Eleanor Cobham was as famous for being the second wife of the Duke of Gloucester as she was for being tried for necromancy and witchery. ROYAL WITCH recounts this rollercoaster ride of a tale. There is no one better to tell this story than Philippa Gregory, who has made this era in British history her primary focus during her prolific career.

As a young woman, Eleanor is the only member of her family who revels in her mother's death. In her eyes, it marks the start of her freedom. She leaves home with minimal support from her father to seek a position within the royal chambers in the court of King Henry V. His bride is Queen Catherine, which inspires Eleanor, who sees this as being her path to climbing the ladder to greatness and royal notoriety.

"Philippa Gregory impressively breathes life into the woman labeled the 'Royal Witch' within the Royal Court of the early to mid-1400s. Eleanor is someone to whom we can relate, and her ascension and fall in such a quick period of time is the stuff of legend."

Eleanor works her way into the employ of Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, who is betrothed to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Jacqueline is tough-minded and well-respected, and Eleanor gleans what she can from her. She keeps her eyes peeled for a wealthy and powerful man to whom she can hitch herself. With England at war with multiple enemies, things take a dark turn when the mighty Henry V falls during battle, leaving Catherine to rule in his place, which many elders in the court are not happy about.

Several members of the court take to the battlefield, including Jacqueline, who leads her own army and is actually more skilled at warfare than Humphrey. With Jacqueline away for a lengthy period, Eleanor makes her move on Humphrey, coaxing herself into his bed. Her timing is ideal, as Humphrey finds his marriage to Jaqueline annulled by Pope Martin V when he discovered that she was still technically married to John IV, Duke of Brabant. Eleanor uses this opportunity to work herself into wedded bliss with Humphrey and into a Duchess role in the process.

What was occurring behind the scenes of Eleanor’s unlikely rise was that she was seeking the advice of occult forces to predict and aid in her decisions and the timing necessary to capitalize on them. She starts with small-time fortune tellers and then works her way up to some of the most famous astrologers in the area. They include Thomas Southwell and Roger Bolingbroke, whose reputations are frowned upon by the staunchly religious citizens who see it as demonism and witchery. 

Unbeknownst to Eleanor, there are those in the court who do not like her and are quite jealous of her allegedly undeserved fortune. These are the individuals who conspire to take her down hard. The second half of the novel focuses on the less savory part of Eleanor’s life, which sees her tried and imprisoned for life as a witch.

Philippa Gregory impressively breathes life into the woman labeled the “Royal Witch” within the Royal Court of the early to mid-1400s. Eleanor is someone to whom we can relate, and her ascension and fall in such a quick period of time is the stuff of legend.