' and ''The Kingmaker's Daughter'' (2012).<ref name="BBC White Queen">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/white-queen.html |title=BBC – Media Centre: ''The White Queen'', a new ten-part drama for BBC One |website=BBC.co.uk |date=31 August 2012 |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>


[[File:Philippa Gregory at the 2024 Edinburgh International Book Festival.jpg|thumb|right|Gregory at the 2024 [[Edinburgh International Book Festival]]]]
In 2013, Helen Brown of ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' wrote that "Gregory has made an impressive career out of breathing passionate, independent life into the historical noblewomen whose personalities had previously lain flat on family trees, remembered only as diplomatic currency and brood mares."<ref name="Telegraph White Princess">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10209224/The-White-Princess-by-Philippa-Gregory-review.html |title=''The White Princess'' by Philippa Gregory: Review |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |first=Helen|last=Brown |date=1 August 2013 |access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> She added, "Gregory’s historical fiction has always been entertainingly speculative (those tempted to sneer should note that she’s never claimed otherwise) and comes with lashings of romantic licence."<ref name="Telegraph White Princess" />
In 2013, Helen Brown of ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' wrote that "Gregory has made an impressive career out of breathing passionate, independent life into the historical noblewomen whose personalities had previously lain flat on family trees, remembered only as diplomatic currency and brood mares."<ref name="Telegraph White Princess">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10209224/The-White-Princess-by-Philippa-Gregory-review.html |title=''The White Princess'' by Philippa Gregory: Review |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |first=Helen|last=Brown |date=1 August 2013 |access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> She added, "Gregory’s historical fiction has always been entertainingly speculative (those tempted to sneer should note that she’s never claimed otherwise) and comes with lashings of romantic licence."<ref name="Telegraph White Princess" />


In 2011 she contributed a short story "Why Holly Berries are as Red as Roses" to an anthology supporting [[Woodland Trust|the Woodland Trust]]. The anthology, ''Why Willows Weep'' has so far helped The Woodland Trust plant approximately 50,000 trees.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Chevalier|first1=Tracy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gaDFjwEACAAJ|title=Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods|last2=Anam|first2=Tahmima|last3=Mabey|first3=Richard|last4=Billington|first4=Rachel|last5=McCann|first5=Maria|last6=Blacker|first6=Terence|last7=Morrison|first7=Blake|last8=Mosse|first8=Kate|last9=Craig|first9=Amanda|date=July 2016|publisher=IndieBooks|isbn=978-1-908041-32-6|language=en}}</ref>
In 2011, she contributed a short story "Why Holly Berries are as Red as Roses" to an anthology supporting [[Woodland Trust|the Woodland Trust]]. The anthology, ''Why Willows Weep'' has so far helped The Woodland Trust plant approximately 50,000 trees.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Chevalier|first1=Tracy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gaDFjwEACAAJ|title=Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods|last2=Anam|first2=Tahmima|last3=Mabey|first3=Richard|last4=Billington|first4=Rachel|last5=McCann|first5=Maria|last6=Blacker|first6=Terence|last7=Morrison|first7=Blake|last8=Mosse|first8=Kate|last9=Craig|first9=Amanda|date=July 2016|publisher=IndieBooks|isbn=978-1-908041-32-6|language=en}}</ref>


Gregory was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2021 Birthday Honours]] for services to literature and to charity in the UK and the Gambia.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B9|date=12 June 2021}}</ref>
Gregory was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2021 Birthday Honours]] for services to literature and to charity in the UK and the Gambia.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B9|date=12 June 2021}}</ref>

In 2024, Gregory's play on Richard III, ''Richard, My Richard'', was performed at [[Shakespeare North]] Playhouse and [[Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brennan |first=Clare |date=2024-03-17 |title=Richard, My Richard review – like a medieval version of The Crown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/mar/17/richard-my-richard-shakespeare-north-playhouse-review-philippa-gregory-richard-iii-like-a-medieval-version-of-the-crown |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>


