''The White Princess'' is a

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and s ...

television miniseries developed for

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

. It is based on

Philippa Gregory Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) 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 Rom ...

's 2013 novel of the same name and, to a lesser extent, its 2014 sequel ''

The King's Curse ''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 P ...

''. 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 eight episode series, the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York effectively ends the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

by uniting the houses of Lancaster and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. 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

Main

* Jodie Comer as Elizabeth "Lizzie" of York, the Queen of England * Rebecca Benson as Margaret "Maggie" Plantagenet, the Queen's paternal cousin, sister of Teddy *

Jacob Collins-Levy Jacob Collins-Levy (born 18 March 1992) is an Australian actor having played the role of Henry VII, King of England, in ''The White Princess'' (2017), and has appeared in ''True History of the Kelly Gang'' (2019), '' ''Doctor Who' (2020), ...

as Henry VII, the King of England, Elizabeth's husband * Kenneth Cranham as Bishop (later Cardinal) John Morton, a confidant of the King's mother * Essie Davis as Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, the Queen's mother * Rossy de Palma as

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as Queen consort of Aragon from 1479 until 1504 b ...

, the Queen of Castile *

Richard Dillane Richard Dillane (born 1964) is a British actor. He appears in a lead role of the Netflix series '' Young Wallander'', based on the character Kurt Wallander created by novelist Henning Mankell. He played British intelligence agent Peter Nichol ...

as Thomas Stanley, Margaret Beaufort's husband * Anthony Flanagan as Francis Lovell, a Yorkist supporter * Patrick Gibson as

Richard of York Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), also named Richard Plantagenet, was a leading English magnate and claimant to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. He was a member of the ruling House of Plantage ...

, a pretender to the English crown and husband of Cathy Gordon. *

Caroline Goodall Caroline Cruice Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries '' Cassidy'', and the 1995 film '' Hotel Sorrento''. Her other film appearances include ...

Cecily Neville, Duchess of York Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) 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", beca ...

, the Queen's paternal grandmother. Goodall is the only actor appearing in both ''The White Queen'' and ''The White Princess''. * Amy Manson as Catherine "Cathy" Gordon, wife of Richard of York * Adrian Rawlins as John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, husband of Eliza de la Pole *

Vincent Regan Vincent Regan (born 16 May 1965) is a British film and television actor, best known for his roles in '' 300'', ''Troy'', '' Unleashed'', '' Clash of the Titans'' and '' Lockout''. Early life Regan was born on 16 May 1965 in Swansea, Glamorgan, ...

as Jasper Tudor, the King's uncle * Suki Waterhouse as

Cecily of York Cecily of York (20 March 1469 – 24 August 1507), was the third daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville. Shortly after the death of her father and the usurpation of the throne by her uncle King Richard I ...

, the Queen's sister * Joanne Whalley as

Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy Margaret of York (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503)—also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy—was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Burgundian State after his death. She was a daugh ...

, the Queen's paternal aunt *

Andrew Whipp Andrew Whipp (Born 7th April 1969) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in Not going Out as Dr Jenkins and Emmerdale as Callum Rennie and Eastenders as DI Savage .Whipp has received critical acclaim for many of his stage performa ...

as Sir Richard Pole, husband of Maggie Plantagenet * Michelle Fairley as Margaret Beaufort, the King's mother File:Michelle_Fairley_by_Gage_Skidmore_2_(cropped).jpg, Michelle Fairley (Margaret) File:Patrick_Gibson_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg, Patrick Gibson (Perkin) File:Suki_Waterhouse_(35450919821)_(cropped_-_head_shot).jpg, Suki Waterhouse (Cecily)

Recurring

Nicholas Audsley Nicholas Robert Audsley (born 6 February 1982) is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Peter van Pels in '' Anne Frank: The Whole Story''. Audsley is the oldest of three siblings. He has a younger brother, Charlie, and a younger sis ...

Lord Strange Baron Strange is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. Two creations, one in 1295 and another in 1326, had only one holder each, upon whose deaths they became extinct. Two of the creations, that of 1299 and that ...

* Rhys Connah (child) and Albert de Jongh (teen) as Edward "Teddy" Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick, the Queen's cousin, brother of Maggie * Heidi Ely as Princess Bridget, the Queen's sister * Oliver Hembrough as John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, the Duke of Suffolk's son * Rosie Knightley as

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

, the Queen's sister * Ava Masters as Princess Catherine, the Queen's sister * Rollo Skinner as Ned, a stable boy * Susie Trayling as Elizabeth "Eliza" de la Pole, Duchess of Suffolk, the Queen's paternal aunt * Guy Williams as William Stanley, Lord Thomas's brother * Iain Batchelor as

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself E ...

* Dorian Grover as Philip * Zazie Hayhurst as Rettie * Billy Barratt as

Prince Arthur Prince Arthur may refer to: *Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (1187-1203), nephew and possible heir of Richard I of England *Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486–1502), eldest son Henry VII of England *Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prin ...

