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.

Elizabeth I would have also seen her half sister Mary Tudor, and how marriage didn't work out well for her as Queen of England (marrying a foreigner caused a rebellion, having a king of England who ranked lower than the Queen, but also a religion that demanded that a woman submit to her husband would also be problematic).

some of the characters dont look any older than in earlier episodes particularly Magaret

Oh I don't know. I think that Elizabeth W has been aged rather well, eyes a bit baggy and crinkly, but still good looking. Richard has lowered his voice I notice. Last week all the fellas turned up in beards.

Looking at the godawful portraits of Richard iii he looks way older than any 30ish men I know, poor man.

I haven't read anywhere (and I haven't read the book TWQ either) about the storming of the Tower. It must be a PG invention unless anyone knows otherwise?

No agnes I'm pretty sure there w a failed attempt to liberate the boys from the tower.

It all felt a bit Blackadderish yesterday, or is that just me?

I think Richard iii has started to remind me of Edmund Blackadder certainly.

Oh that's why I find him attractive! Couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Teeth bother me in historical dramas. Surely they couldn't all be blessed with perfect dental genes?

Anne (Neville) going on about wanting revenge for her father's death-which she blames Elizabeth for(?)-yet her father had Elizabeth's father & oldest brother(?) killed!

Didn't Jacquetta predict this right at the beginning? If you insist on killing for revenge then why shouldn't others kill for revenge on what you just did, and where will it stop?

Am getting a ridiculous crush on Richard. He's all I focus on.

John of gaunt was one of the sons of Edward iii and father/grandfather of various Lancastrian and York claimants to the throne. Some of his children were legitimate and some declared legitimate.

The wars of the roses are all his fault basically (massively oversimplifies entire issues)

Now I'd be happy to watch a series about John of Gaunt

Henry Tudor was descended through the initially illegitimate part of John of Gaunts family, born to his then mistress, Katherine Swynford. He eventually married their mother and had their children legitimised, but the children were officially barred from the succession.

Agness, what am I missing?

Lots of shagging probably

Blimey that's hard. I googled on this yesterday and found
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_successions_of_the_English_crown
Which gives alternatives at a couple of points in history. As it states it works on the assumption that all these people would still have been born, which thru may not have been if their parents had been a monarch and therefore who they married an issue of more significance than it was.

One of the people who could be king is the current duke of Beaufort, as they are John of guant's last surviving descendants in the male line (although the current duke is not the previous duke's son)

Sorry

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_successions_of_the_English_crown

Saggy Henry Tudor was descended through the initially illegitimate part of John of Gaunts family, born to his then mistress, Katherine Swynford

So where did Margaret Beaufort get her pious "God has decreed" guff from? And why would anyone have taken it more seriously than any of the York claimants?

I just finished, The white princess. I feel sorry for Margaret Beaufort even more now, miserable Woman.

Ooh Chub I do like the 'semi-legendary High-Kings of Britain' one.
I think they should mount a challenge to Prince Charles.

From being a bit of a zealot

I would put the blame more at the door of Richard II rather than John of Gaunt.

Richard's pulling down of the Lancaster powerbase (and general insanity) resulted in Henry Bolingbroke challenging for the crown. John of Gaunt had always been loyal to Richard and had never shown anything but support for the succession.