The History Behind ‘The White Queen’

I’ve been a huge fan of Philipa Gregory for a long time. I loved how she was able to use history, legend, gossip, and lore to make enthralling books. With all the hype that the show version of The White Princess is getting, I wanted to go back through my notes and talk about both books/shows and the true history that inspired them! We’ll go into The White Queen first and then delve into The White Princess…

Melusine

Melusine is a mythical mermaid-like creature that exists in various European folklore, but exists mainly France. Historically, the Luxembourg family is one of many who claims ancestry from Melusine. It fed into the thought that Jacquetta claimed strong heritage from Melusine, as well as mystical powers. The fact that a text of the tale of Melusine was found in her personal collection didn’t help matters, but seeing as it was a popular story of love and loss, it wasn’t rare and her involvement in the legend is probably very much exaggerated.

To give you a short version of the legend of Melusine, she was a beautiful half woman and half mermaid/serpent that only took on her mythological form once a week. A man hunting came upon her and offered her marriage. She accepted as long as he would leave her alone in total privacy once a week to bathe. For a time, they were happy, but the man soon grew too curious and spied on his wife, seeing her true form. Enraged, Melusine flew from the castle, never to be seen again, although she still thought of herself as the protector of her family and would wail when a member passed and help them if she could.

BTW Does this double tailed beauty look familiar? If you’re a coffee drinker like I am, you’ll recognize her as the Starbucks mermaid. Think about that next time you stop for your morning cup.

Jacquetta of Luxembourg

The Luxembourg family is an old French one, claiming lineage from the fabled Melusine. Jacquetta had many royal ties in different countries due to her high birth, and her first marriage was to a son of King Henry IV of England. They had no children by the time he died two years later, leaving Jacquetta a young and extremely wealthy duchess. As her title made her the second most powerful woman in the English court, next to the queen, she could have had her choice of husbands…

Lowly English knight Richard Woodville was tasked by the king to bring the newly widowed Jacquetta to court. But the pair fell in love. Despite it being illegal due to their difference in status and their refusal to wait for royal permission, they still married in secret. When it came out, no one could really be the mad, and they were merely fined. But Jacquetta was BFFs with Henry’s queen Margaret and Margaret made sure Richard got a title to put him on more even footing with his wife. So, he became Earl Rivers and the Lord High Treasurer.

Jacquetta and Richard had 14 children during their marriage, including “The White Queen”, Elizabeth. As she, obviously, made sure her children received titles, position, and even a crown, she was thought to be a witch by many. Most notably, she was accused of using sorcery to seduce King Edward into the bed of her daughter Elizabeth. While the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence, the gossip followed her until her death…and followed her daughter for the entirety of her life as well.

Elizabeth Woodville

Born around 1347 to a well respected genteel family. She married first to a man who died a Lancaster supporter, leaving her a widowed mother of two sons. Luckily, she was still young enough to marry again and was “the most beautiful woman in the isle of Britain…with heavy lidded eyes like those of a dragon.” Might not sound like a compliment, but it totally was. If it wasn’t for being named a Lancastrian traitor, the obviously fertile mother of two boys could have married again easily. But it was almost lucky for Elizabeth that she wasn’t one to hop on the first man who came by her home. No, Elizabeth had her sights set on a man worthy of her.

Anyway, historians can’t agree as to how Elizabeth met the young King Edward IV, although the general lore says that Elizabeth dressed plainly and waited by the side of the road for Edward to pass with her two sons. Her original plan is said to have been to merely receive some sort of pardon for her dead husband (who fought and died after fighting against Edward and his York army, thus losing his wealth). But when Edward saw her, he was taken by her innocence, her maternal glow, and the graceful elegance she held even when not decked out in jewels. Edward wanted Elizabeth and would do anything to have her, even defy his family and his advisers to marry her in secret.

They had a strong marriage where 10 children were born and no matter what mistresses Edward took, he always came back to his wife. Again, not suuuuper romantic, but there weren’t many kings out there without a bevy of mistresses, and at least Edward actually did love Elizabeth. Their marriage is said to be one of the early examples of true love in a royal marriage. But her ability to sway the gaze of a king and make herself his queen made some believe that she was witch, just like her mama.

