Emma Frost, the lead writer and executive producer, adapted the first three novels in The Cousins' War series: The White Queen (Elizabeth Woodville), The Red Queen (Margaret Beaufort), and The Lady of the Rivers (Jacquetta of Luxembourg). The show weaves their three perspectives together. The White Queen received generally positive reviews from critics. Praise centered on the performances (particularly Rebecca Ferguson’s breakthrough role as Elizabeth Woodville), the sumptuous costumes, and the focus on female agency in a male-dominated historical narrative. The supernatural elements divided some viewers, with some critics finding them atmospheric and others jarring.
The series is a co-production between BBC One (UK) and Starz (US). It aired in 2013 and was later followed by two stand-alone sequel/spin-off series: The White Princess (2017) and The Spanish Princess (2019), both also based on Gregory's novels. The story begins in 1464, as the Lancastrian cause seems lost. Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful young widow of a Lancastrian knight, ambushes the new Yorkist King Edward IV with a petition. Edward becomes infatuated and secretly marries her, sparking outrage among his powerful ally, the Earl of Warwick ("The Kingmaker"), who had been negotiating a French royal match. The White Queen Tv Series
| Genre | Historical drama, period drama, romance, war | | Created by | Emma Frost (based on the novels by Philippa Gregory) | | Starring | Rebecca Ferguson, Max Irons, Amanda Hale, Faye Marsay, Aneurin Barnard, James Frain, Janet McTeer, Caroline Goodall, David Oakes | | Composer | John Lunn, James "Jez" Burns | | Country of origin | United Kingdom | | Original language | English | | No. of series | 1 | | No. of episodes | 10 | | Production companies | Company Pictures, Playground Entertainment, All3Media, Starz Originals | | Original network | BBC One (UK), Starz (US) | | Original release | June 16, 2013 – August 18, 2013 (UK); August 10, 2013 – October 12, 2013 (US) | Overview The White Queen is a British historical drama television series based on Philippa Gregory’s bestselling The Cousins' War series of novels. The show dramatizes the women behind the Wars of the Roses, a 15th-century civil war for the English throne between the Houses of York and Lancaster. The title refers to Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner who married King Edward IV of York, and also alludes to the emblem of the House of York — the white rose. Emma Frost, the lead writer and executive producer,
