We hear a lot about how women didn’t have a voice in the past centuries. Men ruled the world and their wives bore their children for the family name and title to continue into the next generations. That’s what we’ve been told at history classes. And that’s true in many cases.
However there’s another approach to the historical facts that are interpreted quite speculatively and at the same time there’s no doubt about one thing; with the lack of ability for women to physically affect the situation in the kingdom nobody said that they couldn’t use their beauty and wits for manipulating those with power to their advantage.
“The White Queen” and “The White Princess” TV-series are an excellent example of this theory. They uncover consequent events of the historical novels written by Philippa Gregory, who is quite a famous figure when it comes to history subjects. You may have crossed paths with some screen works that had the obvious imprint of this novelist such as “The Other Boleyn Girl” (film of 2008 based on the book under the same name) and “The Tudors” (2007-2010 TV-episodes partially based on “the Tudor Court” book series).
"The White Queen" series (first aired on BBC and Starz in 2013) invite us to participate in the world of intrigues and see how the politics is made behind the curtains at English court during 15th century. We find ourselves caught in the reign of Edward IV who’s enchanted with a beautiful widow Elizabeth Woodville.
He secretly marries the woman against all good sense that his seemingly loyal friend and co-battler Earl of Warwick “The Kingmaker” tried to beat into him. Basically this is a starting point to the wars in the series that are also known as “War of Roses”.
You’ll see a lot of faces in these episodes and it’s easy to get lost in the process if you don’t follow the story from the beginning.
To make long story short and not to spoil too much, let’s just say we witness how three Houses, represented by House of York, House of Lancaster and House of Plantagenet, tirelessly compromise each other to win or keep the throne of England. Representatives of these Houses are cruel and unforgiving even to those who have once been considered to be a member of the family. You’d think that all we should see is endless wars and battlefields where men try to prove their rights for the crown. But what we see in these episodes is not only the men fighting and beheading each other but women of these three Houses (Elizabeth Woodville - House of York; Margaret Beaufort – House of Plantagenet; and Anne Neville - House of Lancaster) easily manipulating their husbands.
They’re wives and mothers obediently waiting at home and protecting their children from the fall of their House because the one House that is strong enough to get the crown may easily eliminate the other two killing all that’s dear to the hearts of these women.
They love. They hate. They use dark witchcraft. They’re making bonds but one little mistake and these bonds are gone. They go for the kill without sparing even one innocent life if this life threatens to breach their power. They don’t play by the rules because no rules may apply in this deathly marathon of fate’s will.
If you love the costume dramas and you love history this show is for you!
“The White Princess” (aired on Starz in 2017) unravels as the House of Plantagenet takes the wheel of power and put its heir Henry Tudor (to have been called Henry VII after the coronation) on the English throne; Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville is to marry him so as to keep peace between two Houses, “white and red rose” entwined.
Although having her daughter married to Henry, Elizabeth Woodville secretly holds a grudge against Margaret Beaufort for all the losses she’s suffered in the past due to her actions and makes arrangements to find her lost son Richard hoping that he’s still alive and may get what is his by the right of birth.
We’ve seen brothers and cousins to fight over the crown in the “White Queen” but here it is a whole new level of war that comes between mother and daughter, two people that are supposed to be the closest. When mother needs to decide whom she’s going to grant her support she makes a choice in favor of her son Richard without hesitation and second thoughts; not even an ounce of regret.
Elizabeth of York having become a queen and a mother to Henry’s children has no choice but to try and keep her position otherwise she and her children would be in danger.
And that’s where I want to point out the difference between Elizabeth Woodville and her daughter Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth Woodville was purposefully pursuing Edward IV to actually become a queen believing that it’s her destiny whereas her daughter were never given a choice in regards of marriage. She’s never wanted such a fate but she was forced into it and what else to do besides protecting her children?
That is the main idea of the series and it is accompanied with a lot of drama and impressive sceneries. You don’t have to read books to see the show but if you like historical novels you’ll find those books quite entertaining as did I.
I hope you’ll find this post useful and check out my previous reviews on screen adaptations of popular literature.
As always thank you for staying with me until the end of this post and I wish you more good books and movies!