The White Princess (miniseries) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The White Princess |
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| Genre | Drama Historical fiction |
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| Composer(s) | John Lunn |
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| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 (list of episodes) |
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| Cinematography | Chris Seager |
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| Running time | 60 minutes |
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| Original release | 16 April – 4 June 2017 |
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| Related shows | The White Queen The Spanish Princess |
The White Princess is a historical drama TV show made for Starz. It's based on the books The White Princess and The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory. This series is a follow-up to The White Queen, picking up right where the first show ended.
The story has eight episodes. It shows the marriage of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. This marriage was meant to end the Wars of the Roses by bringing together the Lancaster and York families. But the King and Queen don't trust each other. Also, their mothers are always plotting, which threatens to break apart their marriage and the whole kingdom.
Contents
Meet the Characters: Who's Who in the Story?
Main Characters
- Jodie Comer plays Elizabeth "Lizzie" of York, who becomes the Queen of England.
- Rebecca Benson plays Margaret "Maggie" Plantagenet, Lizzie's cousin and Teddy's sister.
- Jacob Collins-Levy plays Henry VII, the King of England and Lizzie's husband.
- Kenneth Cranham plays Bishop John Morton, a trusted advisor to the King's mother.
- Essie Davis plays Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Lizzie's mother and a former Queen.
- Rossy de Palma plays Isabella I of Castile, the Queen of Castile.
- Richard Dillane plays Thomas Stanley, Margaret Beaufort's husband.
- Anthony Flanagan plays Francis Lovell, a supporter of the York family.
- Patrick Gibson plays Perkin Warbeck, a young man who claims to be Lizzie's lost brother, Richard of York.
- Caroline Goodall plays Cecily Neville, Lizzie's grandmother. She was the only actor in both The White Queen and The White Princess.
- Amy Manson plays Catherine "Cathy" Gordon, who marries Perkin Warbeck.
- Adrian Rawlins plays John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, Eliza de la Pole's husband.
- Vincent Regan plays Jasper Tudor, the King's uncle.
- Suki Waterhouse plays Cecily of York, Lizzie's sister.
- Joanne Whalley plays Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, Lizzie's aunt.
- Andrew Whipp plays Sir Richard Pole, Maggie Plantagenet's husband.
- Michelle Fairley plays Margaret Beaufort, the King's powerful mother.
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Michelle Fairley (Margaret)
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Patrick Gibson (Perkin)
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Suki Waterhouse (Cecily)
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Other Important Characters
- Nicholas Audsley as Lord Strange
- Rhys Connah (child) and Albert de Jongh (teen) as Edward "Teddy" Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick, Lizzie's cousin.
- Heidi Ely as Princess Bridget, Lizzie's sister.
- Oliver Hembrough as John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, the Duke of Suffolk's son.
- Rosie Knightley as Princess Anne, Lizzie's sister.
- Ava Masters as Princess Catherine, Lizzie's sister.
- Rollo Skinner as Ned, a stable boy.
- Susie Trayling as Elizabeth "Eliza" de la Pole, Duchess of Suffolk, Lizzie's aunt.
- Guy Williams as William Stanley, Lord Thomas's brother.
- Iain Batchelor as Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.
- Dorian Grover as Philip.
- Zazie Hayhurst as Rettie.
- Billy Barratt as Prince Arthur, King Henry's first son.
- Woody Norman as Prince Harry, King Henry's second son.
- Philip Arditti as Rodrigo de Puebla, the Spanish ambassador.
Episode Guide: What Happens in Each Story?
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | US viewers (millions) |
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| 1 | "In Bed With The Enemy" | Jamie Payne | Emma Frost | April 16, 2017 | 0.633 | |
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August 1485 – January 1486: Henry Tudor wins the Battle of Bosworth and becomes king. He must marry Elizabeth of York to unite the two warring families. Lizzie doesn't like Henry, especially when he wants her to get pregnant before they marry. Lizzie decides to act like a good wife while she and her mother plan against the Tudors.
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| 2 | "Hearts and Minds" | Jamie Payne | Emma Frost | April 23, 2017 | 0.712 | |
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1486: Henry travels around the kingdom to show he is king. Lizzie's mother, Elizabeth, tries to go with him to secretly gather support for the York family, but Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, stops her. Henry survives an attack, but he thinks Lizzie might be involved. Lizzie helps people during a sickness, which makes the common people like her.
