The White Queen

[ShadeofViolet]

Anyone else ridiculously excited?

I know Philippa Gregory's books tend to be a bit Barbara Cartland in places, and I hope the BBC havent increased it, but I still cannot wait to watch it.

I'm sure I don't remember the Margaret Beaufort brother Wells bit in any of the books.

Have the BBC basically invented him? Or at least his role in that uprising?

Presumably because the story isn't complicated enough on its own?

But would they be commoners because the dad is, right? He was ennobled after marrying her.

I agree about the accent - and what is going on with Jasper Tudor's accent?

It's signalling 'WELSH!' isn't it? What more do you want?!

Given that we have a Swedish Elizabeth Woodville, I think we're not meant to notice the accents.

That is probably true.

TBH I just picture him sounding like my grandpa. Anything else isn't a real Welsh accent.

Ah ok so it looks like (from Wikipedia) that he did exist but was older than MB, was her stepbrother with his own adult son and was involved in the Welles uprising / robin of redesdale rebellion and was beheaded by Edward - although under utterly different circumstances than those in last night's episode.

Why bugger about so much with the history when its so unrelated to the story?

Because it made Margaret Beaufort look really evil, probably

Ok, now my turn to stamp my feet and strop.

I said that upthread already.

And you were right!

That's true. I'm glad they are making sure I clearly understand that she is Not A Nice Person.

I thought she can across much more vulnerable and warmer and likeable in the red queen.

I was.

My knowledge of actual history is pretty shite but my wiki-checking skills are honed.

Sorry LRD!

I got distracted by the moth discussion

Jaquetta was the daughter of a count and married Bedford to become pretty much Queen of France, DIL to Henry IV, cousin to the Holy Roman Emperor and a couple of European kings. her marriage was really important because it tied so many threads together. she was too important to not let her get away with her second marriage and they paid a lot for it. they hastily made a title for them (Rivers in honour of her goddess ancestor Melusina) but it wasn't totally all forgiven which is why their children were seen as common.

the scene with Welles is definitely an addition, in the books it's all seen from the woman's perspective.

Shame I've loaned my books out because there's things I keep wanting to look up!

Sugar it's the problem with them having to start her story later on in her life, isn't it? If you immediately feel for her as a victim of what we would now see as awful child abuse, you sympathise with her later on and her later personality feels more inexplicable. Whereas leaving that bit out reduces her to Evil Religious Nut caricature.

oops
EXPLICABLE not inexplicable

Margaret was 19 when she married Stafford, her third husband, and Henry would have been 6. I have no idea when any of the events are set because they're moving so fast. Edward was born in 1470 though which would make Margaret 27 and Henry 14.

She does appear to be the sort of person who wasn't able to grow up properly.

You're both right. She was married to someone else as a baby but it was dissolved because of consanguinity and it didn't count because she'd been a child when it was contracted.

I read it on Wikipedia yesterday

7th degree?

I wonder if it was a nice little earner for the church, sorting out all the dispensations they needed.

Ha! And if they were royalty the bung would be massive.