Netflix really does have a way with giving old television series a second life—after picking up the previously cancelled Manifest, a fourth season was suddenly given the green light. It also revived Arrested Development—more than five years after it was cancelled.
Now, BBC’s The White Queen, which first aired in 2013, is getting the same treatment. After the streaming giant picked up the show, it peaked in the second most-watched spot (lagging only behind Bridgerton), proving just how addictive the series really is.
But before you start calling for a second season of the show, it pays to note that there’s already two other sequel seasons based on the same narrative already out there—though there’s a couple of key differences.
Is there a second season of The White Queen?
While there’s no season two, per se, there are two spin-off series’ from the show, all of which are based from the bestselling novels by Phillipa Gregory.
The White Queen follows three women, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Anne Nevill in their journey to claim power in the 1400s during the Wars of the Roses.
Meanwhile, its sequel The White Princess follows Henry VII and Elizabeth of York as the Wars of the Roses comes to an end.
Finally, the third instalment, The Spanish Princess is based on Catherine of Aragon, who became Queen of England when she married King Henry VIII.
Who stars in The White Queen?
The White Queen has a star-studded cast led by Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman) who plays Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen who is consort to Edward IV. Joining her is Juliet Aubrey (The Infiltrator) who plays Lady Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick and Veerle Baetens (The Broken Circle Breakdown) who plays Margaret of Anjou.
Joining them is Aneurin Barnard as Richard III of England, Leo Bill as Sir Reginald Bray and Emily Berrington as Jane Shore, Edward IV’s mistress.
Is The White Queen based on a true story?
Yes, the narrative to the 10-part series is loosely based on historic events that took place during the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars which saw two blue-blooded families fight for the English throne. Phillipa Gregory covered the events and elaborated on the real life marriages in her novel series, The Cousins’ War.
Of course, the script and some scenes are dramatised heavily, but you get a fair idea of the history behind the the war period.
What happened to Elizabeth Woodville?
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen Consort of England alongside her husband King Edward IV until he was deposed on 3 October 1470.
She was nicknamed ‘The White Queen’ due to her ties with the royal House of York, whose emblem was a white rose.
She died on June 8, 1492, likely from the plague. She was buried alongside her husband (who died in 1483) in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Where can you watch the second and third instalments?
While you can watch The White Queen on Netflix, you can watch all three series, including The White Princess and The Spanish Princess on Stan in Australia. Log in or sign up to watch them here.
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