Follow TV Tropes

Following

Literature / The Cousins' War Series

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lady_of_the_rivers.png

The Cousins' War series is a highly successful series of Historical Fiction novels by British author Philippa Gregory (famous mostly for her novels about the Tudors, especially The Other Boleyn Girl) set during the Wars of the Roses under the dynasty preceding the Tudors, the Plantagenets. Like most of Gregory's Tudor novels, each of them is centered around and told from the perspective of a prominent woman of the period.

  • The White Queen (2009) - follows Elizabeth Woodville, wife of the York King Edward IV and the first commoner to marry an English monarch.
  • The Red Queen (2010) - follows Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Lancaster claimant Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII
  • The Lady of the Rivers (2011) - follows Jacquetta of Luxembourg, mother of Elizabeth Woodville and an influential figure first at the court of the Lancaster King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, and later at Edward and Elizabeth's
  • The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012) - follows sisters Anne and Isabel Neville, daughters of Kingmaker the Earl of Warwick and pawns in his bid for revenge against King Edward. Anne eventually becomes the queen of Richard III.
  • The White Princess (2013) - follows Elizabeth and Edward's eldest daughter, also named Elizabeth, whose marriage to Henry VII would eventually unite the houses of York and Lancaster.
  • The King's Curse (2014) - the last book of the series follows Margaret Pole, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence and Isabelle Neville and one of the last surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty.

In 2013 a ten-part TV adaptation of the series, called The White Queen but covering the events of The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter, aired on BBC One. It wasn't very well received critically, but got a decent audience and brought a lot more publicity to the books. Reception was far more positive in the US, where it aired on Starz. A sequel, The White Princess, began airing in April, 2017, with an all-new cast.


Tropes found in the series include:

  • Absurdly Youthful Mother : Margaret Beaufort. Justified in that, as explained in the book, she was impregnated at age 12 and gave birth to her son at 13.
  • Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Anne Neville, starting in Episode 8.
  • Adaptation Distillation: Three novels and almost two decades of events fit into a 10-episode TV show.
  • Adaptation Name Change: The TV adaptation renamed Elizabeth Shore to Jane Shore, possibly to avoid confusion with the two main characters already named Elizabeth (and because "Jane" is the name she used in Real Life and is better known by as a historical figure.)
  • Adapted Out: There was a fourth York brother, Edmund, who was murdered at age seventeen, shortly after their father's death in battle.
  • Adipose Rex: See Fat Bastard below.
  • Age Lift: In the novels (and in Real Life), Anne, Isabel and Richard were children when Elizabeth Woodville became Queen. In the TV series, they're teenagers when Elizabeth marries Edward.
  • All Men Are Perverts: Henry Tudor, Edmund Tudor, Edward of Lancaster...Edward IV tried to force himself on Elizabeth Woodville in episode 1, until she pulled a dagger and threatened to kill herself.
  • Altar the Speed: Anne and Richard get married before receiving a papal dispensation, which they need because they're distantly related.
  • Ambition Is Evil: None of the people who manage to fight, betray and murder their way to the throne are portrayed as good people, although a couple of the royals are still portrayed as good rulers despite this.
  • Anachronic Order: Between rather than within books. Individual books follow a straight chronology, but the publication order is anachronic. The Red Queen covers much of the same time period as The White Queen, but begins earlier, while The Lady of the Rivers begins much earlier than either of them and goes right up to the beginning of The White Queen (thus also having some overlap with The Red Queen). Certain events that involved more than one character (e.g. Margaret's first meeting with Margaret of Anjou, at which Jacquetta was present) are covered in more than one book.
  • And There Was Much Rejoicing: York King Edward IV's return with his Queen and infant son
  • Arranged Marriage: Most of them are, given the time period, but Margaret's is particularly notable: she is forcibly married to Edmund Tudor at the age of twelve (and has their first and only child a year later). Both Jacquetta and Elizabeth are very notable in going totally against society's norms by marrying for love, and it's one of the most important contrasts drawn between them and Margaret.
  • Artistic License – History:
    • It is almost certain that Edward IV made the pragmatic decision to un-alive Henry VI, but the manner in which he died or whether any of the York brothers, including Richard, were even present is unknown. Tudor propaganda placed the blame on Richard, but the only contemporary source places Richard, who was only 18 at the time, elsewhere.
    • At the time of his death, Richard was in the process of negotiating foreign marriages for himself and Elizabeth of York. There's some evidence that Elizabeth may have had a crush on her uncle but the moralistic Richard denied rumors he was intending to marry his niece.
    • As long as Edward of Lancaster lived, nobody, including Margaret Beaufort, would have seen Henry Tudor as a candidate for the throne. There is also no evidence that she had anything other than familial feelings toward Jasper Tudor.
    • Nobody knows what happened to The Princes in the Tower, but there's no evidence Elizabeth Woodville swapped her son for an unfortunate servant lad. Some historians have explored the idea that Perkin Warbeck was the genuine article, but it would more likely have been Richard who sent the boy to his sister in Burgundy rather than Elizabeth.
  • As You Know: Justified. Thanks to the sheer amount of characters who each have the same name, the characters constantly refer to each other in strangely specific ways ("my brother Edward" or "your son Richard") simply to help the reader/audience keep track of who exactly they're talking about.
  • Attempted Rape: Edward IV in Episode 1
  • Awesome Moment of Crowning: Elizabeth Woodville's coronation. Richard and Anne also have a joint coronation.
  • Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: George and Isabel marry each other for power, but when Isabel dies, George grieves for her in a way that suggests he did love her. Maybe. There are a couple of hints that suggest he may have poisoned her.
    • Not so much in the books, but the mini-series implies that Stanley sided with Tudor (thereby securing his victory) out of love — or at least affection and pity — for his wife Margaret.
    • Not exactly love - nor do we see the trial in the books - but Jacquetta knows that Margaret of Anjou has enough affection for her (and vice versa) that she would chop off Warwick's head if anything befell Jacquetta. She uses this to her advantage.
      • And, lo and behold, Margaret of Anjou - in her very next scene in that episode - mentions the "wheel of fortune", which Jacquetta taught her. Yeah, Jacquetta is right to make Warwick wary of Margaret of Anjou.
  • Babies Ever After: played straight with Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Richard Woodville; Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV; Anne Neville and Richard, even though they only had one child.
  • The Bad Guy Wins: Depends on who you sympathize with.
  • Beauty Equals Goodness: played straight and then averted. Elizabeth Woodville, the main protagonist, is a beauty and she is supposed to be a heroine who loves the King genuinely. Lady Margaret Beaufort, the antagonist, is much less attractive and very ambitious. However, as shown in later episodes, all characters get a Historical Beauty Update and no one is exactly a saint in this Decadent Court.
  • Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Anne Neville in Episode 5. After enduring a difficult voyage, riding for hours, and being attacked by the soldiers, she still looked fine.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: The Kingmaker's daughters very much want to be queen but the closer each of them comes to the crown the more they realize what it costs to get to be queen, to be used as "their pieces on a board" and realizing that it will not make the sisters happy.
  • Behind Every Great Man: The whole theme of the series as intended by the author.
  • Birth-Death Juxtaposition: In episode 6 of the TV series, Elizabeth Woodville gives birth to a son while her mother Jacquetta lay dying. Later, when both her son and her mother have passed away, Richard and Anne are making love and conceiving their own son.
  • Blame Game: Who's responsible for the death/disappearance of the Princes in the Tower?
  • Bookend: TV series. Episode 1 begins with Jacquetta and Elizabeth plotting together to make Elizabeth Woodville Queen of England. Episode 10 ends with Elizabeth Woodville Passing the Torch to her daughter Elizabeth of York. Also the Battle of Bosworth in Episode 10 reflects the dream sequence at the beginning of Episode 1.
  • Break the Cutie: Anne Neville, from beginning to end.
  • British Teeth: Averted. The show is criticized for having characters with pretty teeth, which is completely unrealistic for the Medieval period.
  • Broken Bird: The Neville sisters and Elizabeth of York.
  • Broken Pedestal: Edward IV to Richard, for accepting King Louis's bargain instead of fighting an honorable war. Later it becomes worse when Edward has George executed.
  • Byronic Hero: The books walk back on the Historical Villain Upgrade given to Richard by Shakespeare, having him grow up into the brooding, dark-haired The Quiet One, who can be dashing with women he cares for but is a dangerous enemy. In this story, however, he does not murder his nephews.
  • Cain and Abel and Seth: George is Cain, Edward is Abel, and Richard is Seth.
  • The Cassandra: Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Elizabeth Woodville, and Elizabeth of York have their seeing powers, which warn them about their potential enemies, deaths of loved ones, and the downfall of House of York. However, other characters such as George of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker) have their moments as well when they warn Edward IV about Elizabeth Woodville. Granted, what they said was not exactly untrue.
  • The Casanova: Edward IV. Truth in Television.
  • Cast Full of Pretty Boys: At least you can say this for the York brothers, particularly Richard.
  • Catapult Nightmare: Elizabeth Woodville in Episode 1.
  • Cat Fight: Anne and Isabel in Episode 6 of the TV series.
  • Chastity Dagger: Elizabeth Woodville pulled this in Episode 1 as Edward IV was forcing her against her will before marrying her.
  • Character Development: Lady Anne Neville was an obedient daughter and somewhat of a load in early episodes, but developed into a strong woman since Episode 5. Other characters like Richard, Isabel, and George apply as well. But not so much for Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV.
    • In the books, Elizabeth and Edward do have character development, hardening and becoming more ruthless due to their long time on the throne and multiple losses and betrayals, but it's not really played as a good thing.
  • The Chessmaster: Margaret Beaufort thinks she is one of these. Her third husband, Lord Stanley, knows he is.
  • Child by Rape: Henry Tudor and later his own children with Elizabeth of York.
  • Churchgoing Villain: Margaret Beaufort could easily be seen as this with her intensely religious views and the fact she plots her most heinous crime the murder of the York princes inside a church.
  • Clean, Pretty Childbirth: Played straight in the scene where Elizabeth Woodville gave birth in sanctuary
  • Coitus Interruptus: In the TV adaption Episode 6, Elizabeth walked in on Edward and his mistress Jane Shore.
  • Coming of Age Story: Anne Neville
  • Comforting the Widow: Richard winning Anne over after Edward of Lancaster was slain in battle - although, to be fair, Anne was pretty happy Edward was killed. The courtship of Edward IV and Elizabeth applies as well.
  • Conflict Ball: In the show, when Anne returns to court after her father's death and the collapse of the Lancastrian cause, Isabel is a complete jerk to her, despite the sisters' longstanding loyalty to each other, mainly to emphasize how lost and alone Anne feels at that point.
  • Conflicting Loyalty: Happens to many characters. Elizabeth Woodville's family was originally loyal to the Lancastrians, but she marries a Yorkist king and they switch sides accordingly. Isabel was a daughter of Warwick, sister-in-law to Edward of Lancaster, and wife of George of Clarence. Richard himself was torn between his loyalty to Edward IV and distrust towards the Woodvilles.
  • Consummation Counterfeit: Between Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor in The White Princess, wherein Henry cuts her foot. This is because not only had Henry and Elizabeth had slept together prior to their marriage, but Elizabeth had previously slept with Richard III too.
  • Corrupt the Cutie: Anne Neville. In the beginning, she was an obedient, sweet daughter of Lord Warwick. In the end, she becomes a Lady Macbeth.
  • Costume Porn: The TV series. Many critics mocked the show for portraying the 15th century as impossibly pretty and shiny.
  • Courtly Love: Anne and Richard don't consummate their relationship until they're married. Before that, they just meet and share meals.
  • Cradle of Loneliness: Elizabeth Woodville held on to Edward IV's doublet and reminisced their love and passion.
  • Creepy Child: the Princes of Towers looked like one
  • Dead Guy Junior: Edward, Richard, Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret...
    • In The Kingmaker's Daughter, Elizabeth remarks, "Now we each have a Edward."
  • Deadpan Snarker: Margaret's third husband Lord Thomas Stanley has a rather callous sense of humor, and likes to taunt his wife verbally and in writing.
    • Princess Elizabeth of York has her moments.
    • Why, hello Jacquetta "Queen of the Snark" Woodville. Don't believe me?
      Jacquetta: You are very welcome to Grafton Manor, Your Grace.
      Richard Neville: [patronizingly] Jacquetta Woodville! Is the pageboy at home as well?
      Jacquetta: [calmly] Baron Rivers is away, unfortunately.
      Richard Neville: [nastily] Baron Rivers... A hastily made up title to cover red faces when a high born Lancastrian lady bedded a grubby commoner, as I recall.
      Jacquetta: [with barely an ounce of politeness lost] He was a squire and always twice the man you were, Lord Warwick.
    • Amazingly - apart from a near miss, in which she uses prior influences to get out of - Jacquetta escapes unscathed. When she dies, it's just implied to be old age or a broken heart.
  • Deal with the Devil: Elizabeth Woodville forms an alliance with Margaret Beaufort despite Margaret Beaufort's involvement in her son King Edward V's disappearance. In the novel "The White Princess", it is indicated that Elizabeth Woodville knew who her son's true murderers were all along. However, Elizabeth Woodville marries her daughter Elizabeth of York to Henry Tudor to recover her family's power while plotting to restore her younger son Richard as King of England again. She failed, miserably.
  • Death by Childbirth: Isabel, or at least to the viewers. Anne is convinced that Elizabeth Woodville poisoned her.
