J K Rowling is the wealthiest woman in the showbusiness

The 37-year-old has more than quadrupled her personal fortune in the past two years.

Her £280m makes her the wealthiest woman in showbusiness and Britain's 122nd richest person - 11 places higher than the Queen.

The top slot is held by the Duke of Westminster, who has a fortune of £4.9bn, making £200m last year alone.

He has risen 11 places up the list of the world's richest people to number 35.

Britain's top five wealthiest people Duke of Westminster - £4.9bn Hans Rausing - food packaging - £4.8bn Motor racing's Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone - £2.4bn Charlene and Michel de Carvalho - inheritance/brewing/banking - £2.284 bn David and Simon Reuben - property/metal trade - £2.bn

The wealthiest person is American retailing empire Wal-Mart boss Robson Walton.

For the first time in a decade the combined wealth of the top 1,000 in the UK Rich List fell - by 2%, or £3.8bn, to £155.86bn.

Rich Brits

But rich Brits fared better than moneyed foreigners - the richest 50 people in the world lost £85bn in the past year, while Europe's top 50 dropped £16bn.

Britain still has 21 billionaires.

With £60m, Jackie Collins enters the list for the first time.

The novelist is one of only 79 women among 1,014 men, but that is five more than last year and 10 up on 2001.

Wealthy couples

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and wife Slavica jumped two places into third this year, despite a drop in their overall wealth - from £2.9bn to £2.4bn.

Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas move up 15 places to fourth in the top 20 millionaires in film and television, with a combined wealth of £150m.

While Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne hit number nine with £85m.