Episode 2 The White Queen

You are a girl from the House of Lancaster,

and you live in a country that is divided.

You may not fall in love with a York king

unless there is some profit in it for you.

Will you marry me?

Yes.

Warwick is the Kingmaker,

you can be very sure he will make the queen as well.

-She's my queen of choice and I...

-Of choice?! Have you gone mad?

He is a pretender. He has taken the throne by force.

He is the king and those who speak against him are guilty of treason.

Now, let us make a son, to scotch the Lancastrian threat.

It is an honour to meet you, Duchess Cecily.

I am not happy about this marriage.

I could put his brother, George, upon the throne in his place.

The King has done what he should not.

(Elizabeth.)

There are many who will be cursing our luck and wishing us to fall.

So, our new queen is not only Lancastrian

but now we have half of Burgundy out in force.

Why?

Because she is related to them!

But, Issy, we like her better than the old bad queen, don't we?

And now we must crown her before her belly grows too fat.

Elizabeth.

Are you afraid?

Edward will help me know what to do.

They say the whole of London will be out.

Except one.

Edward's mother has refused to come.

I don't think you'll miss her.

It's one less foot to trip me up!

Lord Warwick.

Is the woman dressed and ready?

She's not made queen yet.

My new sister.

You're as beautiful as a queen should be.

I pray your child is a son, so he may follow my brother on his throne.

Thank you, Richard. George.

I am very grateful for your kinship.

Where...Where's Edward?

At the Abbey.

He is to watch the coronation from behind a screen, as is the custom.

My daughters will escort you.

They have been trained for such occasions.

The Queen has her own sisters to attend her.

Your daughters may join in the procession behind us.

Hold your head high, Elizabeth.

God has chosen you in this

and your brothers and I will be with you every step of the way.

But now, you are holding my arm too tightly and I may faint.

You may not faint because I need you.

You will always be my Elizabeth.

I am so very proud of you.

Anne, you goose! Stop staring like an idiot!

She is so beautiful.

Yes, but the King should have married the French princess

as Father had arranged.

Just play your part.

It will not be for very long.

CROWD CHEERS

God save the Queen!

Elizabeth!

Elizabeth!

That isn't mother.

It's her, Richard.

-She's just in her coronation robes, that's all.

-Oh.

I here present unto you, Queen Elizabeth, your undoubted queen.

Wherefore, all you who are come this day

to do your homage and service,

are you willing to do the same?

God save the Queen!

Let the anointing of this oil

increase your honour

and establish you for ever.

God save the Queen!

We offer up the sceptres and the ring,

to our one and mighty queen.

God save the Queen!

-Mother!

-Mother!

Oh, my boys!

Are you Queen now, Mother?

Yes, Richard. But before that, I shall always be your mother.

May we sit with you at dinner?

I'm sorry, not today.

But later, I shall come and see you both to bed myself.

Queen Elizabeth?

Your court awaits.

You all look so very similar, you Rivers girls.

You look like beautiful fish!

-I'm not sure I should like to be a fish!

-Hello.

George does try to be so charming but he doesn't always get it right!

Last time we saw you, Richard,

you fell off your horse at our father's castle, do you remember?

Our father taught King Edward and put him on the throne

-and so now, King Edward must...

-HE COUGHS

What?

So he did, and Edward loves him for it.

There's a seat here, Anne, if you'd like it.

TRUMPET FANFARE

Lords and Ladies of the court,

Queen Elizabeth of England.

I did not think it would be this grand, Edward.

It is to silence those who say that our marriage is not valid.

Who?! Who says that it is not?

Ah!

Your mother?

The people were denied a royal wedding.

And so we have given them

a coronation worthy of the Lord himself.

She does not even know how to behave!

How would you behave if you were queen?

Not like that!

I would not whisper with the King!

I would be a queen of stone.

I would have dignity and no emotion.

She doesn't even seem ashamed!

..desperate for this banquet to end...

Edward, you must attend to the peace treaty with France.

I have kept it from your door this week as much as I could but,

now that Charles of Burgundy has been befriended

and France has been left out,

it cannot wait.

I will attend to it tomorrow.

But now, cousin, feast with us,

for we have won everything that we set out to

and I wish to see you happy.