Edward IV

Yeah, not the glowing blonde god we saw in the show, but for a guy back then, he was the Jake Gyllenhaal of his time. He is noted as being “a man so vigorous and handsome that he might have been made for the pleasures of the flesh”. His hot bod got him at least 15 children that history knows of, but I’m guessing there were more little Eddies stashed around England. For Edward, he was born in France, the oldest living son of Richard of York, who believed he was the true king of England….Well, he might have been, or he might have been the illegitimate product of an affair by his mother. That story was drug up throughout his reign, and even after his death, to weaken his claim to the throne as well as that of his children’s. No matter who is daddy was, Edward really took the York mission to heart and fought to become the first York king of England…and the tallest one in history! He and his two brothers were known as the three suns in the sky and the three sons of York.

As I’ve said, he spied Elizabeth and her boys and thought she’d make a hell of a wife. She was a bit older and not a princess like he “should” have wed, but when Edward wanted something, he was sure to get it. Besides, the fact that she was obviously capable of birthing children mainly sons, was particularly attractive. So he put a ring on it and made her his queen. It ended up that the ex-Lancaster supporter was well loved but the people! Elizabeth’s 12 unmarried sisters soon found top notch marriages and Edward was basically surrounded by his in-laws. Much of the other nobility was angry, but Edward told them to shut up or shove off.

There was some rebellion against Edward’s reign, sometimes headed by his own brother George, but there was no other strong claim to the throne besides a little guy named Henry Tudor who was living in exile. The rest of Edward’s short life kept him in power and when he died at the age of 40, he made his brother, Richard, the protector of England until his son Edward could be crowned.

Richard III

Spoiler alert! Prince Edward (now known as lil’Edward) was never crowned and Richard became king. When King Edward died, he thought his little brother Richard would keep his crown safe for his son, but he was super wrong. Richard placed his nephew in the Tower of London to await the coronation that would never come.

To take the crown, he began by ousting the Woodvilles from power, imprisoning the men and forcing the women into hiding. Queen Elizabeth herself went into sanctuary with her daughters and youngest son Richard (now known as lil’Richard) while Richard worked on making her marriage to King Edward illegitimate, thus ruining lil’Edward’s claim to the throne. He ended up imprisoning both boys in the tower, where they never left (more on that later).

Richard finally got his just desserts when he was killed in battle by Henry Tutor’s forces at the age of 32. Recently, his battered bones were found in during construction and it was found that he did have uneven shoulders and a curvature of the spine as many have said. He was also found to have been mutilated before being unceremoniously dumped in a ditch. While he wasn’t a handsome man in his prime, it’s a wonder that he was able to start some kind of relationship with his niece Elizabeth of York..but that’s a tale for my next post.

The Princes in the Tower

Once lil’Edward was already in The Tower of London “for his safety”, Richard plucked lil’Richard from sanctuary and had him join his brother. Over the next few months, Richard was made king, Elizabeth and Edward’s marriage was made illegitimate, and the boys were seen less and less until they were never seen again.

It is widely accepted that Richard had a hand in the boy’s disappearance and even at the time he was thought to be the murderer, well that he ordered it anyway. With them out of the picture, he thought there wouldn’t be any issue with him retaining the throne.

But there’s another theory that at least one of the boys survived. Now Elizabeth Woodville was a smart woman and knew how hard it had been for Edward to keep his throne. She knew that if she let lil’Richard go to the tower like lil’Edward, he would never come back. It’s thought that she was able to smuggle lil’Richard out of sanctuary to take a new identity with a trusted family and replaced him with a local boy. For years afterwards, several people came forward claiming to be the lost prince, but none was ever confirmed. Since then, two sets of children’s skeletons have been found, but neither have been tested. So it’s possible that we will never know what happened to Elizabeth’s sons.

♦♦♦

I hope you found this little look into the world of The White Queen fun and informative. I’ll be working on something for The White Princess soon, so keep checking back for more historical fun! And if Scottish history is your thing, read some historical articles with a fun twist on our Outlander page HERE!

If you enjoyed this write up, you’ll probably love my book, Queen of Emeralds! It’s a historic romance set in the highlands that you can get HERE in paperback, ebook, or free on kindle unlimited!

An Outlandish Clan History Part6

Wow, we certainly have a lot of readers with Scottish roots! Remember to look back at part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5 of this little series to make sure you’re not missing any of the history goodness! Let’s dive right in and see what there is to learn about some of your own, personal, clans…

Clan Nicolson

• Clan Motto: Generositate- By generosity

• This lowland clan came from the Norse raiders, but there are two different lines it could have originated from, although both versions were seen as early as the 800s. The name may have come from the common name “Olson” with the added “Nic”, which in Scottish Gaelic means “Daughter”, and was seen throughout the middle ages. But it also might have come to pass during the Scottish-Norwegian War in the early 1200s, when Hakkon IV of Norway sent Anders Nicolassen into Scotland, where he stayed.
• While this cannot be verified, it is thought that before being the Nicolsons, they were members of Clan MacNeacail.

