Starz announced today that Michelle Fairley (“Game of Thrones,” “Rebellion”) will play the role of Margaret Beaufort in The White Princess, the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Starz Original Miniseries event The White Queen, from Company Pictures. Up-and-coming actress Jodie Comer (“Doctor Foster,” My Mad Fat Diary”) also joins the cast as Princess Elizabeth of York. Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel of the same name and part of The Cousins’ War book series, The White Princess tells the story of England’s War of the Roses from the perspective of the women. The 8-episode limited series drama will begin shooting on location in Bristol, England later this year.
Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor’s mother and mastermind behind his ascent to the Throne of England, was a philanthropist, a benefactor for the Church, and a murderer. Margaret knows that getting the throne and keeping it safe for the Tudor line are two different things, especially as York rivals continue to plot against them with increasing success.
Princess Elizabeth of York (Lizzie) is forced into marriage to unite the Houses of York and Tudor, realizing that she has no choice but to do her duty for England and marry the new King, Henry VII. The union brings Lizzie in direct conflict with Henry’s strong-willed mother. As Margaret’s influence over her son begins to wane and Lizzie’s star rises, Margaret beings to unravel as the sins of the past and present weigh heavily on her conscience and her relations with Henry are at risk of potentially imploding.
The White Princess concludes the story of England’s War of the Roses and charts the rise of the House of Tudor through the tortuous marriage between Princess Elizabeth of York and King Henry Tudor. The year is 1485 and Princess Elizabeth, daughter of “The White Queen,” has been pledged in marriage to the newly anointed King Henry Tudor in hopes that it will bring peace to a war-torn country. England is united, but their marriage is soon divided, as rumors circulate that Elizabeth’s long-lost brother Prince Richard is alive and planning to take the throne. Now she must choose between Tudor wife and York princess, between her new husband and the boy who claims to be her own blood and the true heir to the crown.
It was previously announced that acclaimed writer Emma Frost (“The White Queen,” “The Man in the High Castle,” “Shameless”) will return to serve as Showrunner and Executive Producer with Gregory serving as Executive Producer for The White Princess. Lachlan MacKinnon (“Burton and Taylor”) will serve as Producer for the series. Playground’s Colin Callender (“The White Queen,” “The Dresser,” “The Missing,” “Wolf Hall”) will serve as Executive Producer with Company Pictures’ Michele Buck (“Parades End,” “Sex Traffic,” “Hornblower”).
The year is 1485 and Henry Tudor is king, having snatched the crown from Richard III in a surprise victory at the Battle of Bosworth. Elizabeth of York, “The White Princess,” is faced with marrying Henry, the man who has just killed her lover. While Elizabeth’s mother Dowager Queen Elizabeth “The White Queen” encourages her to marry to preserve the York claim of title and ensure her family’s safety, Henry’s mother Margaret Beaufort detests the idea, but knows it is the only way for her son to stay on the throne and unify a country divided by war.
In the court of Burgundy, the Duchess rules over a new enemy stronghold for disenfranchised Yorkists and all of Henry Tudor’s enemies. It is from here that a Pretender is mustering an army. He claims to be brother to the Queen, and the true heir to the throne. But is he the missing prince from the tower sent by his mother, the White Queen? Or a counterfeit prince – a low-born enemy to Henry Tudor and his York princess wife?
Princess Elizabeth must choose between Tudor wife and York princess – between her new husband and baby son, and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother. Has the rose of York come home at last and at what cost to her?
The White Princess tells the story of one of the most fascinating periods of British history, spanning the winter court of Henry Tudor – uniquely from the women’s point of view. The most ruthless players in history will stop at nothing to support their own causes and those of the ones they love.
The White Princess will film on location in Bristol, UK and will air on Starz in 2017. Starz will retain all network pay TV and SVOD rights to the project.