How is it that I've allowed you to wear so many clothes?

I cannot think.

What's the point of being king if I cannot keep you naked all day long?

We shall have to change this room, Edward.

It's too odd to have Margaret of Anjou's things about us.

(Change it as you wish.)

Shall we be safe, you and I, upon our thrones?

While Henry is at large, there's always a chance

of a Lancastrian uprising to put him back on the throne.

Or his son, Edward.

But when we have our son, we will be safe, for we will have an heir.

And your own men, do you trust them?

Lord Warwick?

Him of all.

I know he's brusque and has found it hard to deal with our marriage

but he will learn to love you as I do.

(He already does.)

You should ask his girls to be your ladies!

Make them your favourites. It will please him.

And his agreement with France? Will you make that, too?

I'll decide tomorrow...

..because now,

I cannot think at all.

Argh. Now what am I to do with these?

It's not as though Margaret of Anjou will return for them.

Mother!?

I never thought it would be me doing this.

I was her closest friend, when I was her lady at court.

But these are different times.

You are Queen of England now

and you will never make the same mistakes that she did.

I cannot burn it or they'll strangle us for witches.

That is interesting, Baron Rivers.

Your advice may well be worth thinking about.

We are here to serve you, Your Grace.

Edward?

We'll meet soon.

My lord.

I've drafted out the terms

of England's peace treaty with France as discussed

and the French Ambassador's confirmed

he will be able to attend the autumn hunt, where both parties can sign.

There's no hurry, Warwick.

There are some other players in the game who I may speak to.

Other...?

I've invited Burgundy, as well.

You've invited the enemy of France?

I wish for them

to lift their restrictions on the sale of English cloth,

and they are my wife's own relatives,

so I can hardly leave them out.

Lord Warwick?

I know that I was not your choice of wife and queen for Edward.

But I hope that we may join in friendship as we share love for him.

You hope for that, Your Grace?

And also that your daughters will join my household as my ladies?

Burn her.

We'll have no truck with a queen who thought to rule her husband

and rule England through him.

We've no need for scheming women.

I know your loyalty to Warwick,

but surely, if he's gone this far already, Edward...

Edward?

Your father and brothers have just told me

that Warwick has a secret deal with the King of France.

Louis has promised him a territory

in exchange for my alliance with France.

Now, this was once dependent upon me marrying the Princess Bona

but now rides upon this so-called peace treaty.

So, Warwick is plotting against you.

Not so much against me as...for himself.

But he should not have kept it from me.

So I shall treaty with the side I think is most useful.

He does not see Warwick's danger. Even now.

He's clouded by how much he loves him.

Then you must do the thinking for him.

Warwick is against the King.

He wants power for himself.

Now, if Edward doesn't stop him, then you must.

Because otherwise, Warwick will be king-making again.

And this time it won't be Edward's head that wears the crown.

And then we all will be in danger.

WHISTLING

Come.

Come on.

Hup. Hup.

Hup.

Hup. Hup.

APPLAUSE

Well done, John!

Well done, John!

He'll have a fight on his hands against my brother, George.

He has none of Richard's chivalry and he doesn't like to lose.

Burgundy's here, then.

The Rivers run so deep, any man could be drowned in them.

My own mother's been washed away.

You could do better?

Edward, the French Ambassador's feeling slighted

in favour of Charles of Burgundy.

Oh, cheer up, Warwick.

The bigger threat is still my cousin Henry.

Lancaster will not give up their hopes for him.

While Henry is at large, there will always be some army to support him.

WHISTLING

Charles has suggested a marriage between himself

-and Margaret of York. He seems very keen.

-Mother! Shhh. Not now.

Your mother is right, Elizabeth.

We must build a powerful royal family around you

to protect you, and marriages are the way to...

Well done, George!

Good hunting, brother.

As your prize, I shall confer on you the title...

Earl of Richmond!

And I was hoping for your crown.

Lady Margaret Beaufort won't be happy.

Richmond is her son's title!

Yes. But he is nephew to the old King Henry.

So, I must strip it from him.

They have stripped my son of his title!

They have stripped him of "The Earl of Richmond"

-and given it to that second York boy, George.

-I've been told.

You are my husband, you must get it back for him!

-It is his ancestral title through his...