Clan Guthrie

• Clan Motto: Sto pro veritate- I stand for the truth

Ancient

Battle

Modern

• There’s no exact story of where this ancient Scottish name came from, but one of the more popular legend is that in the 800s-900s the Scottish king named a certain piece of land “Guthrie” after a poor fisherman “gut three” fish and served them for the king’s supper.
• Being an old family gave the Guthries a certain level of respect. Like during the Scottish War of Independence, the Laird of Guthrie was sent to bring William Wallace to Scotland, sparking more support for the side of Scottish independence.
• They were very close to the royal family throughout history, and were often given royal pardons when they wronged a rival clan. They were also often given titles, land, and certain privileges. However, that mostly ended when some of the Guthries began to take arms against the Scottish government, particularly the king, when they began to devote themselves to the Covenanter belief system in the 1630s.
• Guthrie Castle was built in the mid 1400s, with various additions being added on through history. It remained in the Gustrie family until 1983. But, now it’s a lovely golf course and event area where you can even get married!

Clan Macrae

• Clan Motto: Fortitudine- strength
• War Cry: Sgurr uaran- refers to the highest part of the mountain range within the Clan Macrae lands.

• This is an armegerous clan and the name comes from Macraith, which means “son of grace”. It is said that the clan came from Ireland and shares a common lineage with the Mackenzies and the MacLeans. However, that is under dispute.
• They participated in the Jacobite Rebellion in 1715 and it went terribly. Like, everyone died, even their strongest warrior, a man named Duncan Macrae, whose claymore was taken by the English and displayed in the Tower of London for a number of years. However, the sword has been missing for years and it is thought it was lost in the fire of 1841. It is because of their failure in 1715 that they opted out of the rebellion in 1745.
• At one point, their main clan rivals were the Frasers of Lovat!

Clan Nesbitt

• Clan Motto: I Byd It- I Endure
• Clan War Cry- A Nesbitt!

(It’s iffy what the actual Nesbitt tartan is, or if there even is one, but this one is recognized as largely being theirs. If you are a Nesbitt and know for sure what your tartan is, please let me know!)

• This Scottish border clan was originally titled “de Nesbit”, as seen in historic documents from the 11 and 1200s. They were also close to the royals from the time of Robert the Bruce and enjoyed favor from time to time.
• One of the most famous clan members was Alexander Nisbet. Nisbet was known as the expert on all things historic and herald. He is still regarded as the expert on Clan Nesbitt and many of his writings are still seen as valid today.
• By the 17th century, the Nesbitt clan were largely royalists, and in full support of England.

The Buchanan Clan

• Clan Motto: Clarior hinc honos- Henceforth forward the honour shall grow ever brighter
• War Cry: Clar Innes!- Refers to an island in Loch Lomond

ancient

hunting

modern

• This armigerous clan comes from the Loch Lomond area and gets their name from the parcel of land, which were given to Gilbert Buchanan in 1231. However, some members claim heraldry from ancient Irish kings, although that is widely accepted as myth.
• From the time of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, the Buchanans have been supporters of the Scottish crown, and due to their allegiance in battle, were often awarded more lands and titles.
• But the Buchanans didn’t just fight the British. In the 15th century, they were in many skirmishes with other clans. Particularly the MacLarens and Mackenzies. It is said that, more often than not, the Buchanans initiated these fights, battles, and sometimes executions.
• The clan, as a whole, didn’t participate in any of the Jacobite uprisings. However, there were several members of the clan that actively supported the Stuart cause in 1745/46.
• They have a rich history and numerous active members in dozens of national and international organizations that promote their particular history. If you’re a part of this clan, I suggest doing some looking into it!

