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The White Princess (miniseries)

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The White Princess
Based onThe White Princess & The King's Curse
by Philippa Gregory
Written by
Directed by
Starring
ComposerJohn Lunn
Country of origin
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Emma Frost
  • Jamie Payne
  • Colin Callender
  • Scott Huff
  • Michele Buck
Producers
  • Lachlan MacKinnon
  • Rashida Acharya
CinematographyChris Seager
Editors
  • St. John O'Rorke
  • Anne Sopel
  • Jamie Trevill
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release16 April (2017-04-16) –
4 June 2017 (2017-06-04)
Related
The White Queen
The Spanish Princess

The White Princess is a historical drama television miniseries developed for Starz. It is based on Philippa Gregory's 2013 novel of the same name and, to a lesser extent, its 2014 sequel The King's Curse. It is a sequel to the 2013 miniseries The White Queen, which adapted three of Gregory's previous novels, and begins immediately where The White Queen finished.

In the series, the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York effectively ends the Wars of the Roses by uniting the houses of Lancaster and York. However, their mutual enmity and distrust, as well as the political plots of their mothers, threaten to tear both the marriage and the kingdom apart.

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Jodie Comer (Queen Elizabeth "The White Princess")
    Jodie Comer (Queen Elizabeth "The White Princess")
  • Jacob Collins-Levy (Henry VII)
    Jacob Collins-Levy (Henry VII)
  • Michelle Fairley (Margaret)
    Michelle Fairley (Margaret)
  • Patrick Gibson (Perkin)
    Patrick Gibson (Perkin)
  • Suki Waterhouse (Cecily)
    Suki Waterhouse (Cecily)

