the white princess henry and lizzie
I don’t feel I have consciously gone one way or another with it," Frost said. There’s all sorts of amazing women’s lives which have just never been told. You hit the usual problem, the problem that we hit between The White Queen and The White Princess in fact, that you’re covering so many years historically, if you stay with the same cast you’re having to age them up. IMDb 7.6 ... King Henry VII and Lizzie travel to Spain in an attempt to secure their son’s betrothal, but news of their country’s instability has preceded them. The probable murder of her brothers in the Tower of London in 1483 meant that, in the eyes of many, Elizabeth was the rightful queen of England. Have you been engrossed in "The White Princess? Played by Jacob Collins-Levy in The White Princess, we meet the dashing and handsome Henry VII as he has finally taken the crown for himself, after defeating Richard III at the bloody battle of Bosworth in 1485. By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. Assassinations: from the ancient world to JFK, Elizabeth of York: a Tudor of rare talent. She may not have sought the limelight as much as some of her contemporaries, but Elizabeth of York was a Tudor of rare talent, writes Alison Weir. Even Isabelle of Castille, we have in our show, she’s a fantastic character who presides over Christopher Columbus, going off, exploring the new world. She is the oldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, the lover of the deceased Richard III, and the one uniting the warring factions of York and Lancaster by marrying the … The White Princess dramatises ‘Lizzie’s’ marriage to the first Tudor king Henry VII, her relationship with her mother the Dowager Queen Elizabeth, and her new mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort. Why? Less charismatic than Henry VIII or Elizabeth, less tragic than Edward or Mary, he stands no realistic chance in a Most Famous Tudor competition. I think what Lizzie does is incredibly inspirational even when she makes very hard choices. The White Princess dramatises ‘Lizzie’s’ marriage to the first Tudor king Henry VII, her relationship with her mother the Dowager Queen Elizabeth, and her new mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort. ", "Of course it would be fantastic to fill the next chapter with this cast. What Happened, Exactly? In the series, he is resentful of the duty that requires having to marry a woman who openly despises him, and is heavily influenced by his powerful mother, Margaret Beaufort. Unbeknownst to Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville had her son Richard hidden and plotting to restore him on the throne. He managed to defeat Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485. We should admire Henry first for his tenacity. After all, she has kept her word. In the drama, rumours circulate that Elizabeth of York’s long-lost brother Prince Richard, son of Edward IV and his queen Elizabeth Woodville, is alive and planning to take the throne. The humanist scholar Erasmus described her in one word: “brilliant”. 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She fell pregnant at 12, was widowed by the Wars of the Roses and almost died at the hands of Richard III. In her original story, Gregory builds on the speculation that the king was the lover of Elizabeth of York before her marriage to Henry VII, and also suspected of murdering the two sons of the dowager queen. You debate, Like father, like son: Richard Plantagenet and Richard III, Alexander the Great: all you need to know about the empire builder and military genius. But for Lizzie, it offers her the promise, at last, of power in her own right. Essie Davis plays the Dowager Queen Elizabeth in the series. I certainly don’t have an allegiance for one over the other, I just am interested in how these different politics can tear these families apart. He was less trusting, less generous and less relaxed than many of his subjects might have liked: he is only recorded as laughing in public once.”. Michael Jones: “Margaret’s father had died shortly before her first birthday and so she was brought up by her mother, Margaret Beauchamp. Lizzie brings them the news that Henry Tudor intends to honour his betrothal to Lizzie, making her the next queen of England. ‘Lizzie’ is forced to choose between her new husband and a boy who could be her own blood and the rightful Yorkist king. Edward of Westminster was killed at the battle of Tewkesbury, and Anne Neville almost certainly died naturally. Everything you ever wanted to know about... Did Richard III murder the princes in the Tower? As such, Richard III features heavily in much of the show’s action. It's irritating to even have to defend it. John Ashown Hill: “It has frequently been claimed (on the basis of reports of a letter, the original of which does not survive), that in 1485 Richard III planned to marry his niece, Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She’s making the decision to order execution. "In terms or pro-York or pro-Tudor I never once asked myself that question. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. That she would go on to take full advantage of these opportunities is beyond doubt. And that’s what we wanted to do with Lizzie, we wanted to take it to its ultimate conclusion. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. "Very little is actually written down about these women. "And I think that’s interesting, from a story point of view, but also from a propaganda point of view. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. And also, it’s really rare that a female character is allowed to make these kinds of choices. You hit the usual problem, the problem that we hit between, 'Them' Trailer: Amazon's Terror Anthology Series Reminds 'Us' of a Certain Jordan Peele Movie, 'The White Princess' EP Emma Frost on Heroes, Beheadings, & the Emotional Finale, More Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. There are other fantastic love stories. ", She added, "the audience who has come into this story and this journey and absolutely been on this side, really particularly rooted for them and identified with them, really for the love story, so much so that there was such an outpouring of grief when we had to do the time jump because a lot of the audience felt as though they’d been robbed of the love story.". The lost figure of the Bayeux Tapestry: where is Edgar Ætheling? ... and creating a new rift in Lizzie and King Henry's marriage. Although he died before the historical events depicted in The White Princess, Richard III still casts a significant shadow over the drama. He doesn’t deny it and he doesn’t keep trying to hold on to tell himself, he immediately has the Boy moved into the same cell as Teddy, he wants him treated properly and he breaks down to Lizzie and says, 'I don’t have the right to be King, I’ll go quietly.' In the end, the story is about that macro issue (who the throne belongs to), but the show also zeroes in on the way it affects Henry and Lizzie and their marriage: "[Knowing who The Boy is] undermines him, and eats away at him. '", Instead, Frost suggested, there are so many "similar stories in history, where women have similar moral, ethical, and emotional dilemmas [to those which] Lizzie has. That is not surprising, since his invitation to mount the throne had been based upon the conclusion that all of Edward IV’s children were bastards. This is where the White Princess will begin. And as Frost points out, they "are not compromising their own gender identities either. She protests, insisting all she ever wanted was to marry for love. "I know Elizabeth of York was supposed to have been a very loyal queen and wife. Are there heroes in The White Princess? There are so many shades to that kind of agency The White Princess addresses, and how the women are able to operate. From Allison Keene, Dominique Fishback, Samuel L. Jackson to Star in Apple TV+ Limited Series From 'The White Tiger' Director Ramin Bahrani, 'League of Legends: Wild Rift' U.S. Open Beta Announced for Later This Month, 'WandaVision': Let's Break Down What Those Commercials Reveal About the Show's Mystery. She gets to the point where it’s kill your brother and your cousin or allow an execution of your husband and your sons. Elizabeth York, the niece of Richard III, is set to marry Henry Tudor after he defeats Richard on the battlefield. He’s actually very noble by the end. For, in the face of huge obstacles and sometimes mortal peril, Margaret played the 15th-century game of power-politics with bravery and determination. The White Princess Season 1. But who were the key players in this story? Henry was not just a survivor but a stabiliser. On The White Princess Season 1 Episode 7, a rift occurs in Lizzie and King Henry's marriage when she makes a risky move to try to eliminate a threat. "Maggie really is heroic," Frost said. About halfway through the premiere episode of The White Princess, something pretty shocking happens: An enraged Henry Tudor pulls his fiancée, Lizzie, into a … "So what this [execution scene] represents is Lizzie finally understands that this is her job and her duty, inescapably, to make that tough decision. It's also true that one of the most frustrating things about a show like The White Princess, and its Starz cousin Outlander, is that they are often immediately dismissed as "women's shows" in a pejorative sense. When it comes to The White Princess and what Frost hopes viewers take away from the series: Most of all, I hope obviously, that we have entertained, challenged, engaged them and given them an incredible roller coaster of a drama. Elizabeth may have begun her reign as unsuitable and unpopular but in fact, she was the perfect embodiment of the beautiful, submissive, fertile queen – an archetype of medieval literature.”. Obviously that’s completely untenable for Lizzie. "It’s just the divided families aspect of it. It's necessary for drama, but also (to my mind) captures some of the unknowable spirit of these people and their time. But that is no reason to forget him. His marriage to Lizzie creates the famous Tudor dynasty that would eventually give us King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. The Snyder Cut Briefly Leaked on HBO Max. Also, if Richard III really had been a serious killer in the interests of his own ambitions, why didn’t he kill Lord and Lady Stanley – and John Morton?”