The Dalrymple Clan

• Clan Motto: Firm

• This lowland armigerous Scottish clan is so small, most describe it as just a family, but it is recognized as a registered clan.
• Most of history only remembers the Dalrymple name due to the act of one man, the Lord Advocate John Dalrymple. in 1603 the Union of the Crown, where King James VI took charge of both England and Scotland. However, many clans still favored the Stewart blood line and that caused years of unrest. In 1691 King William III planned to pardon all the clans, if they pledged their allegiance to him by January 1, 1692. Some clans waited for the deposed Stewart king to give his permission before making the pledge and the MacDonalds of Glencoe ended up missing the deadline. While King William wasn’t too stressed, John Dalrymple wasn’t one to wait, although he himself was Scottish. He sent troops of redcoats to the Glencoe lands, where they pretended to want hospitality. Then they slaughtered a large number of unsuspecting MacDonald men, burned their homes, and caused the death of many women and children.

Clan Brodie

• Clan Motto: Unite

• No one quite knows where Clan Brodie came from, but it is widely accepted that they descended from the ancient Picts. The name is so old, it’s still under debate where the name comes from, what it may mean, and even what language it originated from.
• They were allies of Clan Mackenzie and they were staunch supporters of the Scottish crown. The English saw the Brodies as such a threat, Oliver Cromwell actively tried bribing and wooing Lord Bordie of Brodie to join their fight. But in 1650, Brodie told Oliver where to stick it and joined a party to fetch Scottish King Charlies II back to his throne.
• In the mid 1600s, one chief, Alexander, was a real witch hater. At least two are on record as having been burned executed on his order.
• Their traditional seat, Brodie Castle, was pillaged and overrun several times throughout history, but it has since been rebuilt…and it’s amazing. You can even get married there!

Clan Lamot

• Clan Motto: Ne Parcas nec Spernas – Neither despise nor fear

• This clan is super ancient and hails from the old Irish prince Ánrothán Ua Néill, who lived in the 500s.
• During the Wars of Scottish Independence, the Lamonts supported the MacDougall’s claim to the throne against Robert the Bruce. At the time, they ruled a large piece of land in the highlands. But after Robert won the war, he punished the Lamonts and gave parts of their lands to the Campbells. If that wasn’t bad enough for the clan, in 1646 the Campbells decided they wanted more and took a good portion, forcing the Lamonts into a tiny corner.
• Because the Campbells had the Lamonts boxed in and cut off from the world, they did not participate in any of the Jacobite rebellions, which ended up being a blessing in disguise, since they were spared afterward.

Clan Cunningham

• Clan Motto: Over fork over

• This is an old name, first being noted in the 6th century as “Canowan” but it was changed to the modern Cunningham in 1059. They gained most of their lands through grants from Scottish kings by fighting off Norse invaders.
• They also supported the English claim to Scotland until Robert the Bruce came along and wooed them over his side. However, that didn’t last long, as by the time of the Wars of Scottish Independence, they were were back on the side of the British. They were even involved in the later Battle of Culloden. Captain Cunningham’s Company shot Grapshot at the Jacobites.

Clan McIntyre

• Clan Motto: Per ardua – Through adversity
• Clan War Cry: Cruachan! (the name of a mountain in their lands)

• They get their name from a trade, as do many, and theirs means. It comes from the Gaelic  “Mac an t-Saoir”, which means “son of the carpenter”. It’s said that the McIntyres are descended from a man named Maurice MacNeil, a carpenter and shipwright who saved the ship, and life, of the King of the Isles (the Hebrides and the Isle of Man) Olaf the Red during a raid on the Isle of Skye. Fun, right?
• This clan was known for being great bagpipers and foresters. They often joined the MacDonalds, Menzies, and Campbells in battle as their official pipers and enjoyed a very close relationship to the Campbells throughout their history.
• When the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 came, the McIntryes were asked to not participate by their allies the Campbells. So, as an official body, they didn’t fight for either side. However, a large enough number joined the Stewart cause that they caught the attention of historians and generally being Jacobites.

The Irvine Clan

• Clan Motto: Sub sole sub umbra virens- Flourishing in sunlight and shade

• This clan comes from the High Kings of Ireland and gets their name from the Irvine lands. They really began to rise in rank and power after really helped their neighbors, Clan Bruce, put Robert on the throne. Good call for them, since they began raking in the land. I mean, at one point, William Irvine followed Robert into hiding, literally hiding in bushes from the soldiers searching for the Scottish throne claimant. And Robert the Bruce isn’t one to forget a friend, so he even gave the Irvines the clan badge with three holly bushes to remember all the good times they had together.
• They were basically always on the side of the Scottish crown in all wars. They even helped ransom King James I from the English and participated heavily in the Battle of Culloden as Jacobites.
• If there was one thing the Irvines hated more than a British guy coming in and telling them what to do, it was a member of Clan Keith. The two clans were constantly warring with each other, even when a Scottish king would tell them to knock off the fighting or he was turning the country around and no one would get dessert. You know when they did finally declare an official end to their feud? 2002. Only, like, 600 years since they first decided they hated each other. Talk about commitment.
• Their family seat, Castle Drum, is beautiful, and also available for special events!