  • Death Glare: Elizabeth Woodville is very good with this.
  • Defiled Forever: Elizabeth of York in "The White Princess". After Richard III is killed in the battlefield, Elizabeth of York marries Henry Tudor, but she's labeled as the lover of her uncle. Although Henry Tudor does marry her to keep his crown, he doesn't hide his disgust towards her and reminds her that he cannot trust her because of her past relationship with Richard.
  • The Determinator: applies to many character when fighting for power and the crown
  • Deus Angst Machina: Everything goes wrong for Anne and Richard after their coronation.
    • Happens to pretty much every female character after she got closer to the crown:
      • Elizabeth Woodville married Edward IV: Warwick rebelled, husband in exile, forced into sanctuary
      • Isabel married George: had a Screaming Birth on ship, son died, left in a precarious position between York and Nevilles
      • Elizabeth of York married Henry Tudor: being raped by her husband and was queen in name only
  • Dramatic Irony: Duchess Cecily and Anne Neville spend most of episode seven throwing around accusations that Elizabeth Woodville desires to rule England first through her husband, then through her son. Both seem entirely oblivious to the fact that that's exactly what they're trying to do with Richard.
  • The Dog Bites Back: Applies to multiple characters. Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York have been bullied and humiliated by others and at time to each other. At least in their own point of view, their actions in response apply to this troupe. For Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick crossed the line after he slew her father and brother; in response, she cursed him to die. Margaret Beaufort had a very few people who treated her kindly, but special mention goes to her mother, who made her do "a woman's duty" at age 12 and never stopped insulting her. Before her mother's deathbed, Margaret Beaufort refused to forgive her and left her mother to die alone in misery. Anne Neville (at least in TV series) was never kindly treated by Elizabeth Woodville, who held a grudge against her because of her father Warwick. From Anne's perspective, Elizabeth Woodville crossed the line after she "supposedly" poisoned her sister Isabel. She, in response, talked Richard into taking the throne from his nephew after the death of Edward IV.
  • Downer Ending: Again, depends on which character you sympathize with.
  • Due to the Dead: Warwick betrayed Edward IV and lost but still received a decent burial with service. Not Truth in Television. Averted with Richard III and it is Truth in Television.
  • Dying Alone: Happens to many characters. Even if they weren't physically alone, they certainly felt alone.
  • Dysfunctional Family: the Plantagenets - a family where cousins and brother murder and wage wars at each other. Truth Intelevision. Applies to Beauforts and the Nevilles as well.
  • Egocentrically Religious: Margaret Beaufort believes she has been singled out by God for greatness since she was a child and this is the reasoning behind all of her actions.
  • Empty Shell: Henry VI spends long periods of time as this, at one point spending over a year in a coma while his kingdom collapses around him. It doesn't help that, even when fully awake and functional, he isn't exactly the most effective of monarchs.
  • Enemy Mine: Warwick was the one who helped disposed Lancastrian King Henry VI and yet later teamed up with Margaret of Anjou to help Henry VI to regain his crown after he fell out with Edward IV. Applies to George of Clarence as well since he betrayed Edward IV to make himself King but later rejoined his brother's camp after it is clear that Warwick is not going to make him King of England.
  • Equivalent Exchange: The series leaves plenty of room for those disinclined to believe in magic to have mundane, if coincidental explanations for the results of the Woodville women's "spells". However, if you choose to indulge that element, the actual acts of casting and cursing do follow the "rules":
    • Both times Jacquetta takes her daughter Elizabeth to the river's edge to have her "choose a thread", there are always three to choose from. Once Elizabeth chooses, Jacquetta cuts the other lines and doesn't tell her what they were. This is because in choosing the one line, or path, Elizabeth is giving up the knowledge and opportunities represented by the others.
    • After the execution of her father and brother John, Elizabeth Woodville insists on cursing the two people responsible for their murders to die: Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence. Her mother tries to warn her off, but in the end, she gives her instructions on how to do it. Both men die by execution: Richard Neville on the battlefield and George by drowning after being found guilty of treason. The price isn't obvious unless you acknowledge a seeing that Elizabeth had in Episode 1: she receives a warning that her "boys" must not be with strangers. At the time, she and her mother both thought it was about the two sons Elizabeth had from her first husband. But Elizabeth's two sons (or rather, one son and one imposter) with Edward IV are given into the care of "strangers" after Edward's death, because they are committed to the Tower by their guardian, Richard III. The murder of the Princes in the Tower, an event that Elizabeth was warned about but could not prevent, was the price for getting mystical revenge on the Kingmaker and her brother-in-law.
    • The storm that Jacquetta, her daughter Elizabeth and her granddaughter Elizabeth conjure in Episode 3 was intended to stop Richard Neville from making it to France. The cost? Isabel and George's first child, who it is implied died during the birth because his mother didn't have access to a midwife because the ship couldn't make port in Calais due to the storm. Without a male heir, George lost the illusion that God backed him for king rather than his brother Edward, who had only had daughters at this point, and therefore the support of the English populace. Without that support, Warwick and George became even more desperate: enough so to seek alliance with the deposed Queen Margaret of Anjou... a queen they'd been instrumental to deposing to begin with. So rather than taking some of the steam out of their rebellion, the consequences of the storm only made it worse.
    • After the murder of the Princes in the Tower, Elizabeth Woodville and her daughter, Elizabeth of York, use the river that runs beneath Westminster to cast a curse upon the murderer: that the firstborn sons of their line would die, until all their generations were ended. What they don't know is that the person responsible for arranging the murders is Margaret Beaufort, and that Elizabeth of York will eventually marry her only child: Henry Tudor, or King Henry VII.
      Henry VII's firstborn son, Arthur, died without issue.
      Henry VII's second son, Henry VIII, had no male heirs survive to maturity, and his daughters Mary and Elizabeth died without issue.
      Henry VII's daughters continued on to have families, but the male lineages died out and the Tudor blood was carried down through the females. The House of Tudor was officially considered dissolved in 1603 after Elizabeth I died with no heirs.
  • Ermine Cape Effect: Elizabeth Woodville during her coronation. Anne Neville plays with it in early episodes and later wears it for real when she and Richard have a joint coronation.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: In such a Decadent Court, there's no one you can trust. Who hasn't been betrayed by a loved one?
  • Evil Matriarch: Margaret of Anjou is this to Anne Neville; and later Margaret Beaufot is this to Elizabeth of York.
  • Exact Eavesdropping: TV series. In Episode 7, Richard overheard everything that Countess of Warwick told Anne.
  • The Exile: Aplies to multiple characters. The York brothers were exiles after Duke Richard of York was defeated and killed in battle. The Nevilles fled England after they fell out with the Yorks. Henry Tudor was an exile for most part of the series.
