Before Silo, Rebecca Ferguson Starred In An Underrated Historical Drama Series

These days, you probably know Rebecca Ferguson from the Apple TV series she leads — the mysterious sci-fi drama "Silo" — or as Ilsa Faust from the "Mission: Impossible" series or as Lady Jessica in Denis Villeneuve's critically adored "Dune" adaptations. Ferguson, who possesses an absolutely amazing on-screen presence and charisma and is a truly formidable performer, is a welcome presence in literally any project ... so if you want to really delve into her full body of work, you won't want to miss "The White Queen," a historical miniseries that casts her as one of England's most divisive and politically shrewd queens. (This probably won't surprise you if you're familiar with Ferguson, but she's really good in this show.)

On the series — which ran from June to August of 2013 on BBC One before migrating across the pond to Starz in the United States and is adapted from Philippa Gregory's historical fiction work of the same name — Ferguson plays real historical figure Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of middle-class peerage who meets, romances, and ultimately marries the handsome young King Edward IV of England (portrayed by Max Irons on the series). Alongside a talented cast that includes James Frain, Amanda Hale, Janet McTeer, Faye Marsay, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Caroline Goodall, just to name a few, Ferguson ably leads this miniseries that chronicles the life and fate of one of England's most enigmatic female figures, who lived amongst the now infamous War of the Roses that pitted Plantagenet descendants Yorks and Lancasters against one another for the throne. Here's everything you need to know about "The White Queen," Ferguson's role as Elizabeth Woodville, and the sequel show this series spawned (which also happens to star a ridiculously talented actress).

Amidst the backdrop of the War of the Roses, Elizabeth Woodville, a young widow when we first meet her, lives with her mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg (Janet McTeer) and her many siblings when she comes across Edward in the woods. Edward tries to, well, "take her" by force but doesn't know quite who he's dealing with, and when Elizabeth pulls a knife on Edward to protect her virtue, the poor sap falls in love with her immediately. Against the stern advice of his trusted confidante Richard Neville (James Frain), Edward marries Elizabeth, bringing her family to a brand-new level of society and giving the Rivers clan unimaginable social capital and power as Elizabeth is crowned queen.

Elizabeth and Edward have quite a lot of babies together — scholars believe they had ten children all together — with her eldest daughter being Elizabeth of York. (Don't forget about her. We'll be talking about her again in a minute.) Unfortunately, before the king and queen can enjoy a fully happy reign, the War of the Roses intensifies; Edward is betrayed by his own brothers George and Richard (David Oakes and Aneurin Barnard, respectively) as they all fight for the British throne, and Elizabeth and her children find themselves frequently exiled. By the end of all of this, Elizabeth's two eldest sons are brought to the Tower of London — and in real life, those princes disappeared, leading to one of English history's most baffling mysteries.

Alongside Elizabeth's story, we also follow Richard Neville's highborn daughters Isabel and Anne (Eleanor Tomlinson and Faye Marsay) as they navigate the court and future Queen Mother Margaret Beaufort (Amanda Hale), who's determined to see her son Henry Tudor take the throne. So what happens after "The White Queen?"

Philippa Gregory is a particularly prolific historical fiction writer who focuses on the Plantagenets and Tudors, and considering that there's a sequel book to "The White Queen" titled "The White Princess," it's not surprising that this also got a series adaptation in 2017. Rebecca Ferguson left big shoes to fill as Elizabeth Woodville (played in this series by Essie Davis), and thankfully, Jodie Comer, who plays her daughter Elizabeth of York as a grown woman, was more than up to the task. After the death of the younger Elizabeth, or Lizzie's, secret lover — her own uncle Richard III, who doesn't physically appear in this series — she's forced to marry Henry Tudor (Jacob Collins-Levy), now styled as Henry VIII, under the watchful eye of his overprotective Margaret Beaufort (now played by Michelle Fairley). As the quite literal mother of the Tudor dynasty, the crown weighs heavy on Lizzie's head, especially because she really, really hates her husband at first; ultimately, the two do form an unexpected bond, and Lizzie bears three children: first son Arthur (Billy Barratt), Prince Henry, and Princess Mary.

As Henry realizes that his mother might be responsible for the death of Lizzie's two brothers, the bond between king and queen unexpectedly strengthened ... and if you're at all familiar with British history, you know that Lizzie is the mother of unlikely eventual monarch Henry VIII, who truly remade England in his image. In 2019, there was another "sequel" to these shows — "The Spanish Princess," which focuses on a young Catherine of Aragon, who was married to Arthur Tudor and then Henry and is played by Charlotte Hope — but "The White Princess" is a true sequel to "The White Queen." You can watch Ferguson, Comer, and Hope in these shows on Starz now.