Hachette India

The Favourite

Ophelia Field

'An incredible story crackling with royal passion, envy, ambition and betrayal ... A tour de force' Lucy Worsley

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, was as glamorous as she was controversial. Politically influential and independently powerful, she was an intimate, and then a blackmailer, of Queen Anne, accusing her of keeping lesbian favourites - including Sarah's own cousin Abigail Masham.

Ophelia Field's masterly biography brings Sarah Churchill's own voice, passionate and intelligent, back to life. Here is an unforgettable portrait of a woman who cared intensely about how we would remember her - perfect for fans interested in the history behind the award-winning film starring Rachel Weisz with Olivia Colman and Emma Stone.

Ophelia Field

Ophelia Field was educated at Christ Church Oxford and the London School of Economics. She has worked as a policy analyst and consultant for a wide range of refugee and human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch UNHCR English PEN and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. Simultaneously Ophelia researched and wrote The Favourite originally published in 2002 and The Kit-Cat Club which in 2008 was selected by the Financial Times as one of their History Books of the Year. She lives in London with her partner and children.