WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Spanish Princess that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
There have been a lot of movies, and TV shows about the Tudors of England and they are once again the center of a new drama series which has recently debuted on Starz. This time, however, the limited production titled The Spanish Princess is about Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of England's King Henry VIII.
This period drama debuted on Sunday, May 5, on the cable network in the U.S. and Amazon Prime for non-American viewers. The Spanish Princess is based on the books authored by Phillipa Gregory called "The King's Curse" and "The Constant Princess."
According to Paste Magazine, much of the history on King Henry VIII's relationships, as depicted in movies and TV, usually begin with how he had a famously documented love affair with Anne Boleyn while still married to an older Catherine. The Spanish Princess, however, tackles Catherine's early life, before she was betrothed to Henry.
Charlotte Hope plays young Catherine of Aragon in The Spanish Princess. Best remembered for her work in the movie The Theory of Everything, Hope said she did immense research to prepare for the role of a headstrong woman.
"She's a woman in a man's world doing whatever she can to survive, and that means sometimes she's going to have to manipulate, and sometimes she's going to have to be fierce," the actress said of her character, as per Yahoo! Lifestyle. "She's a fighter, and she's strong-willed, but that's interesting to me. She's a real mix of strength and vulnerability."
Catherine, the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, was married to Prince Arthur, the son of Henry VII and Elizabeth in 1501. Their union strengthened the alliance between Spain and England during the 16th century.
The first episode of The Spanish Princess depicts Catherine's life as Arthur's new bride, as per TV Guide. However, Arthur succumbs to an illness five months into their marriage. Based on the teaser, the second episode of The Spanish Princess will likely play out Arthur's health condition.
Showrunners Emma Frost and Matthew Graham are behind The Spanish Princess. The series also stars Ruairi O'Connor as Harry/Henry, Angus Imrie as Arthur, Alicia Borrachero as Queen Isabella, Ellion Cowan as King Henry VII, Laura Carmichael as Maggie, Georgie Henly as Meg, and Alan McKenna as Sir Richard Pole.
The Spanish Princess will have eight episodes, and it's still too early to tell if the show will return for a second season. It airs Sunday nights at 8:00.
