There are a lot of great TV shows based on real history. What about The White Queen series? We take a look at the answer.
The series aired on BBC One in the UK and on STARZ in the U.S. back in 2013. It is still a fun series for those who love period dramas with political intrigue and romance. However, is it based on real history? Does it include a lot of historical accuracy if it is?
The White Queen is loosely based on history
The series covers the Wars of the Roses. We pick up with when King Edward IV took the throne, and we see the way the crown passed between the Houses of York and Lancaster throughout the next few years. This leads up to King Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth, which led to the two Roses joining together under House Tudor.
While there is some real history in the series, it is loosely based on history. There are some elements to the story that historians view as being inaccurate. This is due to the source material the series is based on.
This is Philippa Gregory’s version of events
Philippa Gregory has written a series of books set during the time of the Wars of the Roses. The White Queen series is based on the books The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker’s Daughter. We get a look at the lives of three female powerhouses of the time through those stories: Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville.
It’s important to note that the series is a work of historical fiction rather than a strict historical text. We get to see Gregory’s thoughts on some of the things that happened during the Wars of the Roses, one of which is that Elizabeth Woodville never handed her second son over to Richard III. Instead, she smuggled out her son and brought in another boy to take his place. This is certainly a theory, but it has never been proven through historical text.
So, the series is loosely based on history. It’s based on Gregory’s fictionalized version of events.
The White Queen is available to stream on STARZ.