  • Explosive Breeder: Elizabeth Woodville, in the TV series. Although each episode covers a long period of time, from the viewer's point of view she seems to be going into labor every five minutes.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: Richard from Episode 1 to Episode 10 - as he grown from a saintly teenage boy to a grown man corrupted by power.
  • Famous Ancestor: the Woodvilles are descendants of Melusine, or so they believe. Played straight Lady Margaret Beaufort, who is a descendant of John of Gaunt and that makes her son's claim to the English throne valid.
  • The Farmer and the Viper: From Warwick's persepctive, King Edward IV betrayed him by marrying commoner Elizabeth Woodville and bestowing wealth upon her family, whilst Warwick was the one who made Edward the King. The same goes for Edward IV, who pardoned Warwick after their first falling out, and then saw Warwick betray him and switch sides to join up with Margaret of Anjou.
  • Fat Bastard: This trope applies as Edward really piles on weight in his later years - seriously, he gets HUGE by episode 8 and The Kingmaker's Daughter states his weight gain too - and, according to his mother and George, he is a bastard.
  • The Fate of the Princes in the Tower: Richard III is innocent of the boys's murder. Margaret Beaufort arranged it, but Elizabeth Woodville switched her youngest son with a servant boy. The real younger prince is sent abroad as Perkin.
  • Foregone Conclusion: Anyone who's read the books or knows much about the Wars of the Roses (or Shakespeare's plays) knows what's going to happen; after all, Henry Tudor and his successors are some of Britain's best-known monarchs, so even people who hardly know any history at all would be well aware that he wins in the end.
  • Friendly Enemy: Only to a certain extent. Elizabeth Woodville and the Neville sisters are polite to one another in court even though the bad blood between them remains. Margaret Beaufort served Elizabeth and Anne Neville even though she was enemy to both. Averted with George of Clarence who insulted Elizabeth openly—with fatal consequences.
  • Grey-and-Gray Morality: Despite Phillipa Gregory's intention to portray the Woodvilles as the "good guys", no one is 100% innocent in this Decadent Court. Elizabeth Woodville did consider the benefit for herself and her family before marrying Edward IV. After becoming Queen of England, she's ruthless in taking down her enemies even though her intention was to protect herself and her children. The Nevilles aren't that different. Anne Neville (at least in the TV series) persuaded Richard to take the throne from his nephew so that they could be safe. In comparison, Margaret Beaufort and Henry Tudor were much more power hungry and tyrannical. However, by having Henry Tudor wed Elizabeth of York, they united two warring houses and gave England peace.
  • God Save Us from the Queen!: The Neville sisters call Margaret of Anjou "the bad queen" who tore apart England with her terrible ambition. Isabel calls her a she-wolf who murdered their grandfather and tried to spear their father with a roasting spit. In the end of Issy's story she lost the battle and was blown away to the cold, cold north with her son the prince of ice. When the sisters meet her it turns out she's just as cold in person.
  • The Good King: Edward IV, compared to Henry VI
  • Guess Who I'm Marrying?: Edward IV married a penniless Lancastrian widow whose family fought under the banner of his enemy while Warwick was negotiating a French marriage for him. After Warwick and Edward IV fell out, George married Warwick's older daughter without Edward IV's permission. After Warwick's death, Richard of Gloucester married Anne Neville in secret, much to the annoyance of George, who wanted to keep all the Beauchamp estate for himself. Anne Neville's first marriage to Edward of Lancaster and Elizabeth of York's marriage to Henry Tudor is more like "guess who You are marrying".
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Henry VII in The White Queen. Any mention of "the boy" or hint that someone is disloyal to him will send him into a rage usually taken out on Elizabeth.
  • Hands-On Approach: In The Kingmaker's Daughter, Richard kneels before Anne Neville and helps her changing boots as he proposes, sliding her foot in and tying the strings one at a time.
  • Harmless Villain: Henry VI, the Sleeping King. He does nothing due to his mental illness. His wife Margaret of Anjou is very different.
  • Happily Married: Jacquetta and Richard. They have their fair share of troubles, but their actual marriage is rock solid and they're still passionately in love with each other after thirty years and fourteen children. Elizabeth and Edward also have a very loving marriage, although with rather more strife and rather less fidelity.
    • Margaret and her second husband Henry Stafford were happy with each other until their clashing attitudes towards the war tore them apart.
      • Seriously, if you think this is not a happy marriage, then there is something wrong with you. Margaret's expression as Henry lays dying; OUCH!. She's utterly broken - it may have been arranged... but it was happy and she went back on never forgiving him; she forgave him for what he did and cried when he died.
      • Does that include the fact that she repeatedly ridiculed him for not following her beliefs, treated him like a moron and cheated on him with Jasper (and in fact imagined he was Jasper while they made love)? Not to mention that in the books she's utterly disdainful towards him. She was upset by his death, yes, but in the way you would be upset over a pet dying. Hell, even Wikipedia defines the relationship as "heavily strained".
    • Margaret and Stanley; there's a bit more strife and bitchness, but these two should be the epitome of happily married Deadpan Snarkers! Less so in the books, where they're more like plotting partners with no real affection for each other.
    • Richard of Gloucester and Anne Neville were happy together as well, before Richard became King. Like Margaret and Henry Stafford, they were eventually driven apart by the continual political conflict.
  • Heart Is Where the Home Is: Anne follows her family to exile in France where she marries Edouard of Lancaster, who is technically an English Prince, but raised in France. After the Yorkist faction win their cause, Edouard of Lancaster is killed and Anne marries Richard, Duke of Gloucester. They later settle their home at Middleham Castle, Anne's childhood home.
  • Heir Club for Men: Justified for the time period. No son means no line; the more sons the better. At times the Law of Inverse Fertility seems to be operating: Henry IV, Richard III, George Duke of Clarence and Margaret Beaufort, all of whom desperately need to produce heirs, all only have one son; Edward IV only has two sons out of ten children (and one died in infancy).
  • Heroic BSoD: Richard after the disappearance of the Princes.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: The Tudors' brothers Jasper and Edmund are this before Edmund dies of the plague. Jasper then becomes a lifelong companion and father figure to Edmund's son Henry.
  • The High Queen: Elizabeth Woodville works hard to fulfill this role.
  • Historical Beauty Update: Applies to all characters in the TV series except for Margaret Beaufort, and even in her case YMMV.
    • Somewhat ambiguous in the case of Jacquetta, who is portrayed as an older, but still very attractive blonde in the series, and in the books is described as having been a world class beauty in her youth. No one knows what the real Jacquetta looked like, as there are no portraits or descriptions of her from her lifetime.
    • The real Elizabeth Woodville herself was a very beautiful woman, but possessed brownish red hair and brown eyes - she was likely made into a blue-eyed blonde for the series because the producers felt it better fit the stereotypical image of a "White Queen".
