Tonight on Starz their popular drama The White Princess returns with an all-new Sunday, May 7, 2017 episode and we have your The White Princess recap below. On tonight’s The White Princess Season 1 Episode 4 recap called “The Pretender,” as per the Starz synopsis, “The York princesses are married off to strengthen the Tudor cause; King Henry finds himself back on the battlefield to protect his reign; and Lizzie learns that threats they face may be closer to home.”
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The White Princess begins tonight with Duchess Margaret of Burgundy (Joanne Whalley) lying in bed refusing to eat or drink anything, still grieving the loss of Mary (Emmanuelle Bouaziz). She climbs out of bed and is greeted by Mary’s children and Duchess Cecily (Caroline Goodall); she decides Elizabeth will have her war.
Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy) wakes up with his wife, Elizabeth (Jodie Comer) and just as they are about to make love, his mother, Margaret Beaufort (Michelle Fairley) bursts in their room saying his uncle has returned from Burgundy and he must hurry. Elizabeth is annoyed there is only a door between their room and his mother’s.
Henry asks Jasper Tudor (Vincent Regan) what went wrong and when Elizabeth enters the room she learns Margaret’s step-daughter Mary died while they were there. Lord Strange (Nicholas Audsley) says it was Mary’s own fault because she loves to compete but it was also Jasper’s fault because he was too wrapped up in the Duchess.
Everyone learns that Margaret Beaufort is planning unions for all the York girls to marry Tudors to strengthen their families if there is a war. Jasper chases after Margaret who is upset that he would get so close to a York girl.
Maggie (Rebecca Benson) meets Elizabeth outside and asks if this could not be a good thing for her brother, Teddy (Albert de Jongh) if their Aunt Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy turns against the Tudors. Elizabeth says its not a good thing because a threat against the Tudors means her sisters must also be married off and turn to Tudors, including Maggie. Elizabeth promises to do her best and stand against Henry’s mother in the matches for her sisters and cousin.
Margaret and Cecily meet with Francis Lovell (Anthony Flanagan) who presents them with several English boys, Duchess Cecily points to the one who looks the most like Teddy but Margaret says no one knows what Teddy really looks like and no one will question if he is by her side.
Margaret writes to her sister-in-law, Dowager Queen Elizabeth (Essie Davis) apologizing for not writing sooner. She sends her paper and ink and tells her to write to Ireland.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” and her sister, Cecily (Suki Waterhouse) join her mother-in-law in deciding who will marry who. Margaret says she has decided who Maggie will marry and Lizzie says she is Queen and also wants Margaret to move out. Margaret pushes forth with her decisions and Lizzie decides to play her game, she sets a marriage match for Jasper Tudor to marry her mother’s sister.
Lizzie demands Henry remove his mother from the Queen’s rooms but he informs her that her Teddy has escaped from the tower. They rush to the tower were Maggie is comforting Teddy. Henry tells Lizzie that it is Burgundy causing an uprising and will build an army. Lizzie suggests letting Teddy attend Cecily’s wedding, showing the world that Teddy is with them and couldn’t possibly be in Burgundy helping the war. She tells Henry he is better than being terrified of a small child and wants him to prove it to the world.
They prepare for Cecily’s wedding and Maggie tells Teddy he must silently follow Cecily down the aisle. Henry’s mother thinks this is madness and enough. She meets with Bishop Morton (Kenneth Cranham) who confirms he has someone in the crowd and Teddy will quickly be thrown back in the tower.
As the wedding procession happens, a woman shouts at Teddy who responds, quickly the guards are ordered to take Teddy away but people protest saying Teddy of York is the true King; Cecily is furious that this is suppose to be her wedding day.
Henry paces angrily that one word from Teddy and people are against him; he blames Lizzie who says all she wanted was for him to be outside the tower. Margaret comes in saying the blame is on her mother suggesting she instructed the woman to cause the uprising. Margaret wants Henry to cut off the head and the snake will die; Lizzie pleads with him that she is her mother, but he doesn’t listen to her.
As the celebration in underway, Cecily glares at Maggie who begs Lizzie to talk to Henry. Lizzie apologizes and tells her to listen to her marriage plans and be patient. Maggie asks who he is and Lizzie says he is a soldier she hasn’t met and he lives in Wales admitting that Henry’s mother made the choice.
Jasper joins Margaret in the crowd and informs her that Henry has set for him to wed Lizzie’s aunt, before they can talk any further, Margaret’s husband demands for her to dance with him. Lizzie stands at Henry’s side while her ladies drink more and more wine. After they pass out on her floor, Lizzie sneaks out of the castle.
Francis Lovell informs Duchess of Burgundy the Flemish troops are paid for and in place, she asks about the Irish and if Elizabeth’s letter did its work; he says it did. She stops the jousting and chastises the boy for not remember he is now Teddy. Lovell reminds Duchess Cecily the boy will be useless unless he can lead an army while Duchess of Burgundy teaches him to never show fear and wants to see what he can do with his sword.
