In preparation for The White Princess, which premieres April 16th on Starz, I thought I would repost my blog about its prequel The White Queen, which was originally posted at Aye, Tortuga!. I updated a few sections, otherwise, these were my first thoughts about the series.

I am really enjoying The White Queen, but no one else seems to be talking about this summer mini-series. The show is based on The Cousins’ War book series by Philippa Gregory and focuses on Elizabeth Woodville (wife of Edward IV), Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry Tudor), and Anne Neville (wife of Richard III).

The story begins in 1464 during the Wars of the Roses. The House of York and the House of Lancaster are at odds over who is the rightful King of England. With the help of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, also known as “The Kingmaker,” the Yorkist Edward IV has taken the throne. He soon falls in love with and secretly marries a Lancastrian commoner named Elizabeth Woodville. Warwick feels betrayed by this marriage, and threatened by Elizabeth’s family, and begins to make plans to regain power. Part of this plan involves using his daughters, Anne and Isabelle, as bargaining chips. Still loyal to dethroned Lancastrian King Henry VI, Margaret Beaufort believes that her son is destined to one day be king and does everything in her power to keep him safe from the Yorkists who would seek to destroy the Lancaster line.

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