    • The same applies to her daughter, Elizabeth of York - also a very beautiful woman, but again, brown eyed and red-blonde haired, unlike the blue eyed and flaxen haired actress.
    • Edward IV was a very handsome man as well, but like his more famous grandson, he got very obese before dying. The show has him gain weight, but not as much.
    • Richard III was in no way the deformed hunchback of Shakespeare, but he was also not the stunning Pretty Boy he is in the show. He was considered decent-looking, if ordinary compared to his more handsome brothers, and DNA tests indicated he would have had blond hair and blue eyes, though portraits indicate his hair likely darkened. His remains showed that he did have scoliosis, but that would have not been visible underneath his clothes.
  • Historical Hero Upgrade: Elizabeth Woodville, as was intended. Applies to Anne Neville as well.
  • Historical Relationship Overhaul:
    • The books portray Richard III and Elizabeth of York as having been in love and having a sexual affair before his death. There were rumors that he wanted to marry her, but he denied this.
    • Anthony Woodville and Jane Shore, again portrayed has having a sexual relationship, were not known to have one in real life.
    • Margaret Beaufort and Jasper Tudor were not in love, merely family by marriage united in concern for her son and his nephew, Henry Tudor.
  • Historical Villain Upgrade: Edward of Westminster, Henry VI's only son and heir, is portrayed by a guy who looks like the Scorpio Killer and is a Royal Brat rapist. The actual Edward was a cipher, seeing as he died a teenager, but he was also an able warrior and the House of Lancaster's last great hope of reclaiming the crown.
    • Henry Tudor and Margaret Beaufort as well in the novel "The White Princess". Henry Tudor was nothing but a Mama's Boy and made Elizabeth of York a unloved baby machine. Lady Margaret Beaufort played Evil Matriarch to the 10. The historical Henry and Elizabeth were very much in love.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Elizabeth Woodville's curses were supposed to harm her enemies and to avenge and protect her family. However, in the end, the ones who are harmed by the curses are her own children, and thus her own bloodline. This also applies to Warwick, who taught his ward Richard of Gloucester to show no mercy and to not miss any opportunity to gain victory. Richard later used it against Lady Anne Beauchamp, his mother-in-law, whom was declared dead and property confiscated.
  • Hollywood Costuming: In TV adaption, all characters dressed up pretty and shiny, even sexy. It's definitely not Medieval England.
  • Hollywood History: The TV show is based on historical fiction, which is based on the Wars of Roses.
  • Hollywood Kiss: Anne and Richard, after Anne accepts Richard's marriage proposal.
  • Hollywood Old: Elizabeth and Edward in the TV show; averted with Anne and Richard who looked their age in Episode 10.
  • Hot Consort:
    • From the moment King Edward lays eyes on Elizabeth Woodville he is drawn to her and wants to have her even though her family is of low standing. At her coronation the Neville sisters say she is so beautiful.
    • When King Richard sees Elizabeth's daughter, Elizabeth of York, he says that she has grown beautiful. They fall in love but she marries the next king, Henry VII.
  • Hypocrite: The Lancasters are down on Edward of York for deposing the rightful king. However, the first Lancastrian king (Mad King Henry's grandfather) became king by - deposing the rightful king.
  • Hypocritical Humor: At one point, Margaret goes on a long rant about the failure of her latest plot, saying it is a punishment for a sinful woman's desire for revenge, plans formed by a woman who thought herself the mother of a king, who could not be satisfied to be a normal woman and would overturn the country for her own selfish desire. She then says that of course, she's referring to Elizabeth Woodville who took her rightful place, and that her only fault was allying with sinners.
  • I Am X, Son of Y: Henry Tutor is a contender for the throne and Anne Neville is the Kingmaker's daughter. Stating who they are save each of their lives and later Anne reminds her husband that the people love her because of who her father is.
  • Ice Queen: Elizabeth Woodville became one after Warwick had her father and brother killed.
  • Incurable Cough of Death: Anne. Truth in Television, as she died from tuberculosis.
  • Idealized Sex: the TV series. The critics said that the sex scenes are so vanilla that they enjoyed ice cream afterwards.
  • Insatiable Newlyweds: Anne and Richard. In The Kingmaker's Daughter, Richard allowed no one to come into the chamber unless he called; his ambition was to cover Anne with 500 kisses!
  • Instant Birth: Just Add Labor!: Elizabeth Woodville gives birth to Prince Edward while hiding in sanctuary with no access to even the rudimentary medical assistance of the time. The TV series, however, portrays the birth as short and trouble-free, and she stands up the whole time.
  • Irony: In the Red Queen, Margaret Beaufort believes she has a destiny similar to Joan of Arc, and often wonders what Joan of Arc would do, nearly revering her despite her death two decades before. As a child she would give soldiers food and drink in return for the smallest tidbit of information about Joan. However, she despises Jacquetta, considering her a witch and her daughter a whore, and because of this never discovers that Jacquetta was actually good friends with Joan before her execution and knew her far better than anyone else Margaret has spoken to.
  • Karma Houdini: Margaret Beaufort and Henry Tudor had the Princes in the Tower killed. After Battle of Bosworth, they ruled England and killed off rest of the York princes, including Edward Earl of Warwick (Teddy). Both died peacefully in bed.
  • The Kingmaker: Another name for Warwick, who is the power behind Edward's rise to the throne and subsequently changes his mind several times about which king he's going to support.
  • King on His Deathbed: Edward IV. Dying at age 40, he leaves his young son as new king at age 10 and names Richard as Lord Protector. Things do not work out well.
  • Kissing Cousins: Everyone is related to one another to a certain degree, which is why papal dispensations existed.
  • Knight In Shining Armour: Anthony Woodville is a genuinely good person, a loyal son and brother, a chivalrous knight, a faithful Christian, and an intelligent scholar. Elizabeth, who adores her brother, expresses some regret that her marriage and the ensuing conflicts have dragged him away from the contented, idyllic life he could have led.
  • Knight Templar: Margaret has shades of this; her (even by the standards of the time) exceptionally strong religious conviction is gradually warped into an unwavering belief that God wants her son to be king and she is divinely mandated to ruthlessly strike down anyone who gets in the way of that.
  • Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Elizabeth Woodville. She is supposed to be a strong heroine who only schemed to protect her family. However, throughout the series she seems to be very short-sighted and constantly listens to the wrong people. The most typical instance is when she continues to hold a vendetta against George of Clarence while both her mother Jacquetta and her brother Anthony Woodville advised her to make peace with George. George's eventual execution later proves to be her undoing - Richard of Gloucester is so shaken and disturbed by this event that it partially leads to his usurpation of the throne from his nephews.
    • Less so in the books, where it's emphasised that Edward was always going to have to execute George, who has been repeatedly betraying and slandering his brother, the King of England, for many years.
  • Lady and Knight: Applied to multiple couples as justified for the time period.