Clan Munro

• Clan Motto: Dread God
• Clan War Cry: Caisteal Folais ‘na Theine! – Castle Foulis in Flames! (Castle Floulis is their family home)

ancient

modern

• The Munros are of Irish stock, hailing from a line of Irish chiefs in the 1000s. Their name translates into something akin to “Man from Ro”, referring to an area in Ireland surrounding the River Roe. They got their lands from the Scottish king for their victory against Norse invaders. That began their close relationship to the crown.
• They were also known as a war clan, almost always participating in battles. This military way of living made them formidable enemies and often ensured they were on the winning side. Along with the Frasers, they even helped Mary Queen of Scots take Inverness Castle, which was thought to be impossible.
• But the Munros weren’t Jacobites. in 1715, they fought for the British, which pissed the Jacobite Mackenzies off. The Mackenzies invaded the Munro lands, who then invaded their in retaliation. in the 1745 rebellion, the highlands generally hoped the Munros would join the Jacobite cause, but they stayed with the English.
• Shout out to Hugh Munro, the bringer of dragonflies in amber and super spy extraordinaire!

Clan Colville

• Clan Motto: Oblier ne puis – I cannot forget

• The Colvilles come from ancient Norman stock, hailing from the Colville lands in Normandy. In the 1170s, a Colville was granted some land in the southern area of Scotland by William the Lion, who was then the king of Scotland.
• They were a small clan that followed nobles, no matter the crown. They can be seen through history serving both the Scottish and British kings. But they usually placed their allegiance to the British crown, and retained their titles and lands because of it.

Clan Turnbull

• Clan Motto: I saved the king

• This clan has a fun name origin story. One tale says that during the Scottish Wars of Independence, Robert the Bruce was being charged at by a giant bull. Well, this guy named William wasn’t having any of it, and tackled the beast to the ground, saving his king. He turned the bull around. Get it?
• The Turnbulls kept up their namesake, as they were always ready to fight. It’s said that a man from another clan went to the Turnbulls on behalf of his chief, to ask for their support for the chief’s claim to the throne of Scotland. The Turnbulls apparent answered something like, “we don’t give a flying haggis what you politicians do, we just wanna get out there and smash some skulls!” These brass balls stayed throughout the centuries, as one modern member of the clan, James Turnbull, held the German’s at bay for 24 hours with only a machine gun during WWI.

The Paterson Clan

• Clan Motto: Huc Tendimus Omnes – We all strive for this

• This armigerous lowland clan gets it’s name from the Gaelic “MacGille Phadraig”, which means “son of the devotee of Saint Patrick”.
• The Patersons are mega small, in the historical sense, but it’s one of the most common names in the lowlands in Scotland. Some even consider them to be a sept of the MacLarens.

Clan Davidson

• Clan Motto: Sapienter si sincere – Wisely if sincerely

• There are many stories of where this clan came from, but they all point to Clan Davidson being among the oldest in Scotland. But it’s generally believed that they are descendents of Gillichattan Mor, who was the first chief of the Chattan Confederation.
• They were a strong fighting clan until 1370 when Clan Cameron virtually wiped them out. But their numbers rose and by the time the Jacobite Rebellions came into play, the Davidsons fought for Scotland. In the end, a great number of them were banished to the North American colonies, where they settled mainly in the mountains of North Carolina.

Names asked for, but not included: Wilson (sepf of Clan Gunn), Achmoody (not a clan, but a last name), Mollahan (not a Scottish clan, but an Irish last name), Jeffrey (sept of Clan Donald), Harbinson (Scottish or Irish last name), Maynor (a Norman/English name with Germanic roots), Irwin (sept of Clan Irvine-see above), and McCracken (sept of Clan MacNaughton).

TKeep coming back every weekend to see what Scottish histories and Outlander articles and quizzes we have for you. Check out all the past Outlander Saturday posts here!

