How The White Princess Changed a Would-Be Rape Scene Into a Moment of Female Power

When we came to tackle the scene, I told the director, “If he rapes her, I don’t understand how a woman can come back from that.” People have to be able to forgive Henry and be open to listening to his side of the story and the reasons why he is what he is. To play, it was a very harrowing scene. Even though she takes control, to think about being in that situation…you know, she puts a face on when she’s doing that and then you see her sadness. Up until that point, she shows him nothing. It’s a strong scene.

And then, later in the episode, she realizes she’s pregnant. At first, she orders some mandrake as an attempt at an abortion or miscarriage. Can you talk about that?

Comer: Lizzie at the start of the series has such defiance, and this marriage is not something she wants to do. She thinks, “Well, if I’m going to do it then I’m going to do it the hard way.” She tries to go against people as much as she possibly can. [But after a] conversation with her mother, it’s a huge change for her. It makes her think about her pregnancy in a whole different light. With this child, she can ask for a lot more. She can use this to her advantage. In the last scene [of the first episode], she says, “I’ll have a wedding because I’m not going to be embarrassed in front of England.” That’s her again taking control. I think she gets that influence from her mother. Her mother’s the one who plants that seed. And then when she has the baby she’s just so in love with him, it’s a complete change again. That’s a huge change for her and Henry too. She realizes whether she likes it or not, this her life. She can make it as easy for herself as possible and try to get what she wants out of it.

Frost: Lizzie is born royal. She’s entitled. She knows who she is, and she knows what her life is supposed to be. She’s not going to compromise that for anybody. And she finds herself in the first episode in this situation…I mean, for one she can’t believe that her mother actually expects her to go through with this wedding to this guy who is everything they both despise. That’s a huge shock to her. Her response is just denial. She’s angry, and I think in dramatic terms as well, it is rare and really special to have a female protagonist who is angry. Women aren’t usually allowed to own that anger. We are supposed to smile and be nice, and anger is a really powerful tool. It gives us boundaries, you know? If you’re angry you say, “No, this is not acceptable.”

Women so often have their boundaries compromised. In the first act of the whole show, Lizzie’s so angry. I think that’s very empowering to show her being entitled to that rage and saying, “I want control of my life.” When she gets pregnant, she’s at a crossroads. She can abort the child—and, of course, in the times that we’re in, only through herbs or the hope of something that will cause a miscarriage—or she can go through with it. What I wanted particularly to reach for was every possible way to dramatize her options, particularly from a female point of view. What are the choices that are open to her at every single opportunity? That question of whether or not to abort the child is not in the novel in any way, I don’t think from what I can remember, but of course that would be something that would cross her mind if there was even folklore about how you might abort a child. It was really important for me to go at every single stage of this journey to consider what are Lizzie’s choices and put them on the table.

Comer: In a time when women were so disposable—well, presumed so—she realizes they need her. She says it to Henry early on in the first episode, “They won’t have you for king without me." She’s very selfish early on about that.

The White Princess airs on Sundays at 8:00 P.M. on Starz.