-Margaret.

Margaret, the Yorks rule England now,

and Edward may give the peerages to whoever he sees fit.

Is it not enough that I am not allowed to raise my child myself?

That he must be raised by his uncle Jasper?

He is nephew to King Henry, in line as Lancastrian heir.

He should not be treated as though...

Look, you must not boast of this too loudly, it is the very...

(It is the very reason why the King must keep him down.)

His uncle Jasper would not let this happen!

He would write to Edward and defend my poor boy!

He would feel his pain, as I do!

I shall go to little Henry myself and explain to him about his title!

No, it'll mean nothing to him. The boy is barely five-years-old.

It means something! It means the world.

It is all he has!

-Have you eaten anything today?

-No.

-You are looking very thin again.

-I'm fasting.

-You cannot live on fresh air alone.

-I live on prayer.

And God shall give me sustenance.

Lord Warwick?

Your daughters have not been brought to me.

I requested them for my household.

My daughters are to wed, Your Grace, and so sadly, must decline.

The King is aware.

Ah.

I was thinking,

our little Annie

should wed Viscount Bourchier.

And little Katherine could marry the Duke of Buckingham?

Warwick has refused his daughters to me mother.

It is a snub and I do not know what I should do.

He hates me.

But Edward still thinks we can be friends!

Then what should I do?

Accept his hate or battle through it?

You should do neither.

You should do as Edward says and make your family strong by marriage,

so you can weather an attack from anyone.

Now, your brother, John...

What spells are you two weaving?

Father!

Ah, the goddess of love is busy with her work, I see!

There is no love in this, Richard. Only business.

You see how Mother changed her tune?

When she set her heart on you, the lowly squire,

she caused quite the scandal, saying true love was enough.

It was worth it.

For I have the most beautiful lady in the kingdom.

And I the handsomest, kindest, most loving man.

Who has just been made Treasurer!

-Richard!

-Then Warwick's uncle has been set aside?

Edward is unhappy with him over France.

And Anthony has Admiralty of the Fleet

and Lionel will be Bishop as he's always wanted.

Richard!

Yes, yes.

Go and fetch the midwife.

I think our first York prince wishes to join the world.

That's it, come on, push.

Push-push-push.

That's it. That's it.

SHE SCREAMS

Good girl, shh.

BABY CRIES

Give him to me, Mary?

Let me hold him.

It's a girl.

A little girl.

-Where is he?

-The Queen is not ready.

Let me see him! I am king. You cannot keep me from my son.

It's a girl, Edward.

It's a girl.

Mind the head. Take the head.

She is a beautiful girl.

We will love her very well.

We shall have boys, Edward.

Sons and heirs.

-They shall come.

-I know.

You are so very lovely, Elizabeth. I could not do without you.

DOOR OPENS AND SLAMS

It's a girl!

The Queen has had a little baby girl for Edward.

It makes little odds that he has no heir

when she has taken all the nobles

and there's no-one left for ours to wed.

Ah, but...

I have found the biggest prize of all,

and the King

will give me anything I want for it.

My Lady.

Stafford.

Lord Tudor.

Are you well?

We are in fine health.

Shall we ride in?

Jasper, how is my Henry?

He's thriving. You'll barely know him.

Henry?

Henry!

Come to your mother.

Come on, you must remember me?

Go on, Henry.

Lady Mother.

Henry, I miss you very much and I would have come sooner,

but I have been made to live very far away from you.

It is punishment for my loyalties.

Henry, the wicked York king, has taken your title.

But we will get it back for you. We will.

Do not fill his head with nonsense, Margaret, he will not get it back!

He should be playing in the sun with other children,

not cooped up here, like some invalid!

There are no families of breeding near enough

-for a suitable companion.

-Well, perhaps little Henry

could show me the stables and the horses while we're here?

May I?

Go on.

Come now. Come and see our horses. We have names for all of them.

-I expect you're a very good rider.

-Yes.

Tell me he is good to you?

-Tell me that, at least.

-He, er...

I have an allowance.

I, er...

I buy books.

I read the Gospel. He's teaching me to read in Latin.

I missed you, Margaret.

-More than I can tell.

-Don't.

You must not.

I've received a letter from my brother.

