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On Sunday, April 16 at 8/7c, Starz will premiere The White Princess, the sequel to their Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated miniseries The White Queen. Based on The Cousins’ War series of novels by Philippa Gregory, The White Princess follows the period of turmoil brought on by the death of Kind Richard III and ascension of King Henry VII after the Battle of Bosworth. While the definitive battle put an end to the War of the Roses, political division do not heal overnight. Even with the marriage of the White Rose of York — Princess Elizabeth — to the Red Rose of Lancaster — King Henry himself.
I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty obsessed with Philippa Gregory’s historical fiction set in Plantagenet and Tudor England. The White Queen is my favorite novel of hers, so I was excited to read The White Princess when it was released in 2013. But while the novel was well-written, Elizabeth of York’s passivity could not hold a candle to her mother’s fiery spirit. As such, I feared Starz adaptation of The White Princess wouldn’t be able to hold my interest. Queen Elizabeth of York did the best she could in extenuating circumstances, but her novel persona was one of resignation to being under the thumb of her husband and mother-in-law and ignorant to the political jockeying for power going on around her. Fortunately, based on the trailer and key art Starz released, her television counterpart appears to have more of the political fire I’d expect from the daughter of a Woodville and a Plantagenet.
From the official press release:
Drawn from the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory, and part of The Cousins’ War book series, “The White Princess” sees England ostensibly united by the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of York/Lizzie and King Henry VII, but their personal and political rift runs deep and the divide between them threatens to tear the kingdom apart once again. Rumors circulate that Lizzie’s long-lost brother Prince Richard is alive and planning to take the throne – forcing Lizzie into an impossible choice between her new Tudor husband and the boy who could be her own blood and the rightful York King. “The White Princess” is a tale of power, political divides, family, love and betrayal, which charts one of the most tumultuous times in British history uniquely from the point of view of the women waging the ongoing battle for the English throne.
Picking up three days after the end of The White Queen, The White Princess stars Jodie Comer as Elizabeth, Michelle Fairley as Lady Margaret Beaufort, and Essie Davis as Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville.