Title: The White Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
No. of Pages: 455
First Released: 2009
Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell’s Books): “BROTHER TURNS ON BROTHER to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.
The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.”
Comments and Critique: Delving into any of Ms. Gregory’s novels is like visiting a good friend. One partially knows what to expect but the exact details remain unknown, lending an air of anticipation to the proceedings. With Ms. Gregory, the main character is going to be a strong female lead. While the main historical backdrop may be familiar, one knows that Ms. Gregory will find a way to twist the details of the historical period in such a way that heightens the tension. The White Queen follows this formula perfectly and yet still retains the ability to entertain and thrill readers.
The White Queen is the first novel of a three-part arc regarding the Cousins’ War, or as Americans are taught in history class the War of the Roses. While most Gregory fans know that she does not always maintain historical accuracy in her novels, The White Queen follows the trend of giving enough detail to be able to paint a fairly accurate picture of what life was like during this time. The reader gets a clear understanding of the fuedal system and what it meant to be a peasant during the Cousins’ War – having to maintain an allegiance to the feudal lord, even if that lord changes after every battle, or having to go fight in battle because the owner of the land says so. It was a treacherous time; the political atmosphere is intriguing in that the nobility think nothing of drawing swords to gain more political power. Can you imagine today’s politicians doing the same?
The love shared between Elizabeth and Edward has been well-documented, even if it is the makings of a stereotypical fairy tale. Even though Ms. Gregory took liberties by filling in the blanks behind their courtship and secret marriage, this part of the story is truly the highlight of the novel. Elizabeth and Edward together are so sweet and so caring about each other. It is refreshing to know that monarchs truly did marry for love every once in a while.
Historians have documented Elizabeth as power-hungry and a bit of a despot, as well as a witch. Interestingly enough, while Ms. Gregory chose to portray Elizabether as a much more sympathetic figure in history, there still remains a coldness to her that implies that need for power. She is truly the most ambitious of her entire family and takes whatever steps she deems necessary to obtain, then maintain that power. The references to her mythological ancestry and to her powers belies her strength of character. Yet, it is also a testament to her belief in her power and her status as the most beloved queen in England that she felt comfortable enough to show her powers in front of others while knowing that she could be taken and tried for being a witch at any point in time. Elizabeth Woodville is definitely a study of contrasts, and Ms. Gregory does a stellar job of portraying this.
The White Queen does not have the lushness and sensuality of her Tudor novels, yet because this is such a different era, the reader cannot find a fault with this. Given the political turmoil of the time, the focus on the political machinations and power struggles behind the Crown are necessary for true understanding of Elizabeth’s decisions and conflicts. Overall, The White Queen is a strong beginning to an intriguing new series. Fans of Ms. Gregory will not be disappointed. Better yet, those who have not yet enjoyed one of Ms. Gregory’s stories will be drawn to the unique subject matter with its political intrigue and touching love story. The White Queen is definitely one to be enjoyed by all.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK for the free review copy!
Elizabeth and the other women in Gregory’s books are strong and passionate. These women suffered loss, but remained strong, although often the pawns of their fighting and ambitious men. Elizabeth had to fight for her place as she was a widow and her marriage to Edward was questioned from the outset by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his powerful mother as well as others. She and Edward did not have a male heir for a number of years and a rebellion or two put their succession and crown in danger. Elizabeth was forced into hiding and her husband into exile. She gave bith to her son in sanctuary in Westminster.
It was against this background that she fought for her rights and those of her husband and children. When misfortune followed her enemy Warwick and his daughter’s of course she was accused of witchcraft. Why not? Her mother certainly was accused of it and even put on trial, although she was cleared.
But this theme is taken too far by Philippa Gregory who is not accurate in her use of witchcraft for she has them use it to curse the lives of Warwick and her brother in law, George Duke of Clarence. She has Elizabeth get a son by witchcraft and to end the pregnancy of Isabella Neville with a stillborn son. This was not correct in any event as the child was a daughter, born at sea, christened Anne and not stillborn. She died soon after, but was not a stillborn son. Elizabeth and Jaquetta are seen in the drama regularly making magic spells, causing storms and curses and the whole thing is a load of rubbish. It is typical of Gregory who also claimed that Anne Boleyn had a disformed son and not that this was the error of Nicholas Sander. Her view in this should not be taken too seriously as this is a work of fiction. She is not a historian but it is a good story, none the less.
I don’t think anyone was reading this thinking that Elizabeth and her mother were actually practicing magic, calling on the water to help them. It is well known that Gregory is not the best historian, but you are absolutely correct that she does write good stories.
If you like historical fiction, then Philippa Gregory is a must-read! She is known to take some liberties with the actual facts, but she does write a completely plausible story.
I still haven't read any Philippa Gregory–something I need to rectify, by the sounds of it! This sounds like a great read 🙂
My recent post Review- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R L LaFevers
Thank you, dearie! I do love Philippa Gregory too. I will be reviewing her latest book next week. Stay tuned!