Finally, do you want to treat yourself and love FREE shipping? Check out our review of several bath and body products by Bellissima Bain here and see what super cheap and amazing products the lovely owner has for you. Arlene, the owner, is currently battling breast cancer, yet still pursues her passions. Nothing more inspirational than that♥

Sarah and I both have books out now, so if you like our posts, you’ll probably love our books! First Semester is a thrilling college romance that you can get HERE. Queen of Emeralds is a historic romance set in the highlands that you can get HERE.

What to Watch

I’ve heard tittering that Outlander season 3 is filming in late August. But, what can we watch until Jamie and Claire reenter our lives? Here’s a few fun shows you should give a try. Some are historical, others are fantasy, all are awesome.

The Pillars of the Earth

This show, which aired on Starz, is based on a book, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It’s much more historically based than some others on this list, taking place in England during the 12th century and involving the tumultuous events that surround the building of a cathedral. There’s love triangles, violence, a hint of superstition, and characters you can really sink your teeth into (hello, Eddie Redmayne!). You’ll cry along with Tom the Builder when he buries his wife, you’ll root for Jack when he fights to win the hand of the girl, and you’ll be sad when it finally ends.

The Tudors

Is any historical series complete without The Tudors? It’s centered around King Henry VIII’s search for a wife to give him an heir and, while it does exaggerate to make parts of the story more interesting, can be oddly educational. It also features an all-star cast with Johnathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Henry Cavill as the Duke of Suffolk, and Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon, among many other famous faces. The costumes and acting are on point and, since it aired for four seasons on Showtime, so there’s plenty of episodes to binge watch.

The White Queen

The White Queen, by Philipa Gregory, is another lovely historical-based novel that was made into a series. It follows Elizabeth Woodville, a widow with two young sons, who seduced, and married, the young king Edward IV. She, along with the other women in her family, are known for harnessing the power of Melusina, a legendary mermaid, to bend their lives to their making. However, Elizabeth can only use her powers so much, as they often come back around, sometimes putting her own family at risk. She lives during the infamous War of the Roses (1455-11487) and her marriage to Edward sparks the famous Tudor line. The show, which aired on Starz, did an awesome job of bringing the book, and the history surrounding it, to life.

Call The Midwife

No, there aren’t any sword and knights in this television take on memoir Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth, but it deserves a place on the list as an awesome historical show. Set in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it followed a group of midwives out of Nonnatus House in London’s poor East End. The women go through the many trials of their time giving a platform of conversation to things that aren’t widely talked about now, such as the practice of doctors leaving disabled newborns to die and how dangerous back-alley abortions could be. Homosexuality, rape, violence, and new medical practices are tucked away in the lives of the young women who are just trying to make the East End a better place. On BBC, it’s a heavy show, but deserves a shot as it warms your heart as much as it moves you.

Reign

This show, which is still on The CW is a very, very, fictionalized version of the early life of Mary, Queen of Scots. If you’re able to look past the incorrect historical facts and fanciful costumes, it’s a really fun show. You’ll see her life in France as the fiance of young Prince Francis, hear about how ladies of the court would take lovers, and watch as her heart is broken, as well as renewed as she fends off would-be assassins. Even as someone who loves themselves some true facts, I was able to see the show as a worthwhile fantasy series that is good for a binge session.

Black Sails

This Starz period drama is one hell of a crazy ride. It’s like if Pirates of the Caribbean took ‘Molly’ and became slightly more historically accurate. It follows the early years of Captain Jack Flint, who is a fictional pirate from Treasure Island, during the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ where gold was king and the laws were forged by blood. Mainly taking place on New Providence Island, one of the major shipping hubs of the 1700’s, fact meets fiction as some historical pirates try to lay claim to ships, sell their goods, and maintain control of the sea. The characters are complex and their story lines include a woman fighting for respect, the British fighting to retake the island, and men on the run, among numerous others. It’s currently setting up for season four, so there’s plenty of time to catch up.

Da Vinci’s Demons

This series is on the same vein as Reign; loosely historically-based, but awesome all the same. In the show, Leonardo Da Vinci works for the famous Medici family and uses his genius to try and help them gain total control of Renaissance Florence. This puts him at odds with the Catholic Church, as well as the Pazzi family, especially when he begins inventing things for the Borgias. It’s involved and can get a little fanciful at times, especially when Leonardo gets involved with a real-life cult known as the Sons of Mithras. The Starz show is over, but I hear there may be a mini series in the works.

Those are some of my top picks. So, tell me, what shows would you add to the list?

Read about Kelsey’s Scottish historical romances here and Sarah’s contemporary romances here!