====Criticism====
====Criticism====
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In her novel ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]]'', her portrayal of Henry VIII's second wife [[Anne Boleyn]] drew criticism.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/apr/30/arttheft.arts | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Thieves breach Boleyn castle defences | first=Angelique | last=Chrisafis | date=30 April 2003 | access-date=21 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="Tunzelmann">{{cite web | last = von Tunzelmann| first = Alex | title = The Other Boleyn Girl: Hollyoaks in fancy dress | work = The Guardian | date = 6 August 2008 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/07/1 | access-date = 31 May 2013 }}RO</ref> The novel depicts Anne as cold and ruthless, as well as strongly implying that the accusations that she committed adultery and incest with her brother were true, despite it being widely accepted that she was innocent of the charges.<ref>Ives, E. W. (2004) ''The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn'' {{ISBN|1-4051-3463-1}}</ref> Novelist [[Robin Maxwell (author)|Robin Maxwell]] refused on principle to write a blurb for this book, describing its characterisation of Anne as "vicious, unsupportable".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bordo|first=Susan|title=The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen|year=2013|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|pages=219–220}}</ref>
In her novel ''[[The Other Boleyn Girl]]'', her portrayal of Henry VIII's second wife [[Anne Boleyn]] drew criticism.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/apr/30/arttheft.arts | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Thieves breach Boleyn castle defences | first=Angelique | last=Chrisafis | date=30 April 2003 | access-date=21 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="Tunzelmann">{{cite web | last = von Tunzelmann| first = Alex | title = The Other Boleyn Girl: Hollyoaks in fancy dress | work = The Guardian | date = 6 August 2008 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/07/1 | access-date = 31 May 2013 }}RO</ref> The novel depicts Anne as cold and ruthless, as well as strongly implying that the accusations that she committed adultery and incest with her brother were true, despite it being widely accepted that she was innocent of the charges.<ref>Ives, E. W. (2004) ''The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn'' {{ISBN|1-4051-3463-1}}</ref> Novelist [[Robin Maxwell (author)|Robin Maxwell]] refused on principle to write a blurb for this book, describing its characterisation of Anne as "vicious, unsupportable".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bordo|first=Susan|title=The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen|year=2013|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|pages=219–220}}</ref>

⚫
===Media===
{{BLP unsourced section|date=January 2016}}

She is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers, with short stories, features and reviews. She is also a frequent broadcaster and a regular contestant on ''[[Round Britain Quiz]]'' for [[BBC Radio 4]] and the Tudor expert for [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Time Team]]''. She won the 29 December 2008 edition of ''[[Celebrity Mastermind]]'' on BBC1, taking Elizabeth Woodville as her specialist subject.


==Philanthropy==
==Philanthropy==
{{BLP sources section|date=July 2017}}
Gregory runs a small charity building wells in school gardens in [[The Gambia]].<ref>{{EW charity|1117507|Gardens for The Gambia}}</ref> Gardens for The Gambia was established in 1993 when Gregory was in The Gambia, researching for her book ''A Respectable Trade''.
Gregory runs a small charity building wells in school gardens in [[The Gambia]].<ref>{{EW charity|1117507|Gardens for The Gambia}}</ref> Gardens for The Gambia was established in 1993 when Gregory was in The Gambia, researching for her book ''A Respectable Trade''.


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In addition to wells, the charity has piloted a successful bee-keeping scheme, funded feeding programmes and educational workshops in batik and pottery and is working with larger donors to install mechanical boreholes in some remote areas of the country where the water table is not accessible by digging alone.
In addition to wells, the charity has piloted a successful bee-keeping scheme, funded feeding programmes and educational workshops in batik and pottery and is working with larger donors to install mechanical boreholes in some remote areas of the country where the water table is not accessible by digging alone.


Philippa Gregory is a patron of [[The UK Chagos Support Association]],<ref name="Gregory Bio"/> which supports the [[Chagos islanders]] in their legal disputes with the British government. The people of Chagos were relocated by the British government when the archipelago in the [[Indian Ocean]] was cleared in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for an important [[Diego Garcia#Camp Justice|U.S. airbase]]. Gregory often speaks about the Chagossians' situation and lobbies the government to take action.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
Philippa Gregory is a patron of [[The UK Chagos Support Association]],<ref name="Gregory Bio"/> which supports the [[Chagos islanders]] in their legal disputes with the British government.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
⚫
Gregory wrote her first novel ''Wideacre'' while completing her doctorate<ref name="Gregory Bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.philippagregory.com/biography|title=Biography: Philippa Gregory|publisher=PhilippaGregory.com|access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref> and lived during that time in a cottage on the [[Pennine Way]] with her first husband Peter Chislett, editor of the ''[[Hartlepool Mail]]'', and their baby daughter. They divorced before the book was published.
{{BLP sources section|date=July 2017}}
⚫
Gregory wrote her first novel ''Wideacre'' while completing her doctorate<ref name="Gregory Bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.philippagregory.com/biography|title=Biography: Philippa Gregory|publisher=PhilippaGregory.com|access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref> and lived during that time in a cottage on the [[Pennine Way]] with her first husband Peter Chislett, editor of the ''[[Hartlepool Mail]]'', and their baby daughter, Victoria. They divorced before the book was published.

