The White Princess by Philippa Gregory

Whispers of the Story 

The long War of the Roses ended with the death of King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, and the marriage between Elizabeth of York and the victorious Henry Tudor, now King Henry VII.  Even though they soon welcome a baby boy and the line is secure, Henry’s reign remains unstable. 

There is a growing public support for the Yorks led by the former queen Elizabeth which make Henry take unpopular actions. His mother whispers constantly in his ear and takes control of the household. His wife struggles between her allegiance to her husband and her mother’s Yorkist cause. And Henry struggles to find loyal people around him.

In the end, Elizabeth decides to be loyal to her husband and protect her son’s future. The royal couple enjoy some happy moments and two more children are born. Years later, her secret of how her mother switched the children comes back to haunt her as a new boy from Flanders claims to be her long lost brother, Richard, and the true heir to the throne of England. Tensions rise, some nobles flee to Scotland, and there is another rift between Henry and Elizabeth. Henry captures the pretender, who confesses to being Perkin Warbeck, and keeps him at court under watchful protection. Elizabeth, torn between loyalty to her husband and the possibility that Warbeck might be her real brother, keeps her distance. 

As history so often shows, there is only one way to ensure that the crown, and the future are secure.

Review of The White Princess by Philippa Gregory

This novel continues the saga of the woman participating in the War of the Roses. Elizabeth of York is caught in the political battle for the throne of England, having to make all the hard choices. Firstly, she is not allowed to mourn the loss of the man she loved, Richard III, but is sold to be the wife of the man who killed him, a man who already despises her. She must first demonstrate that she is a childbearing woman before being crowned a queen. She is made to sleep with the king and conceive a child, further humiliating her. Later on, she is forced to decide between supporting her allegedly brother for the throne and putting her son in danger, or supporting her husband and condemning her brother to death. Unknowingly, her choice has influenced the fate of the English throne.

Philippa Gregory masterfully captures the complexities of the English Royal court and how each person makes plans based on their advantages. Margaret Stanley and Elizabeth Woodville appear to be the queens of this chessboard, scheming and controlling others to win, each fighting for the sake of their sons. Until they become parents and split from their mothers, Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor appear to be nothing more than pawns in their games. Despite their initial animosity, the royal couple was able to cooperate and forge a strong bond through mutual respect and support. As a mother to three beautiful children, one being the future king of England, Elizabeth takes the role of her mother and sacrifices anything to benefit her children. When the time is right for her to support her brother and leave her marriage, she acts like a queen, risking everything to make her husband successful and making their family their first priority.

The White Princess is a story of a lonely girl who grew up in sanctuaries, trying to stay alive while the enemies of her parents try to kill her and her family. She is manipulated in the arms of a king and then forced in the bed of another without regard for her desires. She is humiliated constantly by everyone around her but keeps her head up and makes her path, becoming a strong queen. Philippa Gregory humanizes her in such a way, showing her strong emotions and determination to prove she is not weak, that Elizabeth of York becomes more than just a historical character; rather, she becomes a heroine and an inspiration to many other women who have faced hardships.  

Make sure to check the entire The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels Series by Philippa Gregory. The series covers the stories of strong women from these two royal families, breathing life into historical characters that we currently only see in paintings. There is also a TV Show, The White Princess, which follows the events of this novel very accurately. I recommend also watching the TV show The White Queen which depicts the storyline of Elisabeth Woodville as depicted in the novel The White Queen by the same author. Make sure to check my review of this novel as well by clicking this link.

Happy reading!