Elizabeth is in the middle of writing a letter when Lizzie comes to see her and her siblings at the Abbey. Lizzie kneels down to see her little sisters while her mother wonders how she managed to see her. Her mother tells her she hasn’t had any contact outside of the Abbey but Lizzie begs for information so she can prove to Henry that he doesn’t have to do anything to her.
Henry is waiting for her at the river side and is furious with her, saying she is a treacherous as her own mother. She admits she went to see her to help him but her mother didn’t tell her anything because her mother doesn’t trust her and views her as a Tudor. She says Henry is all she has now and her son ties her to him forever. She is upset that he doesn’t trust her.
Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy and Duchess Cecily are traveling by boat, while the boy who is supposed to be Teddy vomits from sea sickness, begging to go back to his father. Cecily says she will not be witness to the boy’s despair and will be returning to Burgundy. Henry learns about the fleet and army preparing to invade, he tells Lizzie he is riding out at dawn.
Jasper stops Lady Margaret, Henry’s mother asking if she will walk with him. He tells her his life has been a full one but it has been lonely. He only wants to marry if circumstances will have it. He implies she can have her marriage annulled because they share Henry. He says they have lived their whole life for Henry and now its time for them to cherish something for themselves; he asks her to think about it while he is gone. She returns to the board where they were deciding who would marry who and she takes his figurine and removes his name. She holds it fondly in her hands.
Lizzie brings Arthur to Henry so he could say goodbye but she asks him not to fight. She asks him to send him men to fight but for him not to fight personally. She asks how she can prove to him that she is with him except by asking him not to die. She cuts a piece of Arthur’s hair and tells him to take it with him, not fight and come home so they can start their lives together; she kisses his hand.
Lizzie and Margaret arrive at church while Henry prays as they prepare for battle. Maggie wonders the castle halls silently and sad, while Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy walks the field, leading her King Teddy to war; the young boy flanked by his army wait for the English to come over the hill but they are attacked by a sea of arrows.
Maggie, beautifully dressed arrives at the altar to marry her soldier. Lizzie comforts her crying son while the battle is on. Margaret recites the rosary as Jasper is nearly killed. The young boy who is pretending to be Teddy holds his father as he dies. King Henry holds his son’s hair in his hand as he watches the battle.
Lizzie receives a letter from her mother, Cecily says Lady Margaret said their mother is the one who founded the York Army and walks away for Lizzie to read it. She tells Lizzie that she knows Arthur will never be King and says she needs to change allegiance to the York side.
Cecily tells her not to listen to their mother, who wishes for Arthur to die and suggests they help Maggie prepare for her marriage bed as she doesn’t have a mother either. Maggie looks terrified and asks Lizzie if it will hurt and Cecily says it will hurt a little bit and then it will feel quite nice.
Sir Richard arrives and he promises to try to be a husband worthy of her name. She says she doesn’t want her name as it only means a broken heart. He comforts her about her brother and she asks him to call her Maggie.
Lizzie runs into Margaret in the hallway, saying she confuses her. She knows she loves Henry and court yet she is filled with hatred. She says its a shame she didn’t marry Jasper and that is her tragedy. Lizzie tells her to deny it and Margaret says Lizzie paints her with her own sinful desires and flees to her room in despair. She places Jasper’s figurine back on the board beside Lizzie’s aunt’s name.
Cecily rushes to Lizzie with word from her husband. He tells her they won the battle and the King has granted them permission to leave court and live in her husband’s castle. She is happy and requests Lizzie come visit them. She kisses Lizzie goodbye.
King Henry and his men return with the young traitor. Margaret shouts out that the other traitor is in the Abbey and also needs to be dealt with. Jasper greets her but she walks sadly away.
Lizzie sits on her throne and Henry sits beside her, the young boy is brought before him. Everyone cheers as he is grateful for his army who returned him to his throne. He announces they have to deal with the boy and the York woman who plotted against him and his crown. The penalty for treason is death and most of the people feel he should kill them; when he asks who would not want him to kill them and Sir Richard says he would not as the boy is just a boy, pulled into an adult game he doesn’t understand and he shouldn’t kill the Queen’s mother. Margaret protests but Henry disagrees with her. Henry says the boy will work in the kitchen and be grateful he doesn’t go back to a father who would trade him for a barrel of ale.
He turns to Lizzie and tells her the next time she visits her mother she is to tell her Henry is in good health and sends his regards; everyone laughs but she touches his hand and thanks him. Margaret is not pleased.
Jasper stands in the hall and Margaret approaches him. He feels she is avoiding him but she informs him she has found a wife for him, Kate, the Dowager Queen’s sister. He is shocked but learns the King has given his blessing. He nods. She says she will see him at privy counsel and work for Henry like they have always done.
Margaret carries her rosary and prays while Henry tells Lizzie he has something for her. He brings her into the Queen’s rooms telling her he made his mother leave and she is Queen and these are her rooms. He tells her his mother has done her worst and she is still there. She touches his face and kisses him sweetly as she holds their baby boy.
Duchess of Burgundy returns home from battle, Duchess Cecily announces they have a guest. She jumps up when she realizes its Prince Richard, the lost York heir.
THE END