  • Lady Macbeth: Anne Neville becomes one in episode seven, rather at odds with her prior characterization as a woman happy to be away from court. This is ironic as she's spent most of the previous episodes accusing Elizabeth Woodville of being a Lady Macbeth.
  • Lady of War: Margaret of Anjou.
  • Law of Inverse Fertility: Richard and Anne only manage to have one son, who subsequently dies, leaving him without an heir. Gregory implies that Henry VI is uninterested in sex, or maybe impotent, and suggests that Prince Edward of Lancaster was actually the son of Margaret's lover, the Duke of Somerset.
  • Lonely at the Top: Everyone who sat on the throne, particularly the queens.
  • Long Hair Is Feminine: All female characters have long hair. Elizabeth Woodville has her beautiful hair down for her coronation.
  • The Lost Lenore: Anne and Isabel to Richard and George. And in a gender swap, Richard to Elizabeth of York.
  • Love Confession: Richard confesses his love to Anne during his marriage proposal.
  • Love Makes You Crazy: Enemies of Elizabeth Woodville believe Edward IV's bad decisions are made because of her influence.
  • Mama's Boy: Edouard of Lancaster and Henry VII.
  • Man Behind the Man: Or women, which is the whole point of the series.
  • Marital Rape License: Also unsurprising given the time period. Edmund Tudor repeatedly rapes his twelve-year-old wife Margaret in The Red Queen. His son Henry VII continues this pattern years later with Elizabeth of York in The White Princess. In The Kingmaker's Daughter, Edward of Lancaster rapes Anne Neville on their wedding night.
  • Marry for Love: Played straight with multiple couples in the series, including Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV; Lady Jacquetta and Richard Woodville; Anne Neville and Richard of Gloucester. Averted with Margaret Beaufort and her four husbands; and Elizabeth of York and Henry VII.
  • Massive Numbered Siblings: The Woodvilles and the Yorks. Jacquetta had fourteen children and Elizabeth Woodville had two with her first husband and ten with Edward IV. Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV, had ten children.
  • The Matchmaker: Earl of Warwick plays matchmaker for Anne and Isabel. Justified for that time period.
  • Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Jacquetta and Elizabeth both firmly believe in a kind of witchcraft based on the legend of their ancestor being the water goddess Melusina (Elizabeth's brother Anthony calls it 'part Bible and part fairy tale and all nonsense') and, while Gregory has made it clear that she is in no way contending that they were actually witches, in-story it's left ambiguous. Certainly most of their spells do get the desired effects, but they're all things that could equally well have happened by coincidence.
    • The real-life Jacquetta was tried for witchcraft, possibly twice. Also, there are period references that show the Luxembourgs were one of three noble houses that purposely altered their lineage to make themselves descendants of the river goddess: the Luxembourgs claimed that the founder of their house, Siegfried (922-998 AD), married Melusina and that she bore him children. How much traction that family legend had five centuries later can't be known, but it's entirely possible that Gregory's depiction of Jacquetta's beliefs, which she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter, may be closer to the truth than one might think.
    • In the first episode of The White Princess, even Elizabeth admits she can't really be sure if her spells ever accomplished anything, or if she just got lucky. And after all, if she had any real magic, her family might not have ended up where they were then, in Henry's power.
  • The Mentor: Jacquetta was this to Elizabeth Woodville (besides being her mother). Margaret of Anjou was this to Anne Neville while Anne was married to her son. Warwick was this to Richard when Richard was under his tutelage.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Mainly the Starz uncensored version. Special mention goes to Aneurin Barnard who played Richard.
  • My Beloved Smother: Margaret of Anjou; justified, as her son is everything to her: crown, power, and family. In The Kingmaker's Daughter, from Anne's perspective, she even apparently wants to stay and watch as Edward and Anne consummate their marriage. Later in "The White Princess", Margaret Beaufort played it up to the 10.
  • Modest Royalty: Anne and Richard as Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, compared to Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.
  • Mother Makes You King: Henry VII claimed the throne due to winning Battle of Bosworth and that he is a royal descendant through his mother, Margaret Beaufort. To be fair, he wins the Battle of Bosworth thanks to Lord Stanley, who sided him also because of Margaret Beaufort.
  • The Mourning After: Edward IV is the The Lost Lenore for Elizabeth Woodville. Averted with Margaret Beaufort who remarries after losing a husband.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Anne after the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower in Episode 9. Elizabeth Woodville felt the same way after Isabel lost her baby on the ship - in a storm launched by Elizabeth and her mother Jacquetta with her magic.
  • My Own Private "I Do": Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV married in a secret private wedding. Their marriage later became public and legitimate with a splendid coronation where Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England.
  • Naïve Newcomer: Applies to Anne Neville and Elizabeth of York when they were hurled into the arena of politics and wars. It's not easy to be queen.
  • Nepotism: Once Elizabeth Woodville became Queen, her siblings and relatives were given titles, estates, and successful marriages. Others were not happy to see that.
  • Never Found the Body: The Princes in the Tower. Technically they are never seen again, but this trope is brought up several times by those who fear their survival.
  • Never My Fault: Nearly everyone to an extent, but Margaret of Anjou and Margaret Beaufort both take this to extremes.
  • Nice Guy: Edward IV and Richard III both started out as one but later showed their other sides. Played straight with Anthony Woodville.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Richard and Anne try to humiliate Jane Shore by having her walk through the streets denounced as a whore. The crowds end up feeling sorry for her, and they end up looking like jerks.
  • No Sympathy: Once you are denounced as a traitor, you are to be executed and properties attained regardless of your reasons or circumstances. Justified for time period.
  • Obnoxious In-Laws: Cecily Neville is one to Elizabeth Woodville; Margaret of Anjou and George of Clarence are this to Anne Neville; the Countess of Warwick is one to Richard of Gloucester and vice versa; Margaret of Beaufort is one to Elizabeth of York; the tension between Elizabeth Woodville and the Neville sisters also applies
  • Off with His Head!: Episode 8 with Anthony Woodville and William Hastings.
  • Official Couple Ordeal Syndrome: Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. They married for love, but the marriage is not approved by the court. After the Lancastrians lost their cause, the couple was plagued by other issues like stillbirth, death in family, and marital infidelity. However, they remained together in a loving relationship till the end.
  • Only Sane Man: Anthony Woodville. He played the role of The Cassandra throughout the series with his reasoning. He warned Elizabeth about earning the wrath from Warwick for marrying Edward IV in Episode 1. Later in Episode 7, he also advised Elizabeth Woodville to make peace with George of Clarence. In Episode 8, he advised Elizabeth to speak to Richard of Gloucester and to work things out with him. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Woodville took none of his advice.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Rebecca Ferguson mostly speaks with a neutral accent sometime lapsing into a very Scandinavian accent.