Recurring

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Guest

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Episodes

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No.Title [1]Directed by [2]Written by [2]Original air date [3]US viewers
(millions)
1"In Bed With The Enemy"Jamie PayneEmma FrostApril 16, 2017 (2017-04-16)0.633[4]
22 August 1485 – 18 January 1486: Arriving triumphantly in London after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, the new king Henry Tudor is compelled to wed Elizabeth of York—whom he despises due to her purported affair with Richard—to join the warring houses of Lancaster and York. Lizzie hates Henry as well, even more so when he insists on getting her pregnant before committing himself to marry her. Recognizing the influence over Henry that her new pregnancy gives her, Lizzie decides to play the part of dutiful wife as she and her mother, the former Queen consort Elizabeth, plot against the Tudors.
2"Hearts and Minds"Jamie PayneEmma FrostApril 23, 2017 (2017-04-23)0.712[5]
1486: Henry embarks on a tour of the kingdom to assert his sovereignty. Planning to accompany him to secretly rally York supporters, Lizzie's mother Elizabeth is instead neutralized by Henry's own mother Margaret Beaufort and locked up in Westminster Palace. Henry survives an assassination attempt by Yorkist Francis Lovell but suspects Lizzie's involvement; she recognizes it as her mother's handiwork, and denounces any intentions to actually kill Henry. In his absence, Lizzie wins favor with the common people by seizing funds from the royal treasury to aid those threatened by the sweating sickness. Though she is unable to convince Henry to free her young cousin Edward Plantagenet from the Tower of London, Lizzie reinforces Henry's growing attachment to her.
3"Burgundy"Jamie PayneEmma FrostApril 30, 2017 (2017-04-30)0.784[6]
September 1486: Lizzie gives birth to Prince Arthur, and finds common ground with Henry. Jasper Tudor visits Margaret of Burgundy, seeking an alliance, but peace negotiations are suddenly aborted by the death of Margaret's stepdaughter Mary. In the meantime, Henry's mother convinces him to imprison Lizzie's mother Elizabeth, but Lizzie sways him enough to have her moved to Bermondsey Abbey. Lizzie is crowned Queen of England. That night, Lizzie, unable to sleep, goes to Henry's, who also can't sleep, room and climbs into bed with him. Henry embraces her and they fall asleep in each other's arms.
4"The Pretender"Alex KalymniosSarah Dollard & Emma FrostMay 7, 2017 (2017-05-07)0.845[7]
1487: As plans are made to safely marry the York princesses to Tudor loyalists, Margaret of Burgundy raises an army behind a peasant boy she has declared is Teddy Plantagenet. Lizzie convinces Henry to release the real Teddy from the Tower and make a public display that he is reconciled with the Tudors. Margaret Beaufort, the King's Mother, arranges a crowd disturbance that sends Teddy back to the Tower as a threat to Henry's rule. Henry defeats the pretender's forces and shows mercy to the boy, putting him to work in the kitchens under the care of the castle servants. Although Margaret declares the Dowager Queen Elizabeth complicit in the conspiracy, Henry declines to execute his wife's mother. Henry then has his mother removed from the queen's bedchambers, so Elizabeth can move in. As they stand in Elizabeth's new rooms, Henry and Elizabeth kiss after promising each other that they will now be happy.
5"Traitors"Alex KalymniosLoren McLaughlan & Amy RobertsMay 14, 2017 (2017-05-14)0.951[8]
1492-1495: Years have now passed, with Elizabeth and Henry's love and marriage strengthened to where they are truly happy with each other. Their family has now grown to include Prince Henry and Princess Mary and both are enjoying parenthood. Meanwhile, Margaret of Burgundy is rallying European support around a boy she recognizes as the true heir to the English throne, Lizzie's brother Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Henry sends Lizzie's cousin Maggie, now Lady Pole, to prove that the boy is an impostor. Henry enobles his own second son Henry as the Duke of York, but Lizzie's mother, the Dowager Queen, interrupts the ceremony with a pronouncement that her son, the rightful King of England, is alive in Burgundy. Though partially convinced of Richard's authenticity, Maggie declares him an impostor when questioned by Henry. Jasper learns that Margaret Beaufort, the King's Mother, ordered the murders of the Princes in the Tower and is outraged; to preserve her secret, Margaret smothers a sick Jasper to death while he is in bed.
6"English Blood on English Soil"Alex KalymniosEmma Frost & Alice NutterMay 21, 2017 (2017-05-21)0.792[10]
1496:[9] William Stanley is executed for his support for the pretender Perkin Warbeck, who with the help of a marriage with the Scottish noblewoman Catherine Gordon, is gaining the support of most European kingdoms except Spain. Lizzie and Henry travel to Spain to seek an alliance, but Queen Isabella of Castile refuses to help the king until his traitors are dealt with. After the death of the Dowager Queen Elizabeth, Lizzie inspires Henry's men to fight against the pretender, who ultimately finds sanctuary in a monastery. Warbeck is later retrieved by the King's Mother, who drags him to London pending Henry's reckoning.
7"Two Kings"Jamie PayneEmma FrostMay 28, 2017 (2017-05-28)0.722[11]
1496: Though Warbeck, his wife, and their son are prisoners, he refuses to renounce his claim to the throne. Maggie becomes an unlikely spy for her aunt, Margaret of Burgundy. Lizzie is convinced that Warbeck is her brother, but knows that his existence threatens her husband and sons. She starts a fire to allow him to escape, but he refuses.
8"Old Curses"Jamie PayneSarah PhelpsJune 4, 2017 (2017-06-04)0.868[12]
December 1496 Lizzie finally admits to Henry that she and her mother cursed her brothers' murderers; if Henry kills Warbeck—who she believes is Richard—he will visit the curse on their sons. Lizzie offers up an imposter to be executed in Warbeck's place, but Margaret of Burgundy is not fooled. Henry nearly strangles his mother as he realizes that she murdered the Princes in the Tower, cursing his bloodline. With the ruse discovered, Lizzie realizes that the only way to secure the alliance with Spain and assure her sons' futures is to allow her brother and Teddy to be executed. The King's Mother remarks to a furious Lizzie how alike they are.

Production

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Development

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The 10-part 2013 television series The White Queen adapted Gregory's previous novels The White Queen (2009), The Red Queen (2010) and The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012).[13] The series was broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and on Starz in the United States, and features Freya Mavor as a young Elizabeth of York.[13] Despite initial plans for a second series, on 20 August 2013 the BBC announced they were not commissioning one, possibly because of the lukewarm reception the series received.[14]

However, in October 2013, The Telegraph reported that Starz was planning to develop a sequel miniseries called The White Princess, based on Gregory's novel.[15] Starz CEO Chris Albrecht announced in January 2014 that the network was working with White Queen screenwriter Emma Frost on the project.[16] Starz would produce the White Princess miniseries without involvement from the BBC.[16] Gregory confirmed that the project was underway in August 2015.[17] On 7 February 2016, Gregory announced on Facebook that the sequel was officially confirmed to be in production, with the scripts being written.[18] The series was confirmed to be eight episodes in May 2016.[19][20]

Jamie Payne, who directed three episodes of The White Queen, directed episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8. Frost was the showrunner and executive producer. Lachlan MacKinnon is served as producer, with Gregory as executive producer. Playground's Colin Callender and Scott Huff also executive produced with Company Pictures' Michele Buck.[21]

Casting

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Jodie Comer was cast in the title role of Elizabeth of York in April 2016,[22] with Michelle Fairley added as Margaret Beaufort in May.[19] In June 2016, Starz announced the casting of Essie Davis as Dowager Queen Elizabeth, Jacob Collins-Levy as Henry VII, Suki Waterhouse as Cecily of York, Rebecca Benson as Margaret Plantagenet, and Joanne Whalley as Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy.[23] The remaining cast includes Caroline Goodall as Duchess Cecily, Kenneth Cranham as Bishop Morton, Vincent Regan as Jasper Tudor and Rhys Connah as Teddy Plantagenet.[24]

