The White Queen (novel)

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The White Queen
White Queen (2009).jpg
First UK edition cover
Author Philippa Gregory
Audio read by Bianca Amato (abridged)
Susan Lyons (unabridged)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Series The Cousins' War
Genre Historical fiction
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
18 August 2009
Media type
Pages432
ISBN 978-1-84737-455-4
Followed by The Red Queen  

The White Queen is a 2009 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, the first of her series The Cousins' War . It tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, queen consort of King Edward IV of England. [1] [2] [3] The 2013 BBC One television series The White Queen is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels The White Queen, The Red Queen (2010) and The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012), and features Rebecca Ferguson as Elizabeth Woodville. [4]

Contents

Gregory's 2011 novel The Lady of the Rivers is a prequel to The White Queen, narrated by Elizabeth's mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg. [5]

Plot

Young widow Lady Elizabeth Grey puts herself in the path of King Edward IV to seek his assistance in reclaiming her late husband's estate for her sons, but it is love at first sight for both of them. They marry in secret, which later puts Edward, Elizabeth and Elizabeth's entire family at odds with Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, who had helped place Edward on the throne expecting to control the young king. Masterminded by Elizabeth's mother Jacquetta, an experienced courtier formerly allied with the ousted queen Margaret of Anjou, Edward and Elizabeth secure strategic marriages and positions for Elizabeth's siblings and other relatives to bolster Edward's power and alliances against Warwick. Edward and Elizabeth have three daughters, and Warwick rebels, attempting to put Edward's malleable younger brother George, Duke of Clarence on the throne instead. Edward foils their plan and reconciles with Warwick and George to consolidate his power, but not before Warwick executes Elizabeth's father, Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers and brother, John Woodville. Elizabeth vows revenge.

Warwick marries his elder daughter Isabel to George and rebels again, luring Edward into an arranged uprising where he plans to kill Edward. The plot fails, and Warwick and George flee to France. Isabel gives birth during the journey, but the child dies. Warwick marries his second daughter Anne to Edward of Lancaster, son and heir to the deposed king Henry VI, to secure Warwick's new alliance with Henry's exiled queen, Margaret of Anjou. Warwick invades England. Caught off guard, Edward is forced to flee to Flanders with Elizabeth's brother Anthony. Warwick arrests Jacquetta on charges of witchcraft, but she is soon released on the orders of her old friend Margaret. Jacquetta joins a pregnant Elizabeth and her children in sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, where they are left unmolested by Warwick. Elizabeth gives birth to Edward's son, also named Edward. Returning to England, Edward is reunited with George and first defeats the forces of Warwick, who is killed, and then Margaret's army. Her son Edward of Lancaster is killed on the battlefield, and Edward murders the captive simpleton Henry VI to end the Lancastrian claim to the throne once and for all.

England is at peace, but a covetous George continues his plotting to undermine Edward's rule. Their younger brother Richard marries the widowed Anne Neville, and disapproves of Edward's choice to broker peace with France rather than fight for English holdings there. Isabel's death drives George over the edge, and his plots and slanders against Edward and Elizabeth result in his conviction for treason. Despite the protestations of their mother Cecily, Edward has George executed. Edward later dies himself, leaving his brother Richard as guardian to his surviving sons Edward and Richard despite Elizabeth's protestations. Richard seizes young Edward from the custody of Elizabeth's brother Anthony, and from sanctuary Elizabeth eventually relinquishes to Richard a page boy posing as her younger son, whom she actually sends to Flanders to be raised in secret under an assumed name. Believing he has both of Edward's heirs under his control in the Tower of London, Richard has Edward and Elizabeth's marriage declared invalid, and accedes the throne himself as Richard III.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth plots with her brother in law and former ward, the Duke of Buckingham, and Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the exiled Lancastrian claimant Henry Tudor, to overthrow Richard and free the young princes in the Tower. They betroth Tudor to Elizabeth of York, Edward and Elizabeth's eldest daughter, in part to seek the support of Yorkists for Tudor's cause. The young princes vanish and are presumed murdered, and though Elizabeth has not forgiven Richard for his execution of her brother Anthony and her son Richard Grey, she suspects that Buckingham, Margaret and Henry are more likely responsible for the disappearance of the boys as part of their own plotting to wrest the throne from Richard. Elizabeth leaves sanctuary and sends her older daughters to Richard's court as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Anne. Richard's and Anne's son Edward dies, followed by Anne herself. In the meantime, Richard and the younger Elizabeth have fallen in love, but he fears losing the support of the northern lords loyal to Anne's family if he marries Elizabeth right away. Henry Tudor's forces arrive in England.

Critical reception

Publishers Weekly wrote of the novel, "Gregory earned her international reputation evoking sex, violence, love and betrayal among the Tudors; here she adds intimate relationships, political maneuvering and battlefield conflicts as well as some well-drawn supernatural elements." The review adds that the author "is especially poignant depicting Elizabeth in her later years" and that "she captures vividly the terrible inertia of war," but notes that the novel "may not be as fresh as earlier efforts." [1] Maureen Waller of The Telegraph called the novel "entrancing" and its heroine "intriguing," adding that "Gregory is very good at describing the bitchiness of the women in this tale of dynastic rivalry." [2]

The White Queen has been released in audiobook form in both abridged (performed by Bianca Amato) and unabridged (narrated by Susan Lyons) versions. AudioFile magazine wrote of the novel, "Gregory has become wildly popular in the U.S. It's easy to see why in her latest heady mix of history, romance, and political intrigue as she teases apart the tangled skeins of the War of the Roses." The magazine praised both recordings, calling Amato's performance "powerful and compellingly believable" and Lyon's voice "regal" and "self-possessed." [6] [7]

