Accuracy With Real Events: The White Queen (2013)

The White Queen (2013)

BBC History: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/22840690
Emma Frost Interview: http://www.indiewire.com/article/television/emma-frost-interview-the-white-queen
Lady Eleanor Talbot: https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Lady_Eleanor_Talbot.html

For The White Queen, I looked on the BBC History website for the real story on Elizabeth Woodville, 'The White Queen'.

It is true that Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV had their first official meeting because Elizabeth appealed to the king for help after her late husband's lands were confiscated from her as she was considered an enemy to the Yorkists and their king. It has also been said that Edward IV was '"enamoured" of her and described "much wooing and many great promises."', according to Thomas More. Also what was true was that Elizabeth Woodville didnt want to be just another one of the king's conquests, so he proposed to her because of his passion for her.

It is also fact that their marriage was conducted in secret, and, Edward had in fact delayed the announcement of their marriage for about five months. It is also true that the nobility were not happy with the arrangement and thought that they were no match.

In the series we see Elizabeth give birth to Edward V in Westminster Abbey whilst Edward IV was forced into exile abroad, and while this may look as though it is fiction, it was in fact true as she was not able to stay at the palace as civil war had broken out again and the Lancastrians had regained the throne.

Even though they married for love, Edward still had affairs whilst married to Elizabeth. Their marriage in the series was rife with rumours of their marriage not being legal and that was true as there were rumours of that Edward IV had a pre-contract of marriage with Lady Eleanor Talbot, which helped pave the way for Titulus Regius to be passed, allowing Richard III to become king.

For the Princes in the Tower, historians still disagree on what happened so there is not sure way of knowing if both boys were killed in the tower, or if Richard of York was swapped for another boy and sent away for protection like in The White Queen.