Filming

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Principal photography began in June 2016,[23][24] with locations including Bradford on Avon,[25] Bristol,[21] Berkeley Castle, Gloucester Cathedral,[26] Lacock,[27] Salisbury Cathedral,[28] and Wells.[29]

Release

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In early January 2017, the producers released a video clip from the series as a teaser trailer.[30] In February 2017, Starz announced that The White Princess would premiere on 16 April 2017.[31] In the UK the series began its satellite and terrestrial broadcasts on the U&Drama channel on 18 November 2017.

Reception

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The miniseries received generally favorable reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 76% based on reviews from 17 critics, with an average rating of 6.95/10. The website's critics consensus indicated the series was "well-acted and enlivened by its fresh perspective" and "delivers more than enough intrigue to satisfy fans of period British royal court drama."[32] On Metacritic, the show has a weighted average score of 71 based on reviews from 9 critics.[33]

Continuation

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On 15 March 2018, Starz announced that it will create a continuation of The White Queen and The White Princess to be titled The Spanish Princess, which will be based on Gregory's novels The Constant Princess and The King's Curse and center on Catherine of Aragon.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "The White Princess: Episode Guide". Screener. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The White Princess – Crew". Starz. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  3. ^ "The White Princess – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  4. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (18 April 2017). "Updated: Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.16.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  5. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (25 April 2017). "Updated: Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.23.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  6. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (2 May 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.30.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  7. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (9 May 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.7.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  8. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (16 May 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.14.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  9. ^ Henry mentions that "three months have passed" since Jasper died.
  10. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (23 May 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.21.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (31 May 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.28.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  12. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (6 June 2017). "Updated: Showbuzdaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.4.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b "BBC – Media Centre: The White Queen, a new ten-part drama for BBC One". BBC. 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Reign over for The White Queen". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  15. ^ Walker, Tim (17 October 2013). "The White Queen is to make a comeback". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  16. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (10 January 2014). "TCA: Starz's Chris Albrecht On 2014 Plans, White Queen Sequel, Magic City Demise". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  17. ^ Walker-Arnott, Ellie (10 August 2015). "A sequel to The White Queen is definitely in the works". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  18. ^ "Philippa Gregory". Facebook. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  19. ^ a b Petski, Denise (10 May 2016). "Game Of Thrones Michelle Fairley Joins Starz's The White Princess". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  20. ^ Bradley, Laura (13 June 2016). "Two More Game of Thrones Actors Just Joined Starz's The White Queen Follow-Up". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  21. ^ a b Lesnick, Silas (13 June 2016). "White Princess Miniseries: Production Begins on Starz Show". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  22. ^ Jaafar, Ali (15 April 2016). "Doctor Foster Star Jodie Comer Lands Lead Role In Starz Sequel The White Princess". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  23. ^ a b Bradley, Laura (13 June 2016). "Two More Game of Thrones Actors Just Joined Starz's The White Queen Follow-Up". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  24. ^ a b Petski, Denise (13 June 2016). "The White Princess: Essie Davis, Joanne Whalley, More Join Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Bradford on Avon is centre stage for filming of White Princess". Wiltshire Times. Newsquest. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016. in the Tithe Barn, near Frome Road, and St Laurence's Church, in Church Street.
  26. ^ Hawkins, John (16 June 2016). "Film friendly cathedral provides setting for another blockbuster". Gloucester Review. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  27. ^ "Lacock goes back to 1485 for filming of The White Princess". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 28 July 2016.
  28. ^ "TV crew filming historical drama at cathedral". Salisbury Journal. 17 June 2016.
  29. ^ Magistrates Reporter (25 December 2016). "Dunkirk, The White Princess, Broadchurch, Poldark: when will scenes shot in Somerset be on screen?". Somerset Live. Local World. Retrieved 4 January 2017. See the video in our story here for a glimpse of the actors filming the highly anticipated drama.[permanent dead link‍]
  30. ^ Lesnick, Silas (5 January 2017). "STARZ's The White Princess Teaser Walks the Line". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  31. ^ Petski, Denise (9 February 2017). "Starz's The White Princess Sets Premiere Date, Unveils Key Art & Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  32. ^ "The White Princess". Rotten Tomatoes.
  33. ^ "The White Queen". Metacritic.
  34. ^ Otterson, Joe (15 March 2018). "Starz Greenlights Limited Series Spanish Princess Based on Philippa Gregory Novels". Variety. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
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