. Writing on Elizabeth Woodville’s earlier years and relationship with Edward IV, late medieval and early Tudor historian Amy Licence says that at five years older than her royal husband, Elizabeth Woodville was an unlikely queen. Amy Licence: “While none could fault her personal charms, Elizabeth was considered an unacceptable choice for an English queen by most of Edward’s advisors. However, the series suggests that despite the union between the two houses, personal and political rifts continued to run deep. Described by Jones as “truly one of history’s great survivors,” the mother of the first Tudor king is played by Game of Thrones’ Michelle Fairley in the series, and she has spent her entire adult life setting the stage for her son to become king. The White Princess will premiere in the UK on UKTV Drama on Saturday 18 November 2017 at 9pm. Steven Gunn: “Henry VII is the inscrutable Tudor. The White Princess leans into the story of Lizzie and Henry's relationship as a romance, and it's a beautifully complicated one. Of course it doesn’t, these are stories about human beings, and we should be able to identify with those characters regardless of their gender. You can unsubscribe at any time. "But you know, when you start digging, there are so many women whose stories have not been told. A betrothal had been arranged previously, but one must wonder how much hope Elizabeth had placed in Henry ever being capable of claiming his bride. Thanks! It’s kind of great for us.". Starz's emotionally complex and morally complicated limited series The White Princess has finished, and my lingering thought is just why isn't there more?! Elizabeth was intelligent and beautiful. Lizzie faces an impossible choice, and makes a risky move to try to eliminate the threat to her family. Even though I’m sure they’ll feel very torn on it as they did at the end of episode seven. 8. Save up to 72% and get your first 3 issues for only £5! ", So because I would not let the idea of another season die, Frost shared that, "there’s a million different ways that we could go. And I hope they’ll come to more shows and movies with female protagonists without thinking that in some way that lessens them as men. Lizzie gave birth to Arthur and was crowned Queen of England. The genre show stars Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Alison Pill, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Melody Hurd and Ryan Kwanten. Richard III himself contemplated marrying her, but in 1485 Henry Tudor, who claimed to be the heir to the House of Lancaster and had sworn to marry Elizabeth, came from France with an army and defeated Richard at the battle of Bosworth. We’ve forced them now to take a side, and some of them have gone to the other side," Frost continued. The other option is to decide or convince herself that The Boy is not her brother," showrunner Emma Frost told me in a phone interview about the final episode. I hope it will inspire women to have agency, I hope it will inspire young women in their own lives to be strong and courageous. Alison Weir: “Born in 1466, Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV, sister of the princes in the Tower, and niece of Richard III, who had her and her siblings declared bastards so that he could claim the throne. There are also anti-heroes and compelling drama, complex political quandaries and maneuvers, military operations, and sweeping historical intrigue. Henry Tudor. But one of my favorite aspects has been how the two are partners -- it's an underused dynamic in dramas. The official website for BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed, Try 3 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for only £5, The White Princess, a TV series based on Philippa Gregory's bestselling novel of the same name, dramatises the story of the women who battled for the English throne in the years following the Wars of the Roses. Sure, there's romance, but so what? The White Princess Quotes. Though their lives before 1485 could not have been more different, Henry and Elizabeth would be tossed together after Henry’s surprising victory at Bosworth made him King Henry VII. When King Henry finds himself back on the battlefield to protect his reign, Lizzie learns that the threats they face may be closer to home. She gave Henry the heir he needed, and he is over the moon about it. Sequel to "The White Queen" chronicles the power grab among the women vying for the English throne. It is well known that Henry VII and Elizabeth of York had two sons, Arthur and Henry. "There are male viewers who have contacted me and told me how much they love the show. He did. The first Tudor monarch may not win many popularity contests, writes Steven Gunn, but the king set the blueprint for a dynasty that was to make England a global power. Lizzie dies before Henry does, and before Henry VIII takes the throne. On of the best things about The White Princess has been its incredible cast, including Essie Davis as Lizzie's ethereal (but ruthless) mother Elizabeth.