The White Queen

Watched the second episode last night. Have decided to treat it as complete pretend - like Robin Hood.

I'm half way through The Lady of the Rivers but why was it not the first book in the cousins' war trilogy?

I have just started reading the "factual" book too Deedaa after The Lady of the Rivers (Jacquetta of Luxembourg mother of Elizabeth Woodville) )as I was curious to know more about Jacquetta in particular. I keep googling Henry VI (health) to see what was actually wrong with him and trying to work out who is who!!

After watching The Tudors I find I can now let these series wash over me without worrying too much about the historical detail . I'll have catch up with last weeks episode now that I know there are hawks in it. I think they'd've had to go to South America to get Harris Hawks. Who was flying the bird? If it was the King it should have been an eagle [I think].

Heavens. How many books has she written on the cousins' war?

I will put in a quick word for Phillipa Gregory's book The Women of the Cousins' War. It is much more factual and has a lot of interesting stuff in it.

Mumsnet have ripped the series to shreds!

The books gives better clarity to the main players and the various relationships, my husband is reading my White Queen at the moment he was mixing up "the Margarets" Anjou and Beaufort, who later became Stanley. It's typical of most dramas, the books are always better.

I believe Harris hawks weren't flown in England until the 1960s. I haven't watched this weeks episode yet - should I bother?!

DH picked up on that as well, Deeda but we think they used Harris Hawks because they're easier to train for filming and are bigger so look more impressive on screen.

I like Phillippa Gregory's books but after I have waded through them I have no desire to see them on TV. Its not the aristocracy that look false its the poor. Like in films about the 30s. Actually there is enough old clothing being collected. They should take some of that and wash it and remake it into ragged dresses and capes.
The clothes they wore were stiff with dirt and sweat and hair must have been in dreadlocks it was so seldom washed. Doesn't sound like BBC theatre though.

I was a bit dubious about them flying a Harris Hawk. I know there was a strict hierarchy controlling what birds you were allowed to keep. The lowest was the kestrel, as in A Kestrel for a Knave, and it went up through sparrow hawks, goshawks and peregrines. I've not seen Harris Hawks mentioned.

I saw the zip. Put me off. Shan't watch anymore.

And it looked like her mother was wearing her very own mosquito net.

I wondered if Laurence Llewelyn Bowen was going to leap out from behind a curtain and do a make-over on the Royal bedroom.

Nail polish?!!!! I know she was a queen but I don't think so!

I can't get past the floaty, snowy white gowns either.

Thought last nights was slow and boring.

Oh dear, I really quite enjoyed the first episode, despite ultra clean people and that zip - which I really hoped wasn't because I thought the Beeb were better than that. Now I shall be looking out for mistakes rather than enjoying the drama. And to film it in Belgium..... I did enjoy the book so much too. Ho hum.

It has come in for a bit of stick for the white teeth,zips, 6-pack and waxed chest, hasn't it? I liked the observation that Elizabeth was said to be the greatest beauty of her day, but in those days you counted as a beauty if you had more teeth than boils!

We'll be looking for some more howlers tonight, Deedaa. Does anyone know where it's being filmed? I loved the setting for Grafton Manor.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2346670/This-White-Queen-travesty-Your-Majesty-Why-howlers-like-concrete-steps-metal-railings-rubber-boots-turning-TVs-new-period-drama-laughing-

This sums up everything I thought about the White Queen - looks like I was right about the zips

The S.O. has read that they've got to tone it down for the American market; I thought that's why they'd spiced it up so I reckon they've miscalculated a bit there.

The White Princess has just come out. Gregory's latest. About Elizabeth's daughter (another Elizabeth - older sister to the Princes in the Tower) who was married off to Henry Tudor after he won at Bosworth. Hence carrying on the York genes and Woodville genes into the tudor dynasty.
Someone recently referred to Bosworth as "the time the Welsh successfully invaded England".

I must say some of the sex was quite a revelation to a sheltered fourteen year old

I loved Katherine. Forever Amber appealed to teenagers as well.....I wonder why? [blush}

Me too, Deedaa. It is one of my all time favourites and I must read it again this summer. Why was it so appealing to teenagers?