My nephew is to be betrothed to the Queen's sister, Katherine,

and we are called to London for the wedding.

The Duke of Buckingham... to a common country girl?!

-I will not go.

-You will, Margaret.

And you will be gracious.

Your mother will be there. It will be a chance to see her, too.

You've not seen her since we married.

Shall we?

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Amen.

ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS

Look at my little sister, Katherine, with her sulky new husband, the Duke.

Who would have thought so happy an occasion

would have made so many so miserable?!

Lord Warwick isn't even here.

So much the better.

Congratulations, Your Grace, on your first York princess.

She is not a boy though, so you have no heir.

I shall have many more, Duchess Cecily,

and the next one shall be a boy.

FANFARE OUTSIDE

Edward? What is that?

King Henry!

My Lords. Our one time king, Henry, and now, our prisoner.

He was roaming the fields of Northumberland

but I have ridden out and captured him.

-And you have brought him in!

-No, Richard!

-Then let us take vengeance for our father he murdered!

-You will not!

He is an anointed king.

And how should we be any better if we match him in his butchery?

He is a traitor and an enemy to my rule.

But God has brought him to us to show that my reign is just and true.

We shall keep cousin Henry in the Tower apartments

and show him a mercy that he denied our father.

Go in God, cousin.

I'm once again indebted to you, Warwick.

I serve you, Edward, as ever.

-Might I have a word with Your Grace?

-Of course.

God bless him, poor Henry...

Warwick is up to something, Mother.

Can we ever trust him?

Girls, I have something to tell you.

-You must keep it a secret for now. Do you promise?

-Yes, Lady Mother.

Your father is asking King Edward for the royal dukes,

his brothers, to be given in marriage to the two of you.

-You will marry George.

-And I shall have Richard!

See how Anne is blushing!

You cannot think to like him?

He's got such funny eyes and he's so serious.

-Stop it, Issy!

-She, of course, will try to stop it.

But the King will not refuse your father,

not if he asks him to his face.

Not now, after bringing Henry in.

And the two of you will be royal duchesses.

You will outrank the King's own mother.

I am to marry Richard.

Your Grace.

However could they bring poor King Henry in like that?

-You must not call him "King", my love.

-He is the king in the eyes of God.

They have sinned to take his throne away from him!

-Complaining, Margaret?

-Good evening to you, Lady Beauchamp.

-Lady Mother.

-You know my son, don't you?

Richard Welles is Margaret's half-brother.

He's my pride and joy.

As my son would be if you'd let me keep him with me.

Ever the drama, Margaret. ..I see she has not changed at all.

Ladies.

Henry is my son! He is mine!

-And you have remarried.

-A man I did not want to.

A man you forced upon me. A man I did not choose.

Oh, Margaret. This again.

You are a girl, you do not choose.

You live the life your mother chooses for you,

or your husband does.

Then why could you not have chosen Jasper Tudor?

Oh, I've seen your puppy eyes for him

since long before his brother withered of the plague.

-Then why choose Stafford?

-I thought he was a better match.

And I do not care if you are happy.

Hello.

There were too many commoners in there.

And all of them want marriages.

Isn't that what you want, Isabel?

-George.

-Brother.

Edward, there you are!

So what did Lord Warwick want?

-My brothers for his girls.

-For Isabel and Anne?

I said I would think about it.

Edward?

If Warwick's daughters are married to your brothers,

they will share the biggest fortune in the kingdom

and have royal blood upon both sides.

Do you imagine they will not come against you if you grant it?

Damn it, Elizabeth! Warwick is not the enemy.

He is a friend and I have disregarded him.

And I am resolved to sign the treaty with Burgundy against France...

-Shh.

-No! And it will be two years of his life that have been wasted.

I must give him something.

Then give him something.

But not this.

You must show him you are your own man, and king now.

He may not grow too powerful and come against you.

You're right.

Of course you are.

Perhaps he won't mind so much.

He's usually happy with more land.

I could offer him more of Wales, take it away from Jasper Tudor.

Am I so bad not even you may love me?

Tell me of your plan for me?

Tell me there is a purpose?

Give me a sign, Lord.

Tell me at least that my son may have a destiny!

SHE SOBS

Margaret? I've been looking for you all night.

What have you been do...

Come on.

We are leaving.

SHE GASPS

-Where's the Countess?

-Your Grace.

-Bring her in here!

-DOOR SLAMS

But how?

How could he refuse you?

He promised they would be married.

The King has lost his mind, he's thinking with his breeches

and all for some little country whore!

Do you think it may be witchcraft? It could be for no other reason!

This is what you get when you put the Devil on the throne of England.

And now he is to sign this deal with Burgundy

which will make me look a fool to France

which is precisely what she wanted!

Well, she will not win this! We will bide our time.

She has no son yet.

She will NOT win!

What will happen to us, Issy?

Well, Father will find us someone else, I suppose.

Couldn't you marry the Prince of France?

He's not yet married.

What use is a Prince of France?

We must get ourselves in the line of succession here.

Everything that has happened, Annie, is her fault.

She has ruined our matches and...

..we are insulted.

She is another bad queen, just like the last one.

Tell me about the old bad queen, Issy?

What was she like again?

The bad queen called herself Margaret of Anjou...

..but really she was a she-wolf and she rode at the head of an army

of naked, wild men and everything in their path turned to ice!

They carried the sleeping king forward in a big glass coffin,

and while he slept the she-wolf tore apart England

with her terrible ambition!

She murdered our grandfather...

SHE MOANS

..and she tried to spear Father with a roasting spit!

But one day, Father and King Edward

fought a battle against her, uphill, in the snow.

It was the bloodiest battle ever...

SHE HISSES

..and she lost so she blew away like a blizzard

into the cold, cold north.

And Edward became the king.

"Hurrah! Hurrah!"

And her son? The Prince of Ice?

Ah, yes.

Prince Edward is an ice boy.

He cut off two men's heads when he was only seven years old!

But he isn't really Henry's boy,

because the king was always sleeping.

So they say that his father...

..is the Devil!

SHE GASPS

Thank you, Issy.

Don't worry, Annie. Father will think of something.

Father always has a plan.

The King has chosen Burgundy

and Warwick's secret deal with France is over.

The King's sister, Margaret, will marry our very own cousin, Charles of Burgundy.

So Warwick is escorting Margaret to her wedding in Burgundy?

Ah, he's a nursemaid!

THEY LAUGH

So now he won't get his land in France.

And you, Elizabeth, must have sons.

SHE HUMS A TUNE

Look at your hair.

-Mary?

-Mother!

Lizzie? Could you hold Mary?

THEY LAUGH

Your Grace!

We shall never get there if we must stop every three minutes, girls!

Where's Father?

I told you, he's travelling his kingdom. We're riding to join him.

-Elizabeth.

-Father! What are you doing here?

We are to ride with you.

There is a rebellion, a Robin of Redesdale.

That's a fanciful name for some petty rebel, Father.

Ed will stamp it all out in a heartbeat.

Someone is paying the men, Elizabeth.

They have strong, new boots and this is Warwick's country.

-Warwick? What threat is Warwick to us now?

-This is no joke, Elizabeth.

It is certain.

There are thousands of men-in-arms under Warwick's orders.

He is king-making again.

Oh, Issy. You look beautiful.

Do you think George will adore me, Annie?

The way that the King does her?

I am sorry that Father could not get Richard for you.

It is not him I was concerned with.

Just, I did rather want to be a duchess.

DOOR OPENS

Come. Let's get this done.

Annie.

Annie, please don't leave me.

-Mother! Mother!

-My boys!

I knew that Warwick was angry

but never did I imagine he would raise his own army against me!

He has betrayed me!

And so has George, for now I hear he has married Isabel

against my clear command!

Warwick's plan must be to put George upon the throne instead of me.

-God damn them both!

-But are you sure that is what they are doing?

I am sure of nothing!

We have always stood shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield.

At the battle of Mortimer's Cross there were three suns in the sky.

Three suns!

Everybody said it was a sign from God for me,

Richard and George, the three Sons of York.

So how can one brother betray the others?

With Warwick, the man you thought of as your greatest friend.

And who else betrays us with them, huh?

Our mother is not here, she's surely gone to attend their wedding.

George is her darling, after all.

Why would she back George instead of you?

The old story. Whether I am my father's son.