Following the success of ''Wideacre'' and the publication of ''The Favoured Child'', she moved south to near [[Midhurst]], West Sussex, where the ''Wideacre'' trilogy was set. Here Gregory married Paul Carter, her second husband, with whom she has a son, named Adam. She divorced for a second time.

After the break-up of her second marriage, she met and married Anthony Mason, whom she had first met during her time in [[Hartlepool]].

Gregory now lives on a {{convert|100|acre|km2|adj=on}} farm in the [[North York Moors National Park]], with her husband, children and stepchildren (six in all). Her interests include riding, walking, skiing, and gardening.


== Works ==
== Works ==
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* ''The Little Pet Dragon'' (1997), picture book
* ''The Little Pet Dragon'' (1997), picture book
* ''A Pirate Story'' (1999), picture book
* ''A Pirate Story'' (1999), picture book

⚫
=== Plays ===

* ''Richard, My Richard'' (2024)


=== Non-fiction ===
=== Non-fiction ===


* ''[[The Women of the Cousins' War|The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother]]'' (2011), with [[David Baldwin (historian)|David Baldwin]] and [[Michael Jones (historian)|Michael Jones]], history
* ''[[The Women of the Cousins' War|The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother]]'' (2011), with [[David Baldwin (historian)|David Baldwin]] and [[Michael Jones (historian)|Michael Jones]], history
* {{cite book|last=Gregory|first=Philippa|author-mask=0|title=Normal Women – 900 Years of Making History|year=2023|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780008601706|ref=none}} <ref name="h709">{{cite web |last=Wolchover |first=Eva |date=2024-02-28 |title=Book Review: ‘Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History,’ by Philippa Gregory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/books/review/philippa-gregory-normal-women-900-years-of-making-history.html |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>


== Adaptations ==
== Adaptations ==
Line 192: Line 188:
* ''[[The White Queen (TV series)|The White Queen]]'' (2013), drama directed by [[Colin Teague]], James Kent and Jamie Payne, based on novels ''[[The White Queen (novel)|The White Queen]]'', ''[[The Red Queen (Gregory novel)|The Red Queen]]'' and ''[[The Kingmaker's Daughter]]''
* ''[[The White Queen (TV series)|The White Queen]]'' (2013), drama directed by [[Colin Teague]], James Kent and Jamie Payne, based on novels ''[[The White Queen (novel)|The White Queen]]'', ''[[The Red Queen (Gregory novel)|The Red Queen]]'' and ''[[The Kingmaker's Daughter]]''
* ''[[The White Princess (miniseries)|The White Princess]]'' (2017), miniseries directed by Jamie Payne and [[Alex Kalymnios]], based on novel ''[[The White Princess]]''
* ''[[The White Princess (miniseries)|The White Princess]]'' (2017), miniseries directed by Jamie Payne and [[Alex Kalymnios]], based on novel ''[[The White Princess]]''
* ''[[The Spanish Princess]]'' (2019-2020), series directed by Birgitte Stærmose, [[Daina Reid]], Lisa Clarke, [[Stephen Woolfenden]], Chanya Button and Rebecca Gatward, based on novels ''[[The Constant Princess]]'' and ''[[The King's Curse]]''
* ''[[The Spanish Princess]]'' (2019–2020), series directed by Birgitte Stærmose, [[Daina Reid]], Lisa Clarke, [[Stephen Woolfenden]], [[Chanya Button]] and Rebecca Gatward, based on novels ''[[The Constant Princess]]'' and ''[[The King's Curse]]''


== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Philippa Gregory}}
{{Commons category|Philippa Gregory}}
* {{official website|http://www.philippagregory.com/}}
* {{official website|https://www.philippagregory.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|0339925}}
* {{IMDb name|0339925}}


{{Philippa Gregory}}
{{Philippa Gregory}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
[[Category:English historical novelists]]
[[Category:English historical novelists]]
[[Category:English women novelists]]
[[Category:People educated at Montpelier High School, Bristol]]
[[Category:People educated at Montpelier High School, Bristol]]
[[Category:Writers from Bristol]]
[[Category:Writers from Bristol]]
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[[Category:Writers of historical romances]]
[[Category:Writers of historical romances]]
[[Category:RoNA Award winners]]
[[Category:RoNA Award winners]]
[[Category:British republicans]]
[[Category:English republicans]]
[[Category:20th-century English novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century English novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century British novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century English women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English women writers]]
[[Category:Women romantic fiction writers]]
[[Category:British women romantic fiction writers]]
[[Category:Women historical novelists]]
[[Category:English women historical novelists]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]

