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.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

You could get a dispensation for most things if you held enough sway over the Pope!
IMO Richard wouldn't have married Elizabeth. It was much more about discrediting her in front of Henry. He didn't Need to strengthen his claim. His family line is direct from Lionel of Antwerp and the strongest male claim. To marry Elizabeth would be to cast doubt on her illegitimacy and actually weaken his claim in the opposite way to her strengthening Henry's claim.

[seventhchild]

Regarding the uncle thing, I think they could've got a dispensation like with first cousins? The amount of shared DNA is the same,

no, the amount of DNA shared by a full uncle and niece will, on average, be twice that shared by first cousins.

[Vickibee]

what happened to George & Isobel's boy? Surely he would be next in line? and a threat to Henry Tudor.

Perhaps that's why their son, Henry 8 turned out to be such a loony tune, flawed DNA?

[alemci]

loved Rupert Graves in it. he always has a manic grin even when he is being serious ITMS. Margaret was such an old bat, did she think that she was without sin, she had serious pride issues and thought she was hot wired to God.

also Edward's loyal friend, who richard executed at a coup in the parliament wasn't really shown in the series. was it William?

[lissieloo]

what happened to George & Isobel's boy? Surely he would be next in line? and a threat to Henry Tudor.

He was an heir, Henry Tudor kept him imprisoned in the tower for most of his life, then when Catharine of Aragorn was due to marry Prince Arthur, her parents insisted on Henry "removing the threat" so he entrapped the poor lad into planning an escape and treason.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Alemci William Hastings?

[Tiredemma]

Amanda Hale and Rupert Graves as MB and LS was brilliant casting.

Amanda said in an interview that he made her laugh in every scene they had together.

[RustyBear]

I'm currently reading a book DS gave me for my birthday about Henry VII (The Winter King, by Thomas Penn).

There's an interesting bit in it about George's son and Perkin Warbeck (the one who claimed to be Edward IV's son Prince Richard) Henry VII had an astrologer who told him that men born under unlucky stars, even if they were innocent, were fore-ordained to die an unnatural death, such as by execution. He then demonstrated how unlucky the stars were for two particular men, unnamed but pretty obviously George's son & Warbeck. He told Henry that such people, because they were ill-starred, would be a focus for revolt, but because they were ill-starred, they were destined for execution whatever happened. It seems to have been enough to satisfy Henry VII's conscience anyway....

[lissieloo]

Rusty, that's in the White Princess too. Henry seems to have been obsessed with being usurped.

[alemci]

yes thanks makes me laugh hoq witchcraft was against the law and yet here we have henry effectively doing the same thing. wonder whar his mother thoght of it

[lissieloo]

Oh, I have no doubt that she would have found a way to justify it.

[RhondaJean]

The attainder of George of Clarence passed on to his son, therefore ruling him out of the line of succession.

It's very hard to work out motives through modern eyes. But one interesting thing is that Henry may have been a worrier but he took action, he realised that it was the private army of the Stanley's which had won bosworth for him and that another private army could take his crown away, and he outlawed the barons having their own armies, making it an act of treason punishable by death, and probably stopping further infighting and stabilising England somewhat.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

So is that it then? I wanted to see Elizabeth and Henry married and having Arthur, and so on. But I guess it needs to stop somewhere.

Didn't Margaret outlive Henry and saw her grandson Henry VIII crowned?

[RustyBear]

Had to stop soon anyway - there's only 8 posts left on this thread (7 now)

Margaret outlived her son by a few months - she died the day after Henry VIII's 18th birthday.

[RhondaJean]

I'm currently readin the white princess which is about Elizabeth and Henry right up to the execution of Edward of Warwick.

[stubbornstains]

I genuinely had no idea that the Battle of Bosworth only had about 40 participants . I am now genuinely ashamed that I watched it on the iPlayer (I don't have a TV) as the Beeb obviously needed my licence fee to pay for some more extras.

[MamaMary]

Gosh, I can't decide who's better-looking, Max Irons or Aneurin Barnard...

This series has been great eye candy, that's for sure

[confuddledDOTcom]

stubborn, did you know it wasn't at Bosworth either?

[Elsiequadrille]

"I genuinely had no idea that the Battle of Bosworth only had about 40 participants grin."

I know. It was very disappointing to watch, not to mention odd.

[Elsiequadrille]

There's a thread all about that, you may have seen, Mamamary.

[lissieloo]

Shall we have another history-y thread? I find it all really interesting. I'm currently researching the early middle ages/anglo-saxons and its fascinating.