Top ten inaccuracies in The White Princess – 2017 ‧ Drama
The drama was based on the historical novel The White Princess 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.
- Margaret Beaufort did not murder Jasper Tudor. Jasper Tudor died on the 21st December 1495 at his manor at Thornbury at the age of around sixty-four.
- Dowager Queen Elizabeth never came back to court after leaving for the abbey. She retired to Bermondsey Abbey in 1485, and five years later died in seclusion
- Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth never went to Spain in person to arrange the marriage between Catherine and Arthur. In February of 1489, King Henry VII’s ambassadors made their way south from London, and after several weeks of waiting on favourable winds, they finally sailed and landed in the Asturias area of Spain. However, Queen Isabella of Castile did demand all other male claimants to be removed.
- There is no proof that Elizabeth of York was Richard III’s lover. In fact, there is no evidence that Richard III was ever unfaithful to his wife Anne and his illegitimate children were born before the marriage.
- Margaret of Burgundy did not visit a battlefield in England. Although the portrayal of Margaret is of a harsh woman, she had a painful life. From beloved daughter to the last remaining sibling, Margaret lost not only her brothers but her father (at the Battle of Wakefield 1460), husband (Battle at Nacy 1477) and step-daughter (riding accident 1482) all of whom she loved dearly. There are tales of Margaret coaching Warbeck in the speech and mannerisms of the Yorkist court, but, given that Margaret had only made two brief visits to England it’s impossible for her to be present during the campaign.
- Where are the distinct red-haired prince? The young dark-haired prince Harry grows up to be a famous red-haired monarch Henry VIII.
- Margaret Beaufort did not take Warbeck out of sanctuary. Warbeck was captured by Henry’s men at Beaulieu Abbey where he surrendered. The ringleaders were executed and others fined. Warbeck was imprisoned, first at Taunton, then at the Tower of London where he was “paraded through the streets on horseback amid much hooting and derision of the citizens.”
- Queen Elizabeth did not set fire to the wardrobe. After looking into fires at the royal residence during the Tudor period, the only fire during that time that I could find was in Henry VIII reign at Westminster palace.
- Evidence shows that Margaret Beaufort and Queen Elizabeth got along. Elizabeth and Margaret both wrote to the Spanish court asking that Catherine of Aragon learn French so they could communicate with her upon her arrival to marry Prince Arthur.
- There is no evidence that Henry VII was ever unfaithful to Queen Elizabeth. Therefore episodes suggesting an affair between Henry and Catherine Gordon are unsupported.
Sources
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Woodville
Click to access margaret_of_burgundy.pdf
The History Alchemist 