The woman behind Harry Potter, JK Rowling, has outdone Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones and even the Queen to retain her title as Britain's highest-earning female. The author made some £48 million in 2002 through the phenomenal sales of her books and the movies they inspired. It is the third year running that she has taken the top spot in the annual Mail On Sunday poll.
The Queen meanwhile earned only £7.7 million while Madonna was also beaten by the writer, coming in second with £27 million. The Michigan-born singer was included in the survey as she is based in London.
The top rankings were dominated by stars of the entertainment industry with pop star Kylie Minogue, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and novelist Jackie Collins all making the top ten.
Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon was also a surprise new entry at number seven, having made £10 million after launching her family into the world of reality TV in The Osbournes.
It was a year of dramatic rises in the earnings of Britain's female stars, though they are still not making nearly as much as their US counterparts. America's highest-paid woman in 2002 was Oprah Winfrey with an incredible £94 million – nearly double JK's figure.