  • Parental Abandonment: Anne's mother abandons her to go into sanctuary after Edward of Lancaster is defeated and she is left a widow accused of treason. Henry VI is also a totally absent father to Edward, spending most of his time asleep or in the Tower.
  • Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Averted in this series (but may not be historically).
    • Edward of Lancaster and Anne Neville had a short, unhappy marriage with an alliance that failed.
    • Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor's marriage united the houses of Lancaster and York, however Elizabeth ended up being an unloved baby machine and witnessed the execution of her brother. Henry Tudor's most beloved woman was his mother Margaret Beaufort till the end. (In real life, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York probably WERE a Perfectly Arranged Marriage. Historical records imply that Henry doted on her and their children and that he was very grieved by her death and never got over her.)
  • Please Spare Him, My Liege!: Duchess Cecily of York begged Edward IV to spare George, which failed.
  • Plot Armour: Jacquetta Woodville basically says she has one - in Margaret of Anjou, who for all intents seems to imply this is true; Jacquetta taught her about the Wheel of Fortune and in the immediate next scene, Margaret is seen mentioning said wheel, meaning Jacquetta and her words have rested with Margaret implying that Jacquetta is right and that she would be the only person that Margaret would probably spare from the block.
  • Pregnant Hostage: applied Elizabeth Woodville in Episode 5. Heavily pregnant, Elizabeth Woodville escaped from the Tower to the sanctuary while Warwick's invasion approached London. While hiding in the sanctuary, she gave birth to the future Edward V without a midwife or any medical assistance.
  • Prince Charming: Edward IV, or his first impression.
  • Prince Charmless: George of Clarence. He may be charming, but he's a chronic backstabber and a jerk.
  • Promotion to Parent: Edward IV to Richard, after their father Richard of York was killed by the Lancastrians.
  • Rags to Royalty: There are elements of this in Elizabeth's story; while the Woodvilles are far from poor, by the standards of the court and aristocracy they are nobodies and Elizabeth's rise to Queen of England is dramatic and shocking.
    • Elizabeth herself was absolutely penniless when she met the King, however, as her husband had died, and his mother refused to give her and their two sons their share of the inheritance.
    • Anne Neville applies as well; her story has even more ups and downs than Elizabeth Woodville's. She starts out as the daughter of one of England's foremost noblemen, then marries Edward of Lancaster, becoming Princess of Wales. However, when the Lancastrians lose she became merely Lady Anne Neville, the penniless and powerless ward of the Duke of Clarence. Then she marries the Duke of Gloucester, becomes a royal duchess, and ends as Queen of England.
  • Puppet King: Henry VI, the Sleeping King, was merely a figurehead. Also in the show it's indicated that Warwick was treating Edward IV as one - may be Truth in Television. The Neville girls and Duchess Cecily believed Edward IV is one with Elizabeth Woodville pulling his strings.
  • Rape as Backstory: Margaret Beaufort, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York. See Marital Rape License
  • Rape as Drama: Margaret Beaufort, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York.
  • Reassigned to Antarctica: Henry Tudor's exile in Burgundy.
  • Requisite Royal Regalia: Required for the coronation. In the TV show, there were three.
  • Rescue Romance: Anne and Richard. Maybe Truth in Television.
  • Revenge: another important theme of the plot. Yorks, Lancasters, and Nevilles - each family has its own plan of vengeance against one another.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Elizabeth Woodville refused to make peace with George because he and Warwick killed her father and brother despite the fact reconciliation with George can avoid another civil war.
  • Royal Blood: Crucial for the Beauforts and the Tudors to claim the crown. The York brothers are legitimate royal princes, while the Beauforts are originally illegitimate descendants of John of Gaunt but later legitimized.
  • Royal Mess: Averted. The correct titles are often emphasized to remind the character of their current rank/status.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: the York brothers are skilled warriors and diplomats. Averted with Henry VI, the Sleeping King.
  • Rule of Three: the three York brothers; three female protagonists; three Queens of England; three coronations
  • Rule of Seven: Richard of Gloucester is youngest of seven children.
  • Samus Is a Girl: In the first teaser trailer for the show, three armoured knights meet in a corridor, only for them to shed their coverings and reveal that it's Elizabeth, Margaret and Anne.
  • Sanity Slippage: After becoming King, the previously calm and sensible Richard becomes paranoid and withdrawn, due to the strains of war, the loss of his only son and heir and the accusations that he killed the missing princes.
    • George after Isabel's death.
  • Screaming Birth: Margaret's labor with Henry is horrific: at the time, she is a small, delicate thirteen-year-old. It's suggested that something going wrong while she gave birth was the reason for her subsequent infertility. Isabel Neville's is also nightmarish, as she goes into labor on a ship in the middle of a storm, and her sister Anne is forced to manually deliver the baby.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Knowing that talking to George and Isabel brings no avail, Anne runs away with Richard instead.
  • Second Love: Many. Richard Woodville for Jacquetta, whose first marriage to the Duke of Bedford, who was at least thirty years her senior, was peaceful and happy, but never a truly loving match. King Edward IV for Elizabeth Woodville, whose first husband and father of her two eldest sons, very ironically, died fighting against him in battle. Richard was also this for Anne Neville, whose first husband Edward of Westminster was both horribly abusive towards her, and was then captured and executed after only about five months of marriage.
  • Sexless Marriage:
    • Jacquetta's first marriage to the Duke of Bedford. He marries her because he believes he needs a young virgin (with Jacquetta's possibly-magical ancestry) to help him produce a philosopher's stone.
    • Margaret and Thomas Stanley marry for convenience and agree to leave their marriage unconsummated. Truth in Television.
  • Sexual Karma: The contrast between Anne's first time having sex with the abusive Edward and her first time with her Second Love Richard.
  • Shown Their Work: Philippa Gregory's two-episodes documentary The White Queen and Her Rivalries shown her research and understanding of the historical characters in her work.
  • Shoulders-Up Nudity: BBC version. The Starz version shows a lot more than that...
  • Shut Up, Hannibal!: At the end of The Red Queen Margaret smugly tells Elizabeth of York that whatever the outcome of the Battle of Bosworth, Elizabeth will be publicly humiliated: she will either marry Henry Tudor (and have no name or title of her own, since she was declared illegitimate) or King Richard (whose affair with her is public knowledge). Elizabeth replies that, either way, she'll be Queen of England and will never have to answer to Margaret again.
    • Unfortunately, it's only a brief victory for Elizabeth, as Margaret eventually takes over the English royal court, leaving Elizabeth as queen only in name.
    • It's only through Elizabeth that Henry VII is able to keep his throne - after her death he is loathed beyond reason, so Elizabeth of York wins in the end.
    • In The Kingmaker's Daughter, Margaret of Anjou tries to convince Richard to join her side and offers him Anne Neville's hand. In the novel, Richard replies that he is the King's loyal brother, no matter what. In the TV series, Anne goes up to her and tells her that she is not hers to give. Needless to say, Margaret breaks down completely afterwards.
