Rowling voted most influential British woman

JK Rowling has topped a poll of the 100 most influential women in Britain.

The Harry Potter scribe was chosen by leading magazine editors for her writing skills, tenacity to succeed and philanthropic nature.

Victoria Beckham was the runner-up, while the Queen came third. Other celebrities on the list include Cheryl Cole, Kate Moss and Dame Vivienne Westwood.

The poll was commissioned by the National Magazine Company to mark the publisher's centenary.

The top ten in full read:

1: JK Rowling
2: Victoria Beckham
3: The Queen
4: Shami Chakrabarti
5: Cheryl Cole
6: Samantha Cameron
7: Cath Kidston, designer
8: Kate Moss
9: Dame Vivienne Westwood
10: Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson

Last week, Forbes named its 100 most powerful women in the world, where the only British national to feature was the Queen at number 41.