Latest revision as of 02:29, 8 December 2024

Philippa Gregory

CBE
Gregory in 2011
Gregory in 2011
Born (1954-01-09) 9 January 1954 (age 70)
Nairobi, Colony of Kenya (modern-day Nairobi County, Republic of Kenya)
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
Alma materUniversity of Sussex
University of Edinburgh
Period1987–present
GenreHistorical fiction, romance, fantasy
Notable awardsRoNA Award
Spouse
  • Peter Chislett (divorced)
  • Paul Carter (divorced)
  • Anthony Mason (divorced)
Children2
Philippa Gregory's voice
Recorded June 2012 from the BBC Radio 4 programme Bookclub
Website
www.philippagregory.com

Philippa Gregory CBE (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is The Other Boleyn Girl (2001), which in 2002 won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association[1] and has been adapted into two films.

AudioFile magazine has called Gregory "the queen of British historical fiction".[2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Philippa Gregory was born on 9 January 1954 in Nairobi, at that time serving as capital city of the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya (modern-day Republic of Kenya), the second daughter of Elaine (Wedd) and Arthur Percy Gregory, a radio operator and navigator for East African Airways.[3] When she was two years old, her family moved to Bristol, UK.[4]

She was a "rebel" at Colston's Girls' School[4][5] where she obtained a B grade in English and two E grades in History and Geography at A-level. She then went to journalism college in Cardiff and spent a year as an apprentice with the Portsmouth News before she managed to gain a place on an English literature degree course at the University of Sussex, where she switched to a history course. In 1982, she received a B.A. degree in history from Sussex University.[6]

She worked for BBC radio for two years before attending University of Edinburgh, where she obtained a Ph.D. degree in 18th-century literature in 1985 for her thesis entitled The popular fiction of eighteenth-century commercial circulating libraries.[7][8] Gregory has taught at the University of Durham, University of Teesside, and the Open University, and was made a Fellow of Kingston University in 1994.[citation needed]

Career

[edit]

Writing

[edit]
Gregory signs books at the 2019 National Book Festival

She has written novels set in several different historical periods, though primarily the Tudor period and the 16th century. Reading a number of novels set in the 17th century led her to write the best-selling Lacey trilogy Wideacre, which is a story about the love of land and incest, The Favoured Child and Meridon. This was followed by The Wise Woman. A Respectable Trade, a novel of the slave trade in England, set in 18th-century Bristol, was adapted by Gregory for a four-part drama series for BBC television. Gregory's script was nominated for a BAFTA, won an award from the Committee for Racial Equality, and the film was shown worldwide.[citation needed]

Two novels about a gardening family are set during the English Civil War: Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth, while she has in addition written contemporary fiction – Perfectly Correct, Mrs Hartley and the Growth Centre, The Little House and Zelda's Cut. She has also written for children.[citation needed]

Some of her novels have won awards and have been adapted into television dramas. The most successful of her novels has been The Other Boleyn Girl, published in 2001 and adapted for BBC television in 2003 with Natascha McElhone, Jodhi May and Jared Harris. In the year of its publication, The Other Boleyn Girl also won the Romantic Novel of the Year[9] and it has subsequently spawned sequels – The Queen's Fool, The Virgin's Lover, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Other Queen. Miramax bought the film rights to The Other Boleyn Girl and released a film of the same name in February 2008 starring Eric Bana, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.

Gregory has also published a series of books about the Plantagenets, the ruling houses that preceded the Tudors, and the Wars of the Roses. Her first book The White Queen, published in 2009, centres on the life of Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of Edward IV. The Red Queen, published in 2010, is about Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry VII and grandmother to Henry VIII. The Lady of the Rivers (2011), is the life of Jacquetta of Luxembourg, mother of Elizabeth Woodville. The Kingmaker's Daughter, published in 2012, is about Anne Neville, the wife of Richard III, and The White Princess (2013) centres on the life of Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII and the mother of Henry VIII. The Last Tudor is a novel about Jane Grey and her sisters Katherine and Mary. The 2013 BBC One television series The White Queen is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012).[10]

