The White Princess

I normally wouldn't write a review for this, but seeing so many negative reviews I felt compelled to. So many of those reviews are about how The White Queen was great and this didn't live up to it, but I feel the compete opposite. I found The White Queen rather boring and frankly just hard to even get through. I thought The White Princess was much better and although only filmed several years after, it has a much more modern feel to it, as far as production quality goes. I can't speak to the historical accuracy, but I really liked the storyline. To be fair, I am a big Jodie Comer fan, so I'm definitely a little biased, but I thoroughly enjoyed The White Princess a lot.

Many reviewers here have elaborately pointed out that those other series The White Queen and The Spanish Princess, both more or less depicting the same historical characters, were either a better or a worse watch than this one. Well, if you care to judge The White Princess for it's own merits, you get to enjoy a very thrilling history-based story, full of love and hate, romance, treason, battles and executions, along with the visual splendor of sumptuous costumes and some impressive settings. The writers (basing themselves on Philippa Gregory's novels) focussed mainly on the challenges that the pretenders caused Henry VII and his queen and realm, which is more than enough to fill all 8 episodes with well paced and involving drama.

The acting of virtually all characters is spotless, up to the smallest parts. But especially Jodie Comer as the guilt-ridden queen "Lizzie" of York, torn between loyalty to her family and loyalty to her her husband, does a marvelous job. And Michelle Fairly is absolutely formidable as the manipulative and scheming Lady Margaret Beaufort.

I thought this was better than The White Queen. I noticed it was a Starz production and so far I've liked their work. This is a little less ambitious. This is based on a good book rather than history itself, but having said that, the show did manage to have an actor that actually resembled Henry VII, which for me was just enough to be persuaded to be embroiled. And the plot is embroiling, and, in regard to history, the plot only really takes license from those facts that even history is still wondering. That's a winner for me.

It's a lavish, intense, psychological drama with the ever present violence of the day hanging over all, brilliantly acted with perfect costumes and excellent production.

Nitpicking ...... I docked The White Princess two points for the rather sparse and cavalier manner of the street processions. In history these processions have far greater pomp and cast. Like The White Queen, both shows needed to up the grandeur. The battle scenes however were historically much better.

Thoroughly enjoyed.

... get past the first episode, and it's worth it. The first episode was corny, and all the actors being different from TWQ made it seem awkward. I did not like the Princess Elizabeth they cast for this show for a couple of episodes, but after finishing the series, I really admire the actress. Dowager Queen Elizabeth cast in this series does not hold a candle to the Dowager Queen Elizabeth in TWQ.

Minus one star for fumble of a pilot; minus one star for Dowager Queen Elizabeth. They definitely should have brought back the original actress. The only original actor from the original series is Duchess Cecily, King Edward's grumpy Lady Mother.

It is *not* The White Queen, but it's still a good series. Just a corny pilot. I promise, the acting improves 100%.

I started watching the Spanish Princess which led me to watch the White Princess and continuing out of order on to watch the White Queen. Watching it made me read extensively about the War of the Roses and Henry VII as king. Historically, as the series states, has been changed for dramatic purposes which is a bit of a shame because history itself is very interesting. Some of the dramatizations make relative sense, while other alterations simply are unneeded. I won't give specifics so as to give spoilers, and the internet makes it easy enough to research the accurate stories. The sets, costumes, and acting are all excellent. So just accept that extensive liberties are taken, and enjoy.