Books I read in Lockdown: The White Princess (Warning ~ spoilers and sexual language)

**"Sometimes we win; sometimes we lose. The main thing is that we always, we always go on." (page 79)

If you have read my previous reviews, you will notice a small change to the layout and structure, but I am hoping this will work better :)

If you have read my last post or follow me on Instagram  then you will know that I am a MASSIVE fan of Philippa Gregory's books. I have been reading the Tudor and Plantagenet series in order since just before Christmas;  'The White Princess' is no. 5 and things are starting to get exciting!

Very briefly - this book is about Elizabeth of York and her marriage to Henry VII (the marriage that joined the houses of York and Lancaster/Tudor) and the repeated threats to Henry's throne from surviving York claimants. This book features the rumours around the 'Princes in the Tower', Edward and Richard, who are Elizabeth's younger brothers, as well as the births of the Princes Arthur and Henry, who goes onto to become King Henry VIII. 

Praises

I am filled with almost nothing but praise for this book and it is definitely my favourite of the series so far. 

Firstly, humour. Some of the characters, whether it be factual or the way Gregory has interpreted them, are quirky and have a unique humour about them. Specifically Elizabeth of York's young cousin Edward/Teddy has such an amusing innocence about him - Edward was once the York heir and is now battling to come to terms with the fact he will no longer be king. Sometimes he appears to understand, at other times he is strutting about professing his power and influence as a future monarch; the crux of this comes during a time of conspiracy and rebellion in which York supporters are cheering for Edward and he is revelling in it before stating calmly "I know he's King. I don't forget things. But you better tell the boys in the streets." (page 112) 

The stunning descriptions of spring time at the Tower of London made for one of my favourite chapters of the book and really made me grateful the weather that we've been having lately too with "the city that is buzzing like a beehive waking into spring" (page 160) . I also enjoyed the description of the city of Norwich - it's my city and if you haven't ever visited then allow me to recommend it; make sure to visit the Castle, the Cathedral and the amazing museums, as well as the charming streets and alleyways. I was reminded of my visits to the castle with Gregory's description of the great banquet on page 193. There is also reference to "the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, a full days ride" (page 194) which is another place I would highly recommend a visit to, a really beautiful place which  is approximately 45 minutes from Norwich. 

There are some other really beautiful scenes in this novel that really added to the pace of the book. Elizabeth's first birth scene showcases a really strong bond between her and her mother and is enchanting; not at all traumatic or as dangerous as you might expect a description of a Tudor birth to be. It is serene and her labour is described as imagining "you are floating down a river of sweet water, and you will feel no pain" (page 134). There is also a very powerful love making scene between Elizabeth and Henry that makes them realise they love each other and that there is passion in their relationship. For the first time in their marriage Elizabeth stops resisting Henry and allows him to feel her "melt beneath him and hold him and cry out in pleasure" (page 300) and their marriage is somewhat happier after this first display of real passion, instead of just their obligation to produce children. 

Criticism 

I have only one small criticism of this book and it is simply the extent to which a few scenes become repetitive. All Gregory's books in this series span quite a large timescale in each book, e.g. The White Princess starts in 1485 and comes to an end in 1499. Therefore, many events, such as the Christmas festivities occur several times throughout the book. That alone is fine, the issue arises when each chapter detailing Christmas in the castles are too similar and the same traditions such as the placing of the Yule log onto the fire are described again every Christmas. It just gives the feeling that perhaps Gregory did not research into any other Christmas traditions among the Tudor monarchy and the long passages of description become a little wearisome. 

Slight criticism aside however, this is an amazing book and even though I feel like I have been handing out a lot of high ratings to all the books I review, I sincerely do believe this is is worthy of its stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ + 1/2

** all quotes and page numbers mentioned in this post are in reference to Philippa Gregory, 'The White Princess' (Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, London, 2013) ISBN 978-0-85720-753-1

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