    • The Countess of Warwick tries to convince Anne to leave Richard and stand with her to regain her estates and fortune. And Anne's response? She has her mother locked up and forbids her to contact anyone.
  • Sibling Rivalry: George has issues with both brothers, despite being the one blatantly favored by their mother. Applies to Anne and Isabel as well, but they later reconcile.
  • Silk Hiding Steel: Margaret of Anjou, the militant queen.
  • Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Anne accepted Richard's proposal partially because of this. Edward of Lancaster was a sadistic monster and George of Clarence is a constant backstabber and a traitor. Compared to these two, Richard is fairly nice and decent to be with.
  • Snow Means Love: Richard confessed his love to Anne and proposed. Anne accepts and followed by a Hollywood Kiss. It was snowing.
  • Sour Prude: Margaret Beaufort grows into one.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville for love. Their marriage was met with disapproval because he was a York King and she was a Lancastrian widow.
  • Succession Crisis: The central conflict of the series is this. Either the legitimate heir is rumored to be a bastard, or the heir is too young to rule, or the heir died young. As result, each claimant - all related to one another through Royal Blood - fought one another until a new king is crowned. Hence the title Cousins War.
  • Suspiciously Small Army: All the battles are filmed in closeup to disguise the lack of extras. The Battle of Bosworth field is filmed in a wood for the same reason.
  • Teen Pregnancy: Margaret Beaufort, who gives birth to son Henry at the age of 13. Truth in Television. Anne Neville was also a teen mother, marrying Richard when she was only 16 and giving birth shortly after.
  • Thicker Than Water: Played straight with the Woodvilles and Nevilles to a certain point. Despite disagreeing with Elizabeth, both Anthony Wooville and Lady Jacquetta remained loyal and supportive to her. Isabel and Anne managed to reconcile after the fall of their father the Kingmaker. Averted with the York brothers: Edward IV had George executed; Richard III usurped the throne from his young nephews.
  • Three-Month-Old Newborn: In Episode 7, Anne was holding her newborn son Edward, saying that he's small. The baby in her arms was certainly not small, at least from viewer's perspective.
  • Time Skip: between Episode 7 and 8.
  • Title Drop: Played with Anne Neville, who claimed herself as "The Kingmaker's Daughter" more than a couple of times in the TV series.
  • Tough Leader Façade:
    • Discussed. Isabel Neville looks at the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth whispering with the king and says that she wouldn't be like that. If she was queen she would be a queen of stone with dignity and no emotion.
    • Margaret of Anjou. Because her husband Henry VI is too feeble-minded and sickly to rule, she assumes the responsibility. And after the Yorks take the throne, she is constantly plotting and campaigning to return it to the Lancasters and particularly for her son Edward.
  • Tragic Mistake: Elizabeth Woodville chose to curse George of Clarence and Warwick despite her mother's warning. In later episode her curse on her son's murderers also counts. Both curses had a price - which fell on her children.
  • Tragic Villain: Margaret Beaufort, who is the antagonist in the TV series.
  • Unexpected Successor: Richard, the youngest child of his parents. He has two older brothers and both have son(s), but, wouldn't you know it...
  • Unequal Pairing: Edward IV is the King, but Elizabeth Woodville is only a penniless Lancastrian widow. Edward of Lancaster is the Prince of Wales (at least to the Lancastrians) but Anne Neville is the youngest daughter of English noble.
  • Unknown Rival: Lady Margaret Beaufort is this to Elizabeth Woodville and Anne Neville. Although her son Henry Tudor was in exile for being a threat and rival to the York Kings, Lady Margaret Beaufort has earned trust and acceptance from both Elizabeth Woodville and Anne Neville. In her heart, Margaret Beaufort was fully convinced that her son is destined to be King and she actively plotted to make it happen. But, she cleverly hid her disgust towards Elizabeth Woodville, who later turned to her for alliance after Richard usurped the throne.
  • The Unsolved Mystery: The Princes in the Tower, naturally.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Anne and Richard. Both were good kids in the beginning but after losses of loved ones, wars, and political corruption they changed drastically in the end. Also applies to Elizabeth Woodville, who became ruthless and murderous with her curses after Warwick killed her father and brother.
  • The Usurper: Henry Tudor
  • Villain Protagonist: Elizabeth Woodville is often portrayed as scheming and greedy in War of Roses historical fictions. In the novel The White Queen and the TV show, she's the main protagonist.
    • Margaret Beaufort in the novel The Red Queen applies as well.
  • Virgin Power: Bedford marries Jacquetta because he believes he needs this to help him with his alchemical experiments.
  • Undying Loyalty: Richard's loyalty towards his brother Edward IV stands out since everyone is sort of corrupted to a certain degree.
  • Unwanted Spouse: Anne fears becoming this after the death of her son.
  • Wanting Is Better Than Having: Do you want to be Queen of England?
  • Wartime Wedding: Anne married Lancaster in the midst of Warwick's fallout with Yorkist. The wedding was quiet and small without pomps.
  • Wealthy Ever After: Anne and Richard. They got married, had a son, and inherited the Beauchamp estate.
  • We Used to Be Friends: Earl of Warwick and the York Brothers. Margaret of Anjou and Cecily Neville.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Given the nature of the miniseries, many characters just disappear as soon as their role is complete, including Margaret of Anjou, Duchess Cecily and the Countess of Warwick. A quick Google search will shed light on their eventual fate.
  • Wicked Witch: Elizabeth Woodville is this to the Neville sisters.
  • Woman Scorned: Played with in an interesting twist. Lady Margaret Beaufort offered a marriage proposal to Richard of Gloucester, which was rejected. Guess who played an instrumental role in his eventual downfall and death? Applied to Anne Neville in an interesting way too since dishonoring her in favor of his niece had Richard lost the support from North. Averted with Elizabeth Woodville, who is hurt by Edward's affair with Jane Shore, but remained his loving wife till the end.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: Lord Stanley only makes plans that he knows he can switch in an instant. Make all sides think he is in their camp.
  • Yank the Dog's Chain: Anne is relieved that she is far away from the court with her husband and son. It did not last long.
  • Youngest Child Wins: Both Richard and Anne are the youngest children in their family. Both fare better than their older siblings, George and Isabel...though they ultimately fail in the long run.
  • You Killed My Father: Richard of Gloucester's instant reaction when he saw Henry VI after he was captured by Warwick; also applies to Elizabeth Woodville, whose main reason to bring George down was because he had her father killed.
  • Young Future Famous People: In early episodes, we have Henry Tudor, Elizabeth of York, and Buckingham.

Alternative Title(s): The White Queen, The Red Queen, The Lady Of The Rivers, The Kingmakers Daughter, The White Princess, The Kings Curse

Top