Adaptations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Woodville</span> Queen of England (1464–70), (1471–83)

Elizabeth Woodville, later known as Dame Elizabeth Grey, was Queen of England from her marriage to King Edward IV on 1 May 1464 until Edward was deposed on 3 October 1470, and again from Edward's resumption of the throne on 11 April 1471 until his death on 9 April 1483. She was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic civil war between the Lancastrian and the Yorkist factions between 1455 and 1487.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth of York</span> Queen of England from 1486 to 1503

Elizabeth of York was the Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. She was the daughter of King Edward IV, and her marriage to Henry VII followed his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which marked the end of the Wars of the Roses. Together, Elizabeth and Henry had seven children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Neville</span> Queen of England from 1483 to 1485

Anne Neville was Queen of England as the wife of King Richard III. She was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. Before her marriage to Richard, she had been Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the only son and heir apparent of King Henry VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecily Neville, Duchess of York</span> English noblewoman

Cecily Neville was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England—Edward IV and Richard III. Cecily Neville was known as "the Rose of Raby", because she was born at Raby Castle in Durham, and "Proud Cis", because of her pride and a temper that went with it, although she was also known for her piety. She herself signed her name "Cecylle".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippa Gregory</span> English historical novelist

Philippa Gregory is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is The Other Boleyn Girl (2001), which in 2002 won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association and has been adapted into two films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacquetta of Luxembourg</span> 15th-century noble

Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Countess Rivers was a prominent, though often overlooked, figure in the Wars of the Roses. Through her short-lived first marriage to the Duke of Bedford, brother of King Henry V, she was firmly allied to the House of Lancaster. However, following the emphatic Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Towton, she and her second husband Richard Woodville sided closely with the House of York. Three years after the battle and the accession of Edward IV of England, Jacquetta's eldest daughter Elizabeth Woodville married him and became queen consort of England. Jacquetta bore Woodville 14 children and stood trial on charges of witchcraft, of which she was exonerated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers</span> 15th century English noble

Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, also Wydeville, was the father of Elizabeth Woodville and father-in-law of Edward IV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham</span> English noblewoman

Catherine Woodville was the Duchess of Buckingham and a medieval English noblewoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick</span> English noblewoman

Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick was an important late medieval English noblewoman. She was the daughter of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, and his second wife, Isabel le Despenser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary of York</span> English princess

Mary of York was the second daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.

Anne of York, was the fifth daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.

<i>The Reluctant Queen</i>

The Reluctant Queen is a novel by historical novelist Jean Plaidy which tells the tale of Anne Neville, the wife of King Richard III of England. It weaves the tale of Anne's life told in first person. The book was published in the US as The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Anne of York

Edward IV of England has been depicted in popular culture a number of times.

Anne Woodville, Viscountess Bourchier was an English noblewoman. She was a younger sister of Queen Consort Elizabeth Woodville to whom she served as a lady-in-waiting. Anne was married twice; first to William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier, and secondly to George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent. Anne was the grandmother of the disinherited adulteress Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier, and an ancestress of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.

<i>The White Queen</i> (TV series) British historical drama television series

The White Queen is a British historical drama television drama serial based on Philippa Gregory's historical novel series The Cousins' War. The first episode premiered on BBC One on 16 June 2013 in the UK.

<i>The Lady of the Rivers</i>

The Lady of the Rivers is a 2011 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series The Cousins' War. The story is narrated by Jacquetta of Luxembourg, mother of Elizabeth Woodville, and covers the reign of the Lancastrian King Henry VI. The novel serves as a prequel to Gregory's The White Queen (2009), the story of Elizabeth's reign as Queen consort of England.

<i>The Kingmakers Daughter</i> 2012 novel by Philippa Gregory

The Kingmaker's Daughter is a 2012 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series The Cousins' War. It is the story of Anne Neville, wife of Richard III of England. The 2013 BBC One television series The White Queen is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels The White Queen (2009), The Red Queen (2010) and The Kingmaker's Daughter, and features Faye Marsay as Anne Neville.

<i>The White Princess</i>

The White Princess is a 2013 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series The Cousins' War. It is the story of Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville, and later wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII.

<i>The Kings Curse</i>

The King's Curse is a 2014 historical novel by Philippa Gregory, part of her series The Cousins' War. A direct sequel to The White Princess, it follows the adult life of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, the daughter of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville.

<i>The Women of the Cousins War</i>

The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother is a 2011 book by historical novelist Philippa Gregory and historians David Baldwin and Michael K. Jones. It is a non-fiction work that explores the lives of three prominent women of the historical Wars of the Roses, all of whom Gregory has featured in her Cousins' War series of novels.

References

  1. 1 2 "The White Queen". Publishers Weekly . 29 June 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Waller, Maureen (14 September 2009). "The White Queen by Philippa Gregory: Review". The Telegraph . Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  3. "The White Queen (Official site)". PhilippaGregory.com. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  4. "BBC – Media Centre: The White Queen, a new ten-part drama for BBC One". BBC.co.uk. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  5. "The Lady of the Rivers (Official site)". PhilippaGregory.com. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  6. "Audiobook Review: The White Queen (Abridged/2009)". AudioFile . Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. "Audiobook Review: The White Queen (Unabridged/2009)". AudioFile. Retrieved 8 December 2014.