“Colourful
and enthralling, Philippa
Gregory’s
vivid best-selling novel series
of The Cousin’s
War
has been turned
into a dramatic and unmissable
television series, The White Queen.
The BBC has excelled with the telling
of the changing fortunes of the
monarchy and the relatives who scheme,
manipulate and seduce their way onto
the throne in the dangerous and
uncertain 15th Century...”
THE HOUSES OF YORK AND LANCASTER have been at war for nine years; cousins
fighting for the right to claim the throne of England for their own. It is 1464
and the young, courageous and handsome Edward IV (Max Irons: The Host; Red
Riding Hood) is crowned King of England.
At his side is the master manipulator Lord Richard Warwick (James Frain: True
Blood; The Tudors), known as The Kingmaker. Cousin and close friend to his
king, he believes he has Edward firmly under his control until a young widow
catches the king's eye.
“A fantastic, stunning
and lavish historical
production that will keep
you utterly hooked...”
The
late husband of the beautiful Lancastrian commoner Elizabeth Woodville Grey
(Rebecca Ferguson: Wallander; Cold Night) was John Grey (Christoph St
James), who was killed in battle, fighting for the deposed king. Stripped of
their lands under the new regime, his widow and two sons have been forced to
live with their mother in her family home with her parents, brothers and sisters.
Elizabeth intends to throw herself on the mercy of King Edward, begging him
to restore her lands for the sake of her sons, Thomas (Otto Farrant) and Richard
(Dean Charles Chapman). Her mother, Jacquetta Woodville (Academy & Tony award
nominee Janet McTeer), who believes herself to be descended from the Goddess
Melusina and is therefore endowed with special powers, helps her daughter to
catch the eye of the king.
Refusing to become his mistress, Elizabeth plays brinkmanship with Edward and,
desperate to have her, he finally marries her in secret; but when the king announces
the marriage Lord Warwick is shocked and does everything he can to convince
Elizabeth that the wedding was unlawful.
With Edward appearing to be safely on the throne, enemies still plot against
the monarchy. Even Edward's mother, Duchess Cecily (Caroline Goodall) wants
the crown to go to her favourite son George, Duke of Clarence (David Oakes),
while Edward's other brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Aneurin Barnard:
Ironclad; We'll Take Manhattan), supports Edward.
Edward's new wife is feisty, proud and fiercely defensive of her beloved husband
with the staunch support of her family and the protection of her father, Baron
Rivers (Robert Pugh) and her brother Anthony (Ben Lamb).
As Elizabeth bears Edward daughters and finally sons, she feels she has reinforced
her husband's right to reign; but she and her family are far from safe. The
damaged, obsessively-devout and unswervingly-loyal Lancastrian Margaret Beaufort
(Amanda Hale: The Crimson Petal & The White) is equally committed to
seeing her young son Henry Tudor rule England and as the deposed and deeply
disturbed King Henry languishes in the tower while his fate is decided his wife,
Margaret of Anjou (Veerle Baetens) prepares to leave France with a large invasion
force…
Described as "a stunningly rich tale of love and loss, seduction and deception,
betrayal and murder, vibrantly woven through the stories of three different,
yet equally driven women", this wonderful drama looks at their quest for power
as they scheme, manipulate and seduce their way onto the English throne.
Delving fascinatingly into power-plays behind the scenes of history, The
White Queen follows the fates of Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort;
and the Kingmaker's pawn in his battle to retain control of the throne —
his daughter, Anne Neville (introducing Faye Marsay), who finds the courage
to fulfil her own ambitions with the throne clearly in her sight when she marries
the King's younger brother Richard, destined to become Richard III. The White Queen also features: Juliet Aubrey as Countess of Warwick;
Eleanor Tomlinson as Isabel Neville; Frances Tomelty as Lady Beauchamp; Michael
Maloney as Henry Stafford; Tom McKay as Jasper Tudor; Nick Hendrix as Edmund
Beaufort; Lizzy McInnerny as Lady Sutcliffe; Leo Bill as Reginald Bray; Rupert
Graves as Lord Thomas Stanley; Shaun Dooley as Sir Robert Brackenbury; Freya
Mavor as Princess Lizzy; and Arthur Darvill as Harry Stafford.
The complete box set collection of The White Queen comes with bonus extra
features including A Conversation with Philippa Gregory and The Making Of The
White Queen, exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray. (40 minutes run-time).
*
Anchor
Bay Entertainment is releasing the extraordinary ten-part BBC1 drama The
White Queen, based on the vivid best-selling novel series The Cousin's
War by Philippa Gregory, on DVD and Blu-ray on 19 August 2013. Catalogue
Number — DVD: ABD1129; Blu-ray: ABB8146 | RRP — DVD:
£39.99; Blu-ray: £49.99.
"Having read Philippa Gregory's The White Queen and The Red Queen
before watching the BBC's drama series, I was already prepared for this amazing
production. One of my favourite authors, I find Philippa Gregory's historical
novels so well written and wonderfully imaginative that I have not been able
to put them down. The White Queen is… a fantastic, stunning and lavish
historical production that will keep you utterly hooked" —Maggie
Woods
“Colourful
and enthralling, Philippa