We're now at 1469 and the start of a turbulent two years that would see two Queen Consorts of England - a fact referenced by Izzy Neville who worried she might be put in danger as a potential third. She and her sister, Anne, were at the heart of the action this week as their father started playing all kinds of tricks on Edward IV in another bid to take total control of the country. Warwick spent much of the episode setting up a fake attack on the king to try and capture or kill him, spurred on in the knowledge that Isabel was expecting a baby that would provide an heir for Edward's brother, George.
Isabel Neville (Eleanor Tomlinson) came tantalizingly close to being Queen of England
As the action shifted to the epic battle in the middle of Edward's reign between York and Lancaster we also saw much more of Margaret Beaufort. So far a staid presence, doing good and lecturing others to do the same, this week Margaret got manipulative and a bit minxy to boot. Seeing the possibility of an empty throne, she plotted against both kings and even gave up her nunnish ways to seduce her long suffering husband, Lord Stafford, in an attempt to raise an army to grab the crown for her son, Henry Tudor. Margaret is a bit of a star turn in the show - increasingly mad, fairly bad and definitely dangerous to know, especially for her younger brother who turned up half way through looking scared and was dead less than ten minutes later, perhaps justifying the look of terror he wore throughout proceedings.
Margaret Beaufort (Amanda Hale) takes being a pushy mother to new heights
All this meant that Elizabeth, the White Queen of the title, took a bit of a back seat this week and the programme was no worse for it. On her few appearances she developed a bit more bite which also helped a great deal. The big issue I've had at the start of this telling is that Elizabeth is too white - there's nothing of the scheming, ambitious woman that must have lurked within her to get to where she rose to. She was beautiful, we know that, and Edward was obsessed with her. All this is true. But the portrayal so far of a woman who just happened to fall in love with the King of England and suffered as a result takes away so much of what makes her one of the most fascinating queens there is.
We saw her become increasingly angry and bitter about the deaths of her father and brother at the hands of Warwick and there was some lovely low key hissing at Warwick's wife. She was still all sweetness and light despite the utter rudeness of Warwick at the Christmas celebrations but then went off to stir up a storm that resulted in the end of his plans to take the throne from Edward and also ended with the loss of Isabel Neville's baby.
Elizabeth Woodville (Rebecca Ferguson) finally started to show her teeth in The White Queen
Which means the race is still on for a York heir. And all the time, in the background, Anne Neville watched and waited, wondering what her part would be. A rather clunking exposition of gender roles in the 15th century aside (James Frain as the Earl of Warwick explaining to Anne that she must play her part and just get on with things) the development of Anne's character is fascinating and the scene in which Elizabeth humiliated her as she set about getting frisky with the king in front of her was great. A proper power struggle with Elizabeth picking on the wrong Warwick for revenge. The trauma of watching her sister lose her baby was also well played out. Anne is a fascinating and in may ways tragic Queen of England and it will be interesting to see how her story is told in future weeks.
Anne Neville (Faye Marsay), often put upon but showing nerves of steel
Onward to the big battle then. We hit 1470 next week which means sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, babies galore and a right royal battle for the throne. And hopefully a bit more of a relationship between the York boys. I know this is the War of the Roses told through the eyes of the women but at the heart of the White Rose was an unbreakable bond between Edward IV, George and the future Richard III. Brothers who fought for a crown and would do anything for one another, they barely seem to have met in this interpretation. And given some of the drama still to come, that could prove a tricky one to catch up on in one episode. Here's hoping....
Richard, Edward and George on one of their rare appearances together
The White Queen is on BBC One, Sundays, 9pm (all photos from the BBC)
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