‘The White Princess’ Finale: Old Curses Die Hard

Courtesy of STARZ

This is it: the finale of ‘The White Princess’. Lizzie is tasked with the impossible, choosing between her brother and her husband. Who finally wins the power battle that’s dominated their lives?

It’s such a shame that The White Princess was only eight episodes, because the finale only leaves viewers with more questions than answers. The eighth episode, which aired on June 4, opens with a distraught Lizzie (Jodie Comer) confessing the unimaginable to Henry (Jacob Collins Levy): it was her who set the fire, not Prince Richard! Henry comes to realize that Lizzie truly believes the “pretender” is her sibling, and now he must decide — will he really execute his wife’s little brother? It’s not like it hasn’t happened before, to be honest. That’s the second big reveal of the episode: Henry knows that the Lady Mother (Michelle Fairley) killed the two York brothers in the tower all those years ago. Looks like she didn’t have to murder Jasper in cold blood after all!

Jasper was right, though; knowing what his mother did devastates Henry. You see, Elizabeth Woodville (Essie Davis) set a curse on the person who killed her sons, that they should suffer as she did — and their sons die. Guess who has like, two sons — and a daughter? Henry believes that his mother has destroyed his family, and won’t let her manipulate him anymore. Just short of murdering her (that seems to be a theme in this episode), Henry chokes his mother, drags her out into the hallway, and tells everyone watching that they need to keep her away from him — and stop listening to anything she says. It’s about time!

He’s reliant on Lizzie, though, and she’s not much better. Henry and Lizzie love one another more than anything — even the crown. Lizzie convinces him that to escape the curse, they must execute another low-level blonde criminal and make everyone believe he’s Richard. It works on everyone except the Duchess of Burgundy. Maggie (Rebecca Benson), ho is still playing double agent between the Yorks and Tudors, passes on a note to the Spanish ambassador, telling him he’s been deceived.

There’s no marriage between little Prince Arthur and Princess Catherine of Spain unless the York boys are dead. And Lizzie does that. While Henry has been locked in his room for days, wrought with grief and guilt over the throne he didn’t earn, Lizzie takes care of business. After years of hating Lady Margaret, Lizzie has become her, echoed in a speech that she gives Maggie after she’s thrown in the tower for her espionage. That tower is now empty. They forced poor, sweet Teddy, who’s gone mad after his years in isolation, to sign (or rather, scribble) his name on a document declaring he committed treason. He’s executed promptly.

Richard is given a royal execution after comforting Teddy through his death. He berates Lizzie for doing this, and she sobs. As the executioner brings down his sword onto Richard’s neck, he bellows, “England, take my blood!” All seems right for Lizzie and her family, but there’s that curse. Did Lizzie bring it upon them herself by killing her brother and cousin?

HollywoodLifers, were you satisfied with the ending to The White Princess? Let us know!