The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Whispers of the Story

A man is made king on the battlefield. A woman remains a widow with two small children. They meet by the side of the road and fall in love. Shortly, they marry in secret and later just announce to the world that England has a new queen. Naturally, this throws a wrench into the grand schemes of the second most powerful man in the country. His response? Stirring up drama, turning brothers against each other, and setting off a spectacular chain of betrayal, war, and fratricide.

After the king dies, another brother takes the throne by force and another civil war emerges. The victory belongs to another man lurking from France. 

This is a story about love, families, and powerful women who ruled the English court. The White Queen is a woman who plays the game ruthlessly, using her children as pawns to gain power—only to realize, in the end, that her greatest asset was her daughter.

Review of The white Queen by Philippa Gregory

I love this book from so many points of view. Firstly, the story follows the actual historical events to the letter. Philippa Gregory used her imagination only where there were no sources to describe otherwise. In case you didn’t know, she is an historian. Elisabeth Woodville was bold enough to stand by the road waiting for Edward to pass by in order to appeal to him. They did marry in secret, and by all accounts they loved each other deeply, even if Edward had other mistresses. All the characters presented existed in the real world, and all the events happened exactly how she depicted them. The amount of details in the presentation of the stories, sightseeing, the accuracy…it must have taken a lot of time for research. 

Secondly, the character development is extraordinary. All the characters act exactly as they should. They are presented with the mindset of the XVth century, as if opening a window into that time period. Philippa Gregory makes them so relatable by portraying emotions and meaningful conversation. You can feel their frustration and insecurities, and what she presented very well are the internal battles that occur before making a difficult decision, such as Richard when he decides to take the throne for himself. For a character who was so hated in history, Philippa Gregory makes him seem like a normal man, who got a lot of power but was not ready for it, tried to listen to everyone around him, and truly believed he made the right decision, never wanting to hurt anyone. 

Elisabeth Woodville is beautifully described. She is a powerful woman who would go to any length to protect her family. She begins somewhat innocently in all of this; she loves Edward and plans to do anything to be with him, even if it means becoming Richard Neville’s enemy. All of Richard Neville’s bitterness and actions, including murdering her father and brother and attempting to have her mother tried for witchcraft, made her revengeful over time. At the end of the book, after Edward died and left her alone to protect her children, she transforms into a dangerous woman, willing to go to anything to ensure her family’s survival, including considering the benefit of her daughter marrying Richard. 

Thirdly, Philippa Gregory subtly incorporates historical rumours into the story to add a sense of mystery and supernatural. Jacquetta of Luxembourg was told that her family was the result of a tragic love story between a man and a river goddess. As a result, it was assumed that some women in her family possessed special abilities, particularly when it came to water. She was thought to have dealt with magic, and these abilities were rumoured to be passed down to Elisabeth, and later to some of her daughters. In the book, Elisabeth is shown saying pagan prayers to release a storm on the sea in order to help her husband. As a result, this book is a perfect blend of history, fiction, and fantasy. 

I totally recommend this book to any history lover, you will not be disappointed by the twist in development, because it follows the historical events, but adds life to them. The characters do not seem like historical figures from a book, but real relatable persons, Philippa Gregory breathes new life into them. This novel is the first book of a series The Cousin’s War written by Philippa Gregory. Later, in 2011, she wrote a prequel The Lady of the Rivers which tells the story of her mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg. If you haven’t read the book yet, I recommend reading the prequel first, then The White Queen, because the stories are beautifully linked. The Cousin’s War includes novels depicting most of the strong women involved in this war. The next novel, The White Princess follows the story of Elisabeth of York and her marriage to Henry Tudor. There are also two television shows based on the books, The White Queen and The White Princess. I recommend watching them whether or not you have read the book because the actors chosen are all beautiful and accurately portray the emotions described in the novel.

Happy reading!