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| 3 | "Burgundy" | Jamie Payne | Emma Frost | April 30, 2017 | 0.784 | |
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September 1486: Lizzie gives birth to Prince Arthur, and she and Henry start to get along better. Henry's uncle, Jasper Tudor, tries to make peace with Margaret of Burgundy, but talks stop when Margaret's stepdaughter dies. Henry's mother convinces him to imprison Lizzie's mother, but Lizzie gets her moved to an abbey instead. Lizzie is crowned Queen.
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| 4 | "The Pretender" | Alex Kalymnios | Sarah Dollard & Emma Frost | May 7, 2017 | 0.845 | |
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1487: Margaret of Burgundy supports a boy she says is Lizzie's cousin, Teddy Plantagenet. Lizzie convinces Henry to show the real Teddy to the public to prove the boy is a fake. But Henry's mother causes trouble, and Teddy is sent back to the Tower of London. Henry defeats the boy's army and shows him mercy.
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| 5 | "Traitors" | Alex Kalymnios | Loren McLaughlan & Amy Roberts | May 14, 2017 | 0.951 | |
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1492-1495: Margaret of Burgundy supports another boy, Perkin Warbeck, who claims to be Lizzie's brother, Richard. Henry sends Lizzie's cousin Maggie to find out the truth. Lizzie's mother says her son, the rightful King, is alive. Maggie says Warbeck is a fake, even though she has doubts. Jasper learns that Henry's mother was involved in the disappearance of the young princes and is very upset. She then causes Jasper's death to keep her secret.
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| 6 | "English Blood on English Soil" | Alex Kalymnios | Emma Frost & Alice Nutter | May 21, 2017 | 0.792 | |
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1496: William Stanley is executed for supporting Perkin Warbeck. Warbeck gains support from other countries. Lizzie and Henry go to Spain for an alliance, but Queen Isabella won't help until Henry deals with his enemies. After Lizzie's mother dies, Lizzie inspires Henry's men to fight Warbeck. Warbeck is captured and brought to London.
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| 7 | "Two Kings" | Jamie Payne | Emma Frost | May 28, 2017 | 0.722 | |
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1496: Warbeck is a prisoner but won't give up his claim to the throne. Maggie becomes a spy for her aunt, Margaret of Burgundy. Lizzie believes Warbeck is her brother, but she knows his existence threatens her husband and sons. She tries to help him escape, but he refuses to leave.
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| 8 | "Old Curses" | Jamie Payne | Sarah Phelps | June 4, 2017 | 0.868 | |
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December 1496: Lizzie finally tells Henry that she and her mother put a curse on those who harmed her brothers. She warns that if Henry harms Warbeck, the curse will affect their sons. Henry realizes his mother was involved in the princes' disappearance. Lizzie understands that to secure an alliance with Spain and protect her sons, her brother (Warbeck) and Teddy must be executed.
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How the Show Was Made
Creating the Series
The 2013 TV show The White Queen was based on earlier books by Philippa Gregory. That show was on BBC One in the UK and Starz in the US. Even though there were plans for a second season, the BBC decided not to make one.
However, in October 2013, Starz announced they were planning a new series called The White Princess. It would be based on Gregory's book of the same name. Starz decided to make The White Princess without the BBC. Philippa Gregory confirmed the show was happening in 2015. In February 2016, she announced it was officially in production with scripts being written. The series was confirmed to have eight episodes in May 2016.
Jamie Payne, who directed some episodes of The White Queen, directed five episodes of The White Princess. Emma Frost was the main writer and one of the executive producers.
Choosing the Actors
Jodie Comer was chosen to play Elizabeth of York in April 2016. Michelle Fairley joined the cast as Margaret Beaufort in May. In June 2016, Starz announced more actors. These included Essie Davis as Elizabeth Woodville, Jacob Collins-Levy as Henry VII, Suki Waterhouse as Cecily of York, Rebecca Benson as Margaret Plantagenet, and Joanne Whalley as Margaret of York. Other actors included Caroline Goodall as Duchess Cecily, Kenneth Cranham as Bishop Morton, Vincent Regan as Jasper Tudor, and Rhys Connah as Teddy Plantagenet.
Where They Filmed
Filming started in June 2016. They filmed in many historical places. These included Bradford on Avon, Bristol, Berkeley Castle, Gloucester Cathedral, Lacock, Salisbury Cathedral, and Wells.
When Did It Come Out?
In early 2017, a short video clip was released to tease the series. Starz announced that The White Princess would start on April 16, 2017. In the UK, the show began airing on the Drama channel on November 18, 2017.
What's Next for the Story?
On March 15, 2018, Starz announced another show. It's a continuation of The White Queen and The White Princess. This new series is called The Spanish Princess. It's based on Gregory's books The Constant Princess and The King's Curse. This show focuses on the story of Catherine of Aragon.
