The White Queen is a historical novel by Philippa Gregory, first published in 2009. It tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of King Edward IV of England, and is the first in a series set in the War of the Roses and entitled "The Cousins' War".[1]
The story follows Elizabeth's life from her first meeting with Edward, through to his death and its aftermath.[2] The mystery of the Princes in the Tower forms part of the action, with the novel questioning whether King Richard III had reason to have the boys killed. In the novel, young Prince Richard is not sent to the tower; Queen Elizabeth instead substitutes a page boy for the prince, who escapes and lives under an assumed name. The novel ends in 1485, just prior to the Battle of Bosworth.