The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York

In England in the late 1400s, King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth have eight children. The ruling couple’s claim to the throne is stronger than that of any other contender, and their continued rule seems secure. Their daughter Elizabeth and her sisters expect to make brilliant marriages with other European royal houses to create alliances and end a long series of wars. Edward becomes ill and unexpectedly dies. In his will, he appoints his brother, Richard III, to make sure Prince Edward is safely crowned. Richard usurps the throne, putting both Edward and his brother in the Tower of London, where they vanish. This makes Elizabeth the next in the line of succession, although she cannot rule outright because she is a woman. Overcoming intrigue, political shifts, changing alliances, and dirty dealing finally brings Elizabeth, the last White Rose of the House of York, to the throne. Historian Weir draws on the extensive research she conducted for her 1998 biography The Life of Elizabeth I to create a fictionalized account of the queen’s life. Narrator Rosalyn Landor’s nuance and inflection make Elizabeth’s story come to life.