Gregory at the 2024 Edinburgh International Book Festival

In 2013, Helen Brown of The Telegraph wrote that "Gregory has made an impressive career out of breathing passionate, independent life into the historical noblewomen whose personalities had previously lain flat on family trees, remembered only as diplomatic currency and brood mares."[11] She added, "Gregory’s historical fiction has always been entertainingly speculative (those tempted to sneer should note that she’s never claimed otherwise) and comes with lashings of romantic licence."[11]

In 2011, she contributed a short story "Why Holly Berries are as Red as Roses" to an anthology supporting the Woodland Trust. The anthology, Why Willows Weep has so far helped The Woodland Trust plant approximately 50,000 trees.[12]

Gregory was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and to charity in the UK and the Gambia.[13]

In 2024, Gregory's play on Richard III, Richard, My Richard, was performed at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.[14]

Criticism

[edit]

Gregory has said that her "commitment to historical accuracy" is a hallmark of her writing.[15] This is disputed by historians. Historian David Starkey, appearing alongside Gregory in a documentary about Anne Boleyn, described her work as "good Mills and Boon",[16] adding that: "We really should stop taking historical novelists seriously as historians. The idea that they have authority is ludicrous."[17] Susan Bordo criticised Gregory's claims to historical accuracy as "self-deceptive and self-promoting chutzpah", and notes that it is not so much the many inaccuracies in her work as "Gregory's insistence on her meticulous adherence to history that most aggravates the scholars."[18]

In her novel The Other Boleyn Girl, her portrayal of Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn drew criticism.[19][20] The novel depicts Anne as cold and ruthless, as well as strongly implying that the accusations that she committed adultery and incest with her brother were true, despite it being widely accepted that she was innocent of the charges.[21] Novelist Robin Maxwell refused on principle to write a blurb for this book, describing its characterisation of Anne as "vicious, unsupportable".[22]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Gregory runs a small charity building wells in school gardens in The Gambia.[23] Gardens for The Gambia was established in 1993 when Gregory was in The Gambia, researching for her book A Respectable Trade.

Since then the charity has dug almost 200 low technology, low budget and therefore easily maintained wells, which are on-stream and providing water to irrigate school and community gardens to provide meals for the poorest children and harvest a cash crop to buy school equipment, seeds and tools.

In addition to wells, the charity has piloted a successful bee-keeping scheme, funded feeding programmes and educational workshops in batik and pottery and is working with larger donors to install mechanical boreholes in some remote areas of the country where the water table is not accessible by digging alone.

Philippa Gregory is a patron of The UK Chagos Support Association,[15] which supports the Chagos islanders in their legal disputes with the British government.

Personal life

[edit]

Gregory wrote her first novel Wideacre while completing her doctorate[15] and lived during that time in a cottage on the Pennine Way with her first husband Peter Chislett, editor of the Hartlepool Mail, and their baby daughter. They divorced before the book was published.

Works

[edit]

Novels

[edit]
The Wideacre trilogy
  1. Wideacre (1987)
  2. The Favoured Child (1989)
  3. Meridon (1990)
Tradescant series
  1. Earthly Joys (1998)
  2. Virgin Earth (1999)
The Plantagenet and Tudor novels

Previously separated as the Tudor Court and Cousins' War series, as of August 2016 Gregory lists these novels as one series, The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels.[24][25]

  1. The Other Boleyn Girl (2001)
  2. The Queen's Fool (2003)
  3. The Virgin's Lover (2004)
  4. The Constant Princess (2005)
  5. The Boleyn Inheritance (2006)
  6. The Other Queen (2008)
  7. The White Queen (2009)
  8. The Red Queen (2010)
  9. The Lady of the Rivers (2011)
  10. The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012)
  11. The White Princess (2013)
  12. The King's Curse (2014)
  13. The Taming of the Queen (2015)
  14. Three Sisters, Three Queens (2016)
  15. The Last Tudor (2017)[26]

Gregory has suggested a "reading order" for the series, based on the real-world chronology of historical figures and events.[25]

