We are halfway through The White Queen (2013)! This episode is set in 1470 to 1471-ish, centering on the brief reinstatement of Henry VI to the throne while Edward IV is in exile and trying to plot his return. There’s a lot of re-wearing of costumes on the main characters, so unless something new pops up, I’m not going to spend time rehashing my thoughts on the stuff I’ve covered in Episode 1, 2, or 3.
First thing’s first, we get a better view of Anne’s gown that had me confused last episode. I think I would have less of a problem with it if it were a coat or jacket-style of overgown, but that V shaped thing is definitely a stomacher applied over the front of the gown.
Side view where you can see that the stomacher is over the front of the gown, with the point dipping below the waistline. It’s just weird, man.
Isabel has the same dress as last time, with all the same faults. Give the poor girl a better dress, please!
Marge gets a new dress, this time in a deep purple which is no doubt trying to underscore her royal ambitions for her son. I like the color, but I hate the way all of her gowns are cut.
We are introduced to Margaret of Anjou, the deposed queen of England, who is plotting her return to England once her husband has been restored to power. First item on the agenda is to marry her son, Edward, Prince of Wales, off to Anne Neville.
I have so many problems with this whole outfit, from her wig (dear gods, it’s bad) to the sheer polyester partlet that looks more Tudor than Wars of the Roses, and whatever Italian ren silhouette the designer really likes putting on the actresses in this show … But it’s mostly that wig. Just, why?
Oh hey, Jacquetta is in something other than all black for a change!
Elizabeth is back in one of her previous gowns, and she’s pregnant too. Mazel Tov!
For some reason, this show really likes putting the background actors into better gowns than the main cast. Duchess Cecily’s ladies in waiting are all more or less on point for the 1470s.
But when it comes to anyone with a speaking part, no matter how minor, they’re off by a whole freaking century. This dress is really nice … For 1560.
The duchess sends one of her ladies to France to send a message to her son, the Duke of Clarence, that he will be forgiven by his brother Edward IV if he returns to England. Her dress is really not that great … I swear I had that fabric on a couch in 1995.
Elizabeth has a costume change, finally! And it’s terrible! She’s heavily pregnant now, and while it doesn’t come across too badly in this photo, in the show it’s just plain and ill-fitting. Come on! Do better by my Liz!
Cutting back to Margaret of Anjou, she’s wearing a red satin surcoat. Which also doesn’t look all that bad in this photo, but in the show, it’s just weirdly fitted and not at all historically accurate for the 1470s.
The first thing my eyes went to was this weird flare about a quarter of the way down the back. Normally you’d flare from the waist or mid-back. Putting it that low just looks so odd.
Anne gets a yellow wedding dress with yet another weird bulky stomacher and an overall silhouette that is more 1520s Italy than 1470s England.
Margaret of Anjou has arrived in the bedroom to oversee the wedding night in a creepy fashion, wearing this fairly appropriate gown for the era (if not the occasion).
The episode ends with Henry VI restored to the throne, and wearing this actually quite nice houppelande.
One last thing I realized while watching this episode is that almost all the men wear the exact same pants. And now that I’ve noticed it, I can’t unsee it!
Have you been keeping up with the Yorks and Lancasters? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I’m surprised you could see so many of the outfits, considering how dim that lighting is.
Having watched the series a few times now, I’m convinced the picture brightness got turned progressively lower for each successive episode.
Someone realised how bad the costumes were and turned down the lights?
Lighting knock it off!
I always felt that this series did Marguerite d’Anjou dirty. She was one of the few queens to actually lead troops in battle in the name of her son’s birthright. Plus she’s French, and surely must have been more fabulous than this.
I’m thinking PFG definitely did Margaret of Anjou dirty!
Totally, they way underserved her in this show. She was a total badass.