"The White Princess," the latest chapter in the book series created by author Phillipa Gregory, debuted on Starz. It begins in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth. Called the Cousins' War, it is a battle between two competing houses vying for the British throne, the Lancasters, who wear the red rose, and the Yorks who wear the white rose. Henry Tudor is a member of the Lancaster family and faces Richard III of the house of York on the battlefield. Henry defeats Richard, and he becomes Henry VII of England. Now he must claim his bride, Elizabeth Of York, so he can unite the two houses and bring peace to England.
Henry tries to refuse to marry Elizabeth
Three days after the Battle of Bosworth, Henry sends for his bride. Although Elizabeth of York has been betrothed to Henry since they were children, she was in love with Richard, and there is some debate over whether or not Elizabeth consummated her relationship with Richard, who was her uncle. When Elizabeth arrives in London, she is taken to a different part of the castle because Margaret Beaufort, Henry's mother, has taken possession of the queen's rooms for herself. There is some debate over whether or not Henry will marry Elizabeth because of her previous relationship with Richard. Now that Richard is dead, hundreds of years of the reign of Plantagenet kings have ended, and Henry ushers in the reign of the Tudors.
Henry and his mother Margaret visit Princess Elizabeth and her family. He plans to decide whether or not to make the marriage with her even though he has been advised by his mother and uncle, Jasper Tudor, that he must honor the marriage. After the visit, Henry refuses to marry Elizabeth. His council advises him to uphold his oath to marry Elizabeth.
They also believe that she offers the best chance of uniting the two houses. Elizabeth arrives that night in his chambers after Henry has sent for her. Elizabeth hikes up her skirts and demands he takes her after she realizes he will rape her anyway. Because he has to have an heir of York blood, Henry consummates the relationship.
Henry is coronated by himself to prove he is in charge
While Henry continues to rape Elizabeth, he has himself coronated as king to prove that he does not need a York queen to hold the throne. Margaret makes peace with Elizabeth and says she has the destiny to be the mother of the next king of England. Elizabeth and her family are excluded from Henry's coronation so that no one will cheer for the Yorks and disrupt the ceremony.
As Henry rides through the city, Elizabeth discovers that she is pregnant. Her mother, Elizabeth Woodville, the former queen, tries to find out what happened to her two sons who were imprisoned in the tower. She discovers her home has been destroyed, and the Queen Mother has given an order to murder any boys found on the Woodville properties.
Elizabeth requests mandrake so she can end her pregnancy. Her mother pleads with her not to kill her grandchild and the future heir to the throne. Woodville leaves with the mandrakes and says she will use them for something else. Elizabeth of York marries the king and promises to be a dutiful wife only to their faces.
Does "The White Princess" really do violence to history? Since Phillipa Gregory tells such an engaging story, does it matter? It is fiction, after all. "The White Princess" is one of the amazing shows appearing during the month of April, and viewers can find it on Starz on Sunday nights at 8 p.m.
