Following on from Philippa Gregory’s interpretation of the end of the English Wars of the Roses in “The White Queen” (2013), Michelle Fairley delivers strongly as Lady Margaret Beaufort, the begrudging conduit between the old and the new whilst the erstwhile Queen Elizabeth (Essie Davis) struggles to adapt to her new circumstances. What might save her from total humiliation is a political compromise that will see the two houses of Tudor and York unite. Her daughter “Elizabeth” (Jodie Comer), daughter of Edward IV, is to marry the young Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy). Now he isn’t remotely interested in this political match, but it’s impressed upon her by her mother and by the ever-present Duchess Cecily (Caroline Goodall) that she has to play the game, and so she sets out to make herself invaluable to the King and to rid him of his mother’s malevolent influence towards her. Just because the wars have technically finished doesn’t mean that the machinations have and with the King having to constantly fight to hold onto his crown, a love story reminiscent of that of her parents immerses Elizabeth and Henry; one that sees them fight the Burgundians (Joanne Whalley) as well as an whole host of opportunistic domestic enemies. This drama also brings more prominence to the role of the church in matters of state and Kenneth Cranham reminded me a little of Basil Dignam as he unscrupulously donned his bishop’s mitre. Of course it also incorporates much of the speculative scandal around the princes in the tower and the mystery of the would-be usurpers Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck (Patrick Gibson) as the king determines to provide a safe realm for his son Arthur to inherit. Though there is still plenty of scheming and politicking going on here, the characters don’t lend themselves quite so effectively to this over-padded dramatisation, and I found it spun-out a little frugally at times. Comer dominates with ample help from Goodall and Rebecca Benson’s Margaret Plantagenet, but Collins-Levy doesn’t really impress as an actor or a king. This is an high quality and good looking production, it’s just not got quite the spice or venom I’d hoped for.
