Starz Begins Production on The White Princess Miniseries

Starz has begun production on their White Princess miniseries followup, The White Queen

Starz announced today production has commenced on The White Princess miniseries, the follow-up to the Golden Globe and Emmy award-nominated original The White Queen, from Company Pictures and Playground.

Adapted from Philippa Gregory‘s best-selling novel of the same name and part of The Cousins’ War book series, The White Princess miniseries sees England ostensibly united by the marriage of Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII, but their personal and political rift runs deep and the war that rages between them threatens to tear the kingdom apart once again. The White Princess miniseries offers a tale of power, family, love, betrayal and death, which charts one of the most tumultuous times in British history uniquely from the point of view of the women waging the ongoing battle for the English throne.

Jacob Collins-Levy (Glitch, Holding the Man) joins The White Princess miniseries cast as Henry VII, the paranoid and unlikely king forced to marry an enemy to secure his throne. Jodie Comer (Doctor Foster, My Mad Fat Diary) plays the equally unwilling Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the rival House of York. Essie Davis (The Babadook, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) stars as Princess Elizabeth’s mother Dowager Queen Elizabeth, an indomitable strategist and unwavering supporter of the York cause.

Even after the death of her husband King Edward IV and the fall of her House from the throne, Elizabeth’s faith in York’s eventual return to power is sustained by the boy she believes to be Prince Richard – her last surviving son and the only genuine challenge to King Henry’s royal claim. Loyalties blur and families find themselves on opposing sides as the House of Tudor tries to cement its rule over an increasingly fragmented empire, where loyalty is a scarce commodity and the fear of betrayal is ever-present.

Also part of The White Princess miniseries cast is Joanne Whalley (Wolf Hall, The Borgias) as the widowed Duchess of Burgundy, Elizabeth of York’s aunt, and sister to dead kings Richard III and Edward IV of England. She’s described as being a sensual, intelligent York woman who presides over her cultured court across the English Channel. 

Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones, Rebellion) then plays the role of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother who was a philanthropist, benefactor for the Church, and the calculating mastermind behind Henry’s ascent to the Throne of England. Margaret understands that winning the throne and keeping it safe for the Tudor line are two different things, and works to fortify King Henry’s rule, as York rivals continue to plot against them.

Suki Waterhouse (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Insurgent) has been cast as Cecily of York, the self-interested and jealous younger sister to Princess Elizabeth, while the role of their cousin Margaret Plantagenet – reluctant member of the York clan because of the precarious political position it puts her and her brother in at the Tudor court – is played by Rebecca Benson (Game of Thrones, Macbeth).

The White Princess miniseries cast is rounded out by Rhys Connah as Teddy, Caroline Goodall as Duchess Cecily, Kenneth Cranham as Bishop Morton and Vincent Regan as Jasper Tudor.

The eight episode drama is helmed by writer Emma Frost (The White Queen, The Man in the High Castle), who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. The show will be directed by Jamie Payne (Legends, Quantico), also on board as Producer. Payne previously directed three episodes of The White Queen and is integral in shaping the vision for “The White Princess” – directing episodes 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8.

The White Princess miniseries is shooting on location in Bristol and around the UK. Check out a behind-the-scenes still from production in the gallery viewer below!