  1. The Lady of the Rivers (Jacquetta of Luxembourg)
  2. The White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville)
  3. The Red Queen (Margaret Beaufort)
  4. The Kingmaker's Daughter (Anne Neville; featuring her sister Isabel)
  5. The White Princess (Elizabeth of York)
  6. The Constant Princess (Katherine of Aragon)
  7. The King's Curse (Margaret Pole)
  8. Three Sisters, Three Queens (Margaret Tudor, featuring Mary Tudor and Katherine of Aragon)
  9. The Other Boleyn Girl (Mary and Anne Boleyn)
  10. The Boleyn Inheritance (Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard)
  11. The Taming of the Queen (Kateryn Parr)
  12. The Queen's Fool (A young Jewish girl's story of her service in the courts of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I)
  13. The Last Tudor (Jane, Katherine and Mary Grey)
  14. The Virgin's Lover (Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart)
  15. The Other Queen (Mary, Queen of Scots, George Talbot and Bess of Hardwick)
The Order of Darkness series
  1. Changeling (2012)
  2. Stormbringers (2013)
  3. Fools' Gold (2014)
  4. Dark Tracks (2018)
Fairmile series
  1. Tidelands (2019)
  2. Dark Tides (2020)
  3. Dawnlands (2022)
Stand-alones
  • Mrs. Hartley and the Growth Centre, or Alice Hartley's Happiness (1992)
  • The Wise Woman (1992)
    A young girl forced out of her nunnery and into the real world during the reformation during Anne Boleyn's time of being queen.
  • Fallen Skies (1994)
  • A Respectable Trade (1995)
  • Perfectly Correct (1996)
  • The Little House (1998)
  • Zelda's Cut (2000)

Short stories

[edit]

Collections:

  • Bread and Chocolate (2000)

Children's books

[edit]

Princess Florizella series (picture books):

  1. Princess Florizella (1988)
  2. Florizella and the Wolves (1991)
  3. Florizella and the Giant (1992)

Stand-alones:

  • Diggory and the Boa Conductor (1996), picture book
  • The Little Pet Dragon (1997), picture book
  • A Pirate Story (1999), picture book

Plays

[edit]
  • Richard, My Richard (2024)

Non-fiction

[edit]
  • The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother (2011), with David Baldwin and Michael Jones, history
  • Normal Women – 900 Years of Making History. HarperCollins. 2023. ISBN 9780008601706. [27]

Adaptations

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Awards by the Romantic Novelists' Association, 13 October 2012
  2. ^ "Audiobook Review: The Red Queen (2010)". AudioFile. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  3. ^ Jennifer Curry (2007), World Authors, 2000–2005, H. W. Wilson, p. 800
  4. ^ a b Philippa Gregory walk at BBC Bristol. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  5. ^ Philippa Gregory at Chroniclelive. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  6. ^ Philippa Gregory, interview, The Guardian Education. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  7. ^ Edinburgh Research Archive: PhD thesis Gregory, P. – digital repository of the University of Edinburgh
  8. ^ Alumnus of the year: 2008 – Philippa Gregory – website of the University of Edinburgh
  9. ^ "Romantic novel of the year – Books". The Guardian.
  10. ^ "BBC – Media Centre: The White Queen, a new ten-part drama for BBC One". BBC.co.uk. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  11. ^ a b Brown, Helen (1 August 2013). "The White Princess by Philippa Gregory: Review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  12. ^ Chevalier, Tracy; Anam, Tahmima; Mabey, Richard; Billington, Rachel; McCann, Maria; Blacker, Terence; Morrison, Blake; Mosse, Kate; Craig, Amanda (July 2016). Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods. IndieBooks. ISBN 978-1-908041-32-6.
  13. ^ "No. 63377". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2021. p. B9.
  14. ^ Brennan, Clare (17 March 2024). "Richard, My Richard review – like a medieval version of The Crown". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Biography: Philippa Gregory". PhilippaGregory.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  16. ^ "Serena Davies, "David Starkey: it is 'ludicrous' to suggest that historical novelists have authority". The Daily Telegraph. 11 May 2013.
  17. ^ David Starkey: it is 'ludicrous' to suggest that historical novelists have authority", The Telegraph, 11 May 2013. Accessed 12 September 2013
  18. ^ Bordo, Susan (2013). The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 226–227.
  19. ^ Chrisafis, Angelique (30 April 2003). "Thieves breach Boleyn castle defences". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  20. ^ von Tunzelmann, Alex (6 August 2008). "The Other Boleyn Girl: Hollyoaks in fancy dress". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2013.RO
  21. ^ Ives, E. W. (2004) The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn ISBN 1-4051-3463-1
  22. ^ Bordo, Susan (2013). The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 219–220.
  23. ^ "Gardens for The Gambia, registered charity no. 1117507". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  24. ^ "Books: Philippa Gregory". PhilippaGregory.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  25. ^ a b Gregory, Philippa (7 July 2014). "Novels in Reading Order". Facebook. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  26. ^ "The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory". PhilippaGregory.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  27. ^ Wolchover, Eva (28 February 2024). "Book Review: 'Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History,' by Philippa Gregory". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
[edit]
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