, the King's first son * Woody Norman as

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

, the King's second son *

Philip Arditti Philip Arditti also credited as Philip Ishak Arditti, is a Turkish theatre and television actor of Jewish Sephardic descent, famous for his role as Uday Hussein in the four episode ''House of Saddam'' television docudrama. He also appeared in th ...

as Rodrigo de Puebla, the Spanish ambassador

Guest

* Ned Elliott as

Prince Richard Prince Richard may refer to: * Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (1473–) * Prince Richard von Metternich (1829–1895), from the German House of Metternich * Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934–2017), from the German House of ...

, the Queen's brother * Luc Webb as Prince Edward, the Queen's brother * Derek Frood as the Mayor of York * Kitty Smith as Ruth *

Emmanuelle Bouaziz Emmanuelle Bouaziz (born 22 May) is a French actress, dancer and singer. Life and career A father with Algerian jewish roots and a mother of Ukrainian origin, Emmanuelle Bouaziz studied dance at the Rick Odums Performing Arts Institute where ...

as Mary of Burgundy * Max True as Lambert Simnel * Nia Roberts as Catherine "Kate" Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham * Norman Arthur Eshley as the Abbot * Marc Danbury as the Priest * Juan Echenique as

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia fro ...

, the King of Aragon *

Nicholas Gecks Nicholas Gecks is a British actor who appeared in Series Four of ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' as his modernising colleague Charles Hearthstoke. Early life Gecks was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1952. Career Gecks starred as Father Mike in the 1983 ...

as the Wimborne Priest *

Alex Sawyer Alexander James Sawyer (born 13 February 1993) is an English actor, singer, songwriter and director. He is best known for his roles as Alfie Lewis in '' House of Anubis'' and Topher in '' The End of the F***ing World''. In 2018, he began portra ...

as Kofi, Novice Monk * Mark Edel-Hunt as

Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's Lord High Almoner, almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the ...

* Alasdair McLaughlin as Noah Luff

Episodes

Production

Development

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). The series was broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

in the United Kingdom and on

in the United States, and features Freya Mavor as a young Elizabeth of York. 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. However, in October 2013, ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' reported that Starz was planning to develop a sequel miniseries called ''The White Princess'', based on Gregory's novel. Starz CEO Chris Albrecht announced in January 2014 that the network was working with ''White Queen'' screenwriter Emma Frost on the project. Starz would produce the ''White Princess'' miniseries without involvement from the BBC. Gregory confirmed that the project was underway in August 2015. On 7 February 2016, Gregory announced on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

that the sequel was officially confirmed to be in production, with the scripts being written. The series was confirmed to be eight episodes in May 2016. 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 Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. It was set up in 1998 by Charles Pattinson and George Faber, colleagues at BBC Films. Their first film was ''Mo ...

' Michele Buck.

Casting

Jodie Comer was cast in the title role of Elizabeth of York in April 2016, with Michelle Fairley added as Margaret Beaufort in May. In June 2016, Starz announced the casting of Essie Davis as Dowager Queen Elizabeth, Jacob Collins-Levy as Henry VII, Suki Waterhouse as

, Rebecca Benson as Margaret Plantagenet, and Joanne Whalley as

. The remaining cast includes

as Duchess Cecily, Kenneth Cranham as Bishop Morton,

as Jasper Tudor and Rhys Connah as Teddy Plantagenet.

Filming

Principal photography began in June 2016, with locations including

Bradford on Avon Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

Berkeley Castle Berkeley Castle ( ; historically sometimes spelled as ''Berkley Castle'' or ''Barkley Castle'') is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, and it has been desi ...

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to ...

Lacock Lacock is a village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, England, about 3 miles (5 km) south of the town of Chippenham, and about outside the Cotswolds area. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trus ...

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury. The buil ...

, and Wells.

Release

In early January 2017, the producers released a video clip from the series as a teaser trailer. In February 2017, Starz announced that ''The White Princess'' would premiere on 16 April 2017. In the UK the series began its satellite and terrestrial broadcasts on the

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

channel on 18 November 2017.

Reception

The miniseries received generally favorable reviews. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, 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." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the show has a weighted average score of 71 based on reviews from 9 critics.

Continuation

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 ''The Constant Princess'' is a historical fiction novel by Philippa Gregory, published in 2005. The novel depicts a highly fictionalized version of the life of Catherine of Aragon and her rise to power in England. Plot summary Catalina of Arag ...

'' and ''

'' and center on

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:White Princess, The 2010s American drama television miniseries 2017 British television series debuts 2017 British television series endings 2017 American television series debuts 2017 American television series endings Costume drama television series English-language television shows Henry VII of England House of Tudor Serial drama television series Television shows based on British novels Television series about the history of England Television series set in the 15th century Television series set in the Middle Ages Works about women in war 2010s British drama television series Cultural depictions of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury