“The White Queen” is a historical drama that wants to be a game changer. It takes the Wars of the Roses and turns it into a story about women: the wives, mothers and daughters who move behind the thrones of England’s squabbling kings. Based on Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War novels, the series premiered on BBC One on 16 June 2013 and ran for 10 episodes, ending on 18 August 2013. It is a handsome, ambitious show that mostly succeeds at giving real weight to the women who history forgot.
The show’s central premise is simple. The nation has been at war for nine years, and two branches of the Plantagenet family — the House of York and the House of Lancaster — fight over who is the rightful king of England. The story follows three women: Elizabeth Woodville, wife of King Edward IV; Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future King Henry VII of England; and Anne Neville, wife of the Duke of Clarence, who will become King Richard III’s brother. All three manipulate events behind the scenes of history to gain power for themselves and their families. It is a story about ambition, loyalty and the quiet horror of being a woman in a war.
Trailer, via STARZ.
Elizabeth Woodville and the House of York
Elizabeth Woodville, played by Rebecca Ferguson, is the protagonist of the 2009 novel “The White Queen.” In the show, she is the ambitious widow of a knight who marries King Edward IV and becomes the queen of England. Her story is a tale of sudden elevation, followed by the brutal costs of that elevation. Edward is played by Max Irons, and the two actors have a chemistry that makes their marriage feel like a genuine alliance rather than a political calculation.
The show does not shy away from the uglier side of Elizabeth’s rise. She is shown as a politician in all but title, moving courtiers and nobles with charm and cold calculation. Her scenes with Amanda Hale’s Margaret Beaufort carry the show’s central tension. The two women come from opposing sides of the war, but they both understand the same game: power is not given, it is seized.
Margaret Beaufort and the House of Lancaster
Margaret Beaufort is the focus of the 2010 novel “The Red Queen.” Amanda Hale gives her a presence that commands the screen. Margaret is a widow and a mother who is determined to put her son, the future Henry VII of England, on the throne. She is patient, strategic and utterly without mercy when it suits her. Her scenes run through the entire series, building from a woman in mourning to a woman who has become a force of nature.
Margaret’s story is the most purely political of the three. She uses religion, marriage and manipulation to move the pieces on the chessboard. The show’s handling of her is its best work, a portrait of a woman who is more than a footnote to history.
Anne Neville and the House of York
Anne Neville is the subject of the 2012 novel “The Kingmaker’s Daughter.” Faye Marsay plays her as a young widow whose life is defined by loss and the politics of the court. She is the wife of the Duke of Clarence, who will become King Richard III’s brother. Her story is one of survival in a world where women are property. Anne is not a villain, but she is not a victim either. She makes choices, and the show respects that.
The three women are connected by blood, marriage and the simple fact that they are all trying to survive a war. The show’s script gives them reasons to act, and the acting makes those reasons feel real. The three leads carry the weight of the series, and the show never lets them become caricatures.
The Men of the Court
The male characters exist primarily to be moved by the women, which is the point. James Frain plays Richard Neville, the man who makes the wrong choice. Tom McKay’s Jasper Tudor is the loyal uncle to Henry VII. Juliet Aubrey’s Anne Beauchamp is a woman whose family is caught in the middle of the conflict. Aneurin Barnard plays Richard III of England, the younger brother of Edward IV who will ascend to the throne. Caroline Goodall’s Cecily Neville and Rupert Graves’ Thomas Stanley round out the cast as figures of power and influence.
The men are not the stars, and the show is smart enough not to pretend otherwise. Their ambition, loyalty and cruelty are all there for the women to use. The show’s moral clarity is simple: the men are the ones who make the war, and the women are the ones who have to live it.
The Production and the Setting
“The White Queen” is a production of considerable ambition. The costumes are lavish, the castles are grand, and the battles are staged with a sense of spectacle. The show is a period drama in the classic mould, and it does not apologize for its own excess. The setting is the Wars of the Roses, and the show uses that setting well.
The Weaknesses
The show has a few flaws that keep it from greatness. The pacing can be slow, and some of the middle episodes feel like filler. The show is also held back by the fact that its most interesting characters — Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville — do not get as much screen time as Elizabeth Woodville. This is a show about three women, and it does not always treat them equally.
The show also struggles with its ending. The final episode, which aired on 18 August 2013, feels rushed. The resolution of the war is not fully satisfying, and the show leaves some threads untied. This is a show that knows its source material is going to continue in a sequel, but it never quite prepares the audience for that.
The Cast and Their Craft
The cast delivers. Rebecca Ferguson is magnetic as Elizabeth Woodville. Amanda Hale is commanding as Margaret Beaufort. Faye Marsay is fragile and convincing as Anne Neville. The supporting cast is uniformly strong, and the show is a showcase for actors who are often relegated to supporting roles.
The acting makes the show work. The women are complicated, and the actors never let them become one-dimensional.
The Verdict
“The White Queen” is a show that is worth watching. It is not perfect, but it is ambitious, well-acted and beautifully made. It gives women the centre stage of a story that has traditionally been told from the perspective of kings and battles.
The show respects its characters and tells a story that history has not always told well.
Key Facts
- Network: BBC One
- Seasons: 1 season, 10 episodes
- First episode: 16 June 2013
- Final episode: 18 August 2013
The show is a confident piece of television. It is a show that rewards attention, and it is a show that deserves it. It is not a perfect piece of television, but it is an ambitious one. It is a show that deserves to be remembered for its three leads, and for the way it told a familiar story from a different point of view.
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