Whether I am legitimate! George is saying that I am a bastard

and that would make him the true York heir.

-Damn him!

-We will go and scotch this snakes' nest before it comes out of the ground.

Annie! Annie!

What is it?

Was George bad to you?

Has he hurt you?

Yes, but no more than Mother said I should expect.

That's not it.

It's very much worse, Annie.

My wedding was never for me at all.

It was a sign from Father that men should rise against the King.

-DISTANT SHOUTING

-George.

Go to the city of Norwich. Be a queen. Look unconcerned.

I just cannot bear that this is happening. You must take care.

Please, all of you.

Father, stay safe.

Elizabeth, trust no-one.

Show them you are queen. We will be back soon.

Your Grace.

Still no word?

Warwick's got past our look-out.

His army's coming to besiege us.

Ride to the protection of London.

Go, Edward! We'll stay and hold him off!

TO ARMS!

Quickly! Quickly, men!

< Lord Warwick's back!

APPROACHING HOOFBEATS

He's done it. Father has the King!

"Dearest wife, prepare yourself for bad news.

"I am prisoner, held by Warwick.

"I am unhurt but you are in very grave danger

"as Warwick will come after you if he can.

"Your father and brothers have escaped

"and will be on their way to you.

"You must hasten to London.

"You must raise the city and arm the Tower for a siege.

"For if George has a son, we are lost.

"I love you with all of my heart.

"The one and only, King of England.

"Edward."

-Anthony! Thank God! We must go to London!

-Sister.

-Warwick has captured Edward and he's coming after me.

-Elizabeth.

-Are Father and John with you? Edward said we must go to London.

-Sister!

Our father...and John...

..they're dead.

-No.

-They were beheaded.

There was no charge, no trial, only the word of Warwick.

No! Edward said... You, you all escaped!

There was an ambush. They were waiting on the road ahead.

No, Anthony! No, God! No! Say it's not true, Anthony!

NO! SHE SOBS

-Jasper!

-Morning, Margaret.

You have heard? They've snatched him!

Like the crown from the top of the maypole.

I do not know what they intend, but I shall write to George

and tell him he can name his price if it will return my son his title.

My husband must not know.

-My Lord.

-Stafford.

Take me to Henry, Jasper. I have something marvellous to tell him.

Come.

-My Lord.

-Henry.

Yes.

Today is a special day

because I have something important to tell you.

I have known this for a long time

but I have waited until I was sure to tell you both.

-You will be king.

-Have you lost your senses, Margaret?

God has told me in a vision, Henry.

He said that you are His Chosen One.

And you will be King Henry Tudor of England.

Ignore what your mother just said, Henry,

for it is treason and she would surely lose her head for it.

-You had a vision?

-And I have prayed upon it.

But now, the old York poison splits their House in two

I know God has spoken to me truly.

I will not hear this!

Elizabeth makes only little witches for the burning

and perhaps the other Yorks will be as cursed.

And when they are, we will be waiting with my boy

for his chance upon the throne.

God has said you will be king

and you must hold that in your heart.

And when you are crowned king,

my mother will kneel to me

and she will call me "Margaret Regina".

ALL WEEP

What kind of a monster is he?

No charge, no trial, no chance for a defence?

-It was an execution.

-And I shall have his head for it!

Warwick cannot go unpunished!

-I cannot bear it, Mother.

-Your father knew the risks.

God knows, it wasn't his first battle.

He sent me this before they killed him.

He tells me to be happy,

sends you his love.

John is such a loss to me.

He had his whole life ahead of him.

When you raise a boy and he becomes a man,

you start to believe that he is safe

and that you are safe from heartbreak.

I should have known.

I have the Sight, I should have seen it.

Edward's mother will know this pain.

She will know the loss of her son George. I swear it.

-You have lost a son and so shall she!

-What should that achieve?

It will not bring them back. And there will be war again.

They still have Edward!

I must avenge my father and my brother or God knows I shall go mad!

I've tried to do it differently.

I tried to do what Edward asked and make them all my friends.

But now I want them dead.

Tear off a corner.

Write their names on it in blood.

Heat the charm, keep it in the darkness.

Do it by the riverside on the waning moon.

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. I curse you.

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, I curse you too.

By my will, you both shall die.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd