The Spanish Princess

Historical drama television series

The Spanish Princess

Genre|

* Historical period drama
* Historical fiction

Based on| The King's Curse & The Constant Princess
by Philippa Gregory
Developed by|

* Emma Frost
* Matthew Graham

Starring|

* Sai Bennett
* Alicia Borrachero
* Andrew Buchan
* Laura Carmichael
* Daniel Cerqueira
* Aaron Cobham
* Elliot Cowan
* Philip Cumbus
* Antonio de la Torre
* Peter Egan
* Alba Galocha
* Chloe Harris
* Georgie Henley
* Charlotte Hope
* Angus Imrie
* Stephanie Levi-John
* Gordon Kennedy
* Alan McKenna
* Alexandra Moen
* Ruairi O'Connor
* Nadia Parkes
* Richard Pepper
* Jordan Renzo
* Olly Rix
* Ray Stevenson
* Harriet Walter

Composers|

* Samuel Sim
* Chris Egan

Country of origin|

* United States
* United Kingdom

Original language| English
No. of episodes| 16
Production
Executive producers|

* Emma Frost
* Matthew Graham
* Colin Callender
* Scott Huff
* Charlie Hampton
* Charlie Pattinson

Producers|

* Andrea Dewsbery
* Pat Tookey-Dickson

Cinematography|

* Maja Zamojda
* Stefan Ciupek
* Ian Moss
* Joel Devlin

Editors|

* Jo Smyth
* Caroline Bleakley
* David Yardley
* Nikki McChristie
* Mark Trend
* Gez Morris
* Josh Cunliffe
* Catherine Creed

Running time| 54–60 minutes
Production companies|

* All3 Media's New Pictures
* Playground
* Giddy Ink
* Jumping Joseph

Original release
Network| Starz
Release| May 5, 2019 (2019-05-05) –
November 29, 2020 (2020-11-29)
Related

* The White Queen
* The White Princess

The Spanish Princess is a historical drama television limited series developed by Emma Frost and Matthew Graham for Starz. Based on the novels The Constant Princess (2005) and The King's Curse (2014) by Philippa Gregory, it is a sequel to the miniseries The White Queen and The White Princess. It centres around Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope), the eponymous Spanish princess who became Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII (Ruairi O'Connor).

Designed as a 16-part limited series, the first eight episodes premiered on May 5, 2019. On June 3, 2019, Starz ordered the remaining eight episodes, which premiered on October 11, 2020. The series finale aired on November 29, 2020.

## Premise[edit]

Teenaged princess Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Spanish rulers Isabella and Ferdinand, finally travels to England, to meet her husband by proxy, Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir apparent of Henry VII of England, to whom she has been betrothed since she was a child. Unwelcomed by some, she and her diverse court, including her lady-in-waiting Lina, who is of Moorish ancestry, struggle to adapt to English customs. Catherine is horrified to learn that Arthur's younger brother, the arrogant Henry, Duke of York, is the author of the romantic correspondence she has received. When Arthur dies suddenly, her destiny as the one who will bring peace between Spain and England seems in doubt, until she sets her sights on Prince Henry.

## Cast[edit]

### Main[edit]

* Sai Bennett as Princess Mary of England, later Queen of France. Isla Merrick-Lawless portrays a younger Princess Mary.
* Alicia Borrachero as Queen Isabella of Castille
* Andrew Buchan as Thomas More
* Laura Carmichael as Margaret "Maggie" Pole
* Daniel Cerqueira as De Fuensalida, the Spanish ambassador to England
* Aaron Cobham as Oviedo, a Spanish Muslim crossbow-maker and one of Princess Catherine of Aragon's guards
* Elliot Cowan as King Henry VII of England
* Philip Cumbus as Thomas Wolsey
* Antonio de la Torre as King Ferdinand II of Aragon
* Peter Egan as General Thomas Howard
* Alba Galocha as Queen Joanna of Castile
* Chloe Harris as Lady Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount
* Georgie Henley as Princess Margaret "Meg" Tudor, later Queen of Scotland
* Charlotte Hope as Princess Catherine of Aragon, later Queen of England
* Angus Imrie as Arthur, Prince of Wales
* Stephanie Levi-John as Lina de Cardonnes, a Morisco lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon
* Gordon Kennedy as John Stewart, Duke of Albany
* Alan McKenna as Sir Richard Pole
* Alexandra Moen as Elizabeth of York, Queen of England
* Ruairi O'Connor as Harry, Duke of York, later King Henry VIII of England
* Nadia Parkes as Rosa de Vargas, a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon
* Richard Pepper as Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire
* Jordan Renzo as Charles "Charlie" Brandon
* Olly Rix as Edward Stafford
* Ray Stevenson as King James IV of Scotland
* Harriet Walter as Margaret Beaufort, the King's Mother

### Recurring[edit]

* Mamadou Doumbia as John Blanke
* Morgan Jones as Edmund Dudley
* Nick Barber as Edmund de la Pole
* Mimi De Winton (part 1) and Amelia Gething (part 2) as Ursula Pole
* Arthur Bateman (part 1) and Clark Butler (part 2) as Reggie Pole
* Matt Carr (part 1) and Theo Ancient (part 2) as Henry Pole
* Luke Mullins as William Compton
* Moe Idris as Negasi
* Mark Rowley as Alexander Stewart
* Andrew Rothney as Angus Douglas
* Brian Ferguson as Gavin Douglas
* Jamie Michie as Hume
* Alice Nokes as Anne Boleyn
* Bessie Coates as Mary Boleyn
* Christopher Craig as King Louis XII of France
* Milo Callaghan as Henry Stafford
* Thoren Ferguson as Hal Stewart
* Billie Gadsdon as Princess Mary
* Lewis Russell as Jamie

### Guests[edit]

* Kenneth Cranham as Bishop John Morton
* Patrick Gibson as Richard of York
* Luka Peroš as Christopher Columbus
* Norman Bowman as William Dunbar
* Philip Andrew as Philip I of Castile
* Philip McGinley as George Neville
* Sam John as Charles of Burgundy, later King Charles of Spain and Holy Roman Empire
* Ian Pirie as George Douglas
* Tessa Bonham Jones as Anne Hastings
* Molly Vevers as Jane Stewart
* Paul Forman as King Francis of France
* Jimmy Walker as John Lincoln
* Nathanael Jones as Henry Fitzroy

## Episodes[edit]

No.| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original air date| U.S. viewers
(millions)

|
|
|
|
|

Part 1[a]
1| "The New World"| Birgitte Stærmose| Emma Frost & Matthew Graham| May 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)| 0.393[1]
October – November 1501. Princess Catherine of Spain arrives in England. When she meets Arthur, Prince of Wales, Catherine is disappointed that he is not as romantic in person as he was in his letters. She later learns it was Arthur's younger brother, Harry, who exchanged letters with her. Elizabeth, the queen, tells Catherine that the brother of her cousin, Maggie Pole, was beheaded because Catherine's mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, would only pledge Catherine's hand in marriage if there were no other claimants to England's throne. As Harry walks Catherine to the altar on her wedding day, he admits that he initially exchanged letters with her to hurt Arthur, but later found that her letters excited him.
2| "Fever Dream"| Birgitte Stærmose| Matthew Graham| May 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)| 0.398[2]
November 1501 – April 1502. After the wedding, Arthur and Catherine stay in his father King Henry VII's household for a short time. Arthur and Harry's sister Meg learn that Henry has offered her hand in marriage to James IV of Scotland to form another alliance for England. Catherine begs Maggie Pole's forgiveness for being the reason Maggie's brother was murdered. Arthur and Catherine set off for Ludlow Castle, on the Welsh Marches, to set up their own household as Prince and Princess of Wales; they become closer as they learn more about each other. Maggie Pole and her family accompany them. Arthur becomes gravely ill. Henry and Elizabeth race to Ludlow, but arrive after Arthur dies. Henry informs Catherine she will return to London and stay in the royal household until they know if she is with child.
3| "An Audacious Plan"| Daina Reid| Helen Childress| May 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)| 0.456[3]
April 1502 – February 1503. Catherine learns that Isabella is arranging another marriage in Europe to cement an alliance. Catherine hides her true condition to bide her time in England, which would solve many problems for her, her maids Lina and Rosa, and her guard, Oviedo. Catherine tells Lina, and later Harry, that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated. Harry proposes and asks King Henry to request a papal dispensation so he and Catherine can marry. Meanwhile, Elizabeth goes into labor. After a difficult stillbirth, Elizabeth realizes that she is not going to survive. Before her death, she has a vision that the Tudor line will end if Harry and Catherine marry and begs Henry to prevent the marriage. As Catherine writes to Isabella for her blessing to marry Harry, mourning bells peal for Elizabeth.
4| "The Battle for Harry"| Daina Reid| Nicki Renna| May 26, 2019 (2019-05-26)| 0.500[4]
March 1503. Edmund de la Pole, the leading Yorkist claimant to the throne and a cousin of both the late queen and Maggie Pole, is plotting to overthrow King Henry. Henry tells his mother Margaret, who is now Regent while the king grieve for his dead queen, that Harry wants to marry Catherine. She confronts Catherine about her alleged virginity then orders her out of the palace. Margaret bans Maggie from court when Maggie states that Catherine may be telling the truth. Henry learns that the emperor Maximilian I is protecting Edmund de la Pole. Henry sets his grief aside to see Meg off as she departs for Scotland to marry. He hosts a feast to celebrate the future and invites Catherine. Henry makes an announcement that indirectly fulfills the late queen's dying wish: an intended marriage between himself and Catherine.
5| "Heart Versus Duty"| Lisa Clarke| Andrea Thornton Bolden| June 2, 2019 (2019-06-02)| 0.546[5]
August 1503 – December 1505. Catherine is torn between her duty to marry Henry and her desire to marry Harry. Meg arrives in Scotland and is pleasantly surprised by her betrothed. Harry tells Margaret, and later Catherine, that if Catherine wants to marry him instead of Henry, he will fight for her. Catherine fears her fate should she reject Henry and crush his pride, but decides to follow her heart. She convinces Henry that the alliance with Spain will be weakened when Harry becomes king if she is Henry's widow instead of Harry's wife. Henry withdraws his proposal, but reminds Catherine and Harry that they can only marry if the Pope grants a dispensation and if Spain pays the remainder of Catherine's dowry. Maggie's husband dies unexpectedly.
6| "A Polite Kidnapping"| Lisa Clarke| Emma Frost| June 9, 2019 (2019-06-09)| 0.493[6]
January – April 1506. Catherine learns that her mother has died, her elder sister Joanna is now queen of Castile, and her father will not pay her dowry. Joanna and her husband Philip are stranded in England. Henry, hoping Philip's father, Maximilian I, will hand over Edmund de la Pole, secretly delays repairs to their ship. Maggie is destitute. To extract a forced confession about Catherine's virginity, Lady Margaret offers assistance to Maggie, which she refuses. In exchange for a promise to pay her dowry, Catherine tells Joanna how she can escape England: Joanna will persuade Maximilian to turn de la Pole over to Henry or lose trade with Castile, if Henry takes an oath to spare de la Pole's life. Rather than pay Catherine's dowry, Joanna forms a new alliance with England at the suggestion of Margaret: betrothing Joanna's son Charles to Harry's younger sister Mary.
7| "All is Lost"| Stephen Woolfenden| Helen Childress| June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)| 0.509[7]
September 1506 – 1508. Catherine learns there is to be a double wedding in Spain: Princess Mary to her nephew King Charles, and Harry to her niece Eleanor. Oviedo proposes to Lina and tells her he is working for Margaret. Harry is torn between his duty to marry Eleanor and his desire to marry Catherine. Maggie seeks shelter with Catherine and Lina. Catherine's father King Ferdinand writes that Joanna's husband has died and Joanna is not fit to rule Castile due to mental instability. Ferdinand is now guardian to Joanna's children and Castile's regent. He makes Catherine the Aragonese ambassador to England, and promises to pay her dowry. Catherine's new status allows her and Lina to regain access to the royal palace. Oviedo provides Margaret with the names of de la Pole's co-conspirators, which now include Maggie and her eldest son. He later protects Maggie's son during a raid.
8| "Destiny"| Stephen Woolfenden| Emma Frost & Matthew Graham| June 23, 2019 (2019-06-23)| 0.528[8]
April 1509 – June 1509. Henry VII dies. Now king, Harry reaffirms his desire to marry Catherine. Margaret accuses Edmund Dudley of treason for her own illegal activities and he is beheaded. Harry pardons Maggie, and she and her children return to court. Margaret extracts a forced confession from Lina about Catherine's virginity by accusing Oviedo of theft and demanding his hanging. Lina and Oviedo marry before his hanging. Harry and Catherine arrive in time to save Oviedo's life. When confronted, Margaret again tries to use the confession, but Harry refuses to believe it as it was obtained by threatening Lina with Oviedo's life. Harry learns the Pope granted a dispensation sometime before Henry's death but this was concealed by Lady Margaret. Margaret dies, haunted by her own history. On their wedding day, Catherine receives a letter from Ferdinand stating Harry had sex with Joanna. Harry denies it, and Catherine again denies that her marriage with Arthur was consummated.
Part 2[a]
9| "Camelot"| Chanya Button| Emma Frost & Matthew Graham| October 11, 2020 (October 11, 2020)| 0.252[9]

Spring and Summer 1511. Catherine's father Ferdinand and his son, the future Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, come to England to make an alliance against France.

Henry VIII's sister Mary Tudor speaks Spanish and expresses her desire to wed Charles I.

Edward Stafford is injured in a joust, losing his right eye. Lina conceives Oviedo's child.

Catherine and Henry VIII seeks to land in Aquitaine (Guyenne) to join Henry VIII's father-in-law to launch an attack against Louis XII. Oviedo, General Howard and Stafford take an army to a pre-arranged meeting point in Spain, only to be betrayed by Ferdinand, who uses the English as a distraction to take Navarre for himself.

Prince Harry, six-month-old son of Catherine and Harry, dies, while Catherine beseeches God to forgive her vanity. Furious with Spain and heartbroken at the loss of her son, Catherine receives a gloating letter from her father and reaffirms to the English people that she is English first and she will give another son to England. She affirms to Harry that they will invade France without Spain's help.

James IV of Scotland and his wife Margaret Tudor mourn the death of Henry VIII's first-born son with Catherine.
10| "Flodden"| Chanya Button| Simon Tyrrell & Matthew Graham| October 18, 2020 (October 18, 2020)| 0.173[10]

See also: War of the League of Cambrai

Late 1511 – October 1513. King Harry invades France in the Battle of the Spurs (1513) without the aid of King Ferdinand, leaving a vulnerable England open to a Scottish invasion. Meg attempts to keep the peace in Scotland but an invasion is insisted upon by the warring clans and supported by her arrogant husband, King James IV. A pregnant Catherine is left to rally troops and defend England from the Scottish forces of King James IV at the Battle of Flodden (1513).

Edmund de la Pole lurks in the background with a claim on the English throne.

With inspiration from her mother, Queen Isabella of Castille, Catherine is willing to risk everything for her new country while Meg attempts to intervene after she suffers from a terrifying dream regarding her husband's fate. Upon their reunion, Catherine and King Harry suffer a devastating loss.
11| "Grief"| Chanya Button| Rita Kalnejais| October 25, 2020 (2020-10-25)| 0.180[11]

Late 1513 – Late 1514. Catherine suffers from horrible depression after her and King Harry's tragic loss. Lina confides to Maggie that she struggles feeding her children.

Thomas Wolsey proposes matching Henry VIII's sister Mary with Louis XII of the House of Valois.

Catherine must regain herself enough to fight to restore her marriage with Harry, who blames her for his lack of male heir.

Henry VIII's oldest sister Meg claims regency in Scotland after the Battle of Flodden while the future James V of Scotland is an infant; Meg's regency is contingent upon her remaining a widow.
12| "The Other Woman"| Lisa Clarke| Kate Verghese & Emma Frost| November 1, 2020 (2020-11-01)| 0.233[12]

See also: Mistresses of Henry VIII

Early 1515 – February 1516. Meg risks everything for new love, putting her future in Scotland at risk. Meg unsuccessfully attempts to get Harry's help with the situation in Scotland, but he refuses out of anger over her second marriage to Angus and her loss of control within Scotland.

Meanwhile, a very pregnant Catherine struggles with the nauseating possibility Harry is cheating on her with Anne Hastings. Catherine refuses to be like her sister Joanna and requests Harry tell her about his affairs, to which he coldly denies ever even having an affair. Maggie helps to dispel rumors of Harry's affairs, but Catherine later discovers Harry is indeed having an affair, and it's with her own maid, Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount.
13| "Plague"| Lisa Clarke| Kate O'Riordan & Emma Frost| November 8, 2020 (2020-11-08)| 0.221[13]

1517 – June 1519. A betrayed Catherine's grief increases as she takes out her anger on Bessie, King Harry's lover. Catherine continues to struggle caring for her newborn daughter, Mary, due to her not being the male heir she promised King Harry.

Henry Stafford weds Ursula Pole.

When the plague hits London, the court flees to Hampton Court, Wolsey's house. Maggie and Thomas More remain behind in an empty and surprisingly romantic palace. Catherine reveals to an excited King Harry that Bessie is with child, causing Catherine further anguish due to Harry's seeming acceptance of the unborn child. Meg returns to Scotland to reclaim her crown and children but has to make peace with the new regent, John Stewart, the Duke of Albany. She also confronts her traitorous second husband, the Earl of Angus.

Wolsey reveals he's been made a Cardinal by the Pope. The King of France dies, leaving King Harry's sister Mary the Dowager Queen of France, who secretly marries Charlie Brandon, much to King Harry's wrath.

Harry begs Catherine to give him a son. To Harry's immense joy, Bessie gives birth to a healthy son Henry FitzRoy.
14| "Field of Cloth of Gold"| Lisa Clarke| Kelly Jones| November 15, 2020 (2020-11-15)| 0.234[14]

June 1520. Catherine is jealous of Harry's blossoming relationship with his son by Bessie Blount. To strengthen England's alliance with France after the death of King Louis, Cardinal Wolsey plots to marry Princess Mary to the Dauphin of France. Catherine attempts to instead betroth Princess Mary to the new King of Spain, Charles. Meg faces off again with her estranged husband the Earl of Angus, leading her to seek an end to their marriage.

A great gathering in France is the backdrop to a political stand-off between Catherine and Cardinal Wolsey, with Catherine championing Charles and Wolsey championing Francis. King Francis demands a high dowry, questioning Catherine's former marriage to Prince Arthur, believing pre-adolescent Princess Mary is not a "true Princess" as a result. After taking advice from her old lady Rosa, Catherine begins bonding more with her daughter and is determined to educate her for her role as future Queen of England.

Meanwhile, in London, men who are unhappy with the King and the current state of things lead riots throughout the city. Oviedo vows to protect Lina and his family during the unrest while also blaming the King for the riots. King Harry decides who he will give Princess Mary to in marriage and Catherine convinces the King to show mercy to the rioters after revealing she's pregnant.
15| "Faith"| Rebecca Gatward| Simon Tyrrell & Matthew Graham| November 22, 2020 (2020-11-22)| 0.290[15]

Early 1521 – 17 May 1521. Catherine implores King Harry to allow Princess Mary to succeed Harry as Queen, but he prefers their potential unborn son as the heir. Meg continues seeking a way to end her marriage to the Earl of Angus, who in turn, seeks help from King Harry. Harry opines that the Pope could legally end his sister's marriage, causing Catherine to worry. Catherine in turn lends support to Angus by implying Meg is lovers with the Duke of Albany and thus immorally motivated to end her marriage. Meanwhile, a new religion is rising, as are tensions within London and the court. Being both Roman Catholics, Catherine suggests she and Cardinal Wolsey set aside their differences and join forces to stop the Protestant heretics. In a meeting of the Henry VIII court, Lord Stafford is the only holdout to persecution of the Protestants by requesting leniency. Fearing religious persecution of foreigners in England, Morisco Lina confronts Catherine over the future of England. Catherine angrily rejects Lina's opinion, claiming she's defending the true faith. Meg returns to London and is at odds with Catherine over her desire to end her marriage.

Catherine suffers a devastating loss, comforted by Lord Stafford. Cardinal Wolsey plots with Harry to "cleanse" the court, leading to Stafford's criminal trial; Wiltshire (Anne Boleyn's father) and Wolsey testify against Stafford.

Maggie (Henry VIII's aunt) discovers Thomas More's torture chamber for Protestant heretics. Catherine attempts to influence an increasingly paranoid Harry, without success.
16| "Peace"| Rebecca Gatward| Emma Frost & Matthew Graham| November 29, 2020 (2020-11-29)| 0.315[16]

1521 – 1525. As Harry loses himself to madness, the stakes have never been higher for Catherine. Harry accuses Catherine of killing their son and threatens to kill her while banishing Maggie from court. Catherine becomes increasingly desperate, leaning on her daughter and her faith. In Scotland, Meg continues to fight for her son right to the throne of Scotland and reclaims custody of her sons from an exiled Albany. Harry bestows honors upon his son by Bessie Blount. Catherine asks for Mary to be honored as the heir to which Harry says he's waiting to bestow that honor on his son.

The King's sister Mary reveals to Catherine that the King now supports Meg's attempts to annul her marriage, leaving Catherine to wonder about her own fate as Anne Boleyn introduced herself to Henry VIII. Maggie's titles are again attained. Harry again confronts Catherine about whether she consummated her marriage with Arthur, which she again denies. Harry claims that she's the cursed party in their marriage since he's fathered a son. Later, an angry Harry questions Wolsey about divorce when Maggie tells him the truth about Catherine and Arthur.

Oviedo and Lina contemplate leaving England. Meg's son is crowned James V of Scotland with her ruling by his side. Catherine finally confesses to a furious Harry about consummating her marriage with Arthur. Catherine begs Meg for help, but it's denied. At night, Catherine follows Harry and sees him with another woman. Lina and Oviedo decide to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Catherine tells Harry she will live away from court, but she will always be his wife. As she leaves, she tells Anne Boleyn she will never be Queen.

1. ^ a b Some sources refer to the two parts of the limited series as seasons.

## Production[edit]

### Development[edit]

On March 15, 2018, it was announced that Starz had greenlit the production. Emma Frost and Matthew Graham were set to serve as showrunners in addition to executive producing alongside Colin Callender, Scott Huff, Charlie Pattinson, and Charlie Hampton. Production companies All3 Media's New Pictures and Playground were expected to be involved.[17]

On May 17, 2018, it was reported that the first two episodes would be directed by Birgitte Stærmose and that most episodes in the series would be directed by women.[18]

On June 3, 2019, Starz announced that the series would return for another eight episodes and that Graham and Frost "always intended for The Spanish Princess to span 16 episodes, but they wrote a natural stopping place after the first eight just in case."[19] Part two would be broadcast in 2020, with stars Charlotte Hope and Ruairi O'Connor returning to the show as Catherine and Henry,[20] "along with other key cast."[21] It was confirmed on June 9, 2019, by showrunner Emma Frost, that both Georgie Henley and Olly Rix, who portray Meg Tudor and Edward Stafford, would return for the next eight episodes and that Meg's role would be "huge in the back eight" and that "we are totally with her story, we're up in Scotland, we're sort of Spanish Princess meets Outlander" and that Stafford would get some "redemption."[22] Richard Pepper's agent confirmed, on May 8, 2020, that he would return as Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire.[23] Jordan Renzo's return as Charles Brandon was confirmed by the part two teaser trailer on May 7, 2020 and Laura Carmichael's return was confirmed in an interview done by Emma Frost and Matthew Graham; the same interview confirmed that part two would "move around from France to England to Scotland a lot more and tell three interconnected stories."[24]

### Casting[edit]

Alongside the directing announcement, it was confirmed that Charlotte Hope, Stephanie Levi-John, Angus Imrie, Harriet Walter, Laura Carmichael, Ruairi O'Connor, Georgie Henley, Elliot Cowan, Alexandra Moen, Philip Cumbus, Nadia Parkes, Aaron Cobham, Alan McKenna, Richard Pepper, Olly Rix, Jordan Renzo, Daniel Cerqueira, and Alicia Borrachero had been cast in the series.[18]

### Filming[edit]

Principal photography for the series commenced on May 15, 2018, at Wells Cathedral in Wells, Somerset.[25]

Principal photography for part two commenced on September 26, 2019[26] and finished on March 11, 2020,[27] one day before lockdown due to COVID-19. Some filming took place at Mendip Hills, which doubled for Flodden Field.[citation needed]

## Release[edit]

On December 20, 2018, a "first look" still image from the series was released.[28] On January 25, 2019, a teaser trailer for the series was released.[29]

On March 7, 2019, the series was given a May 5, 2019, premiere date.[30] On September 10, 2020, the trailer for part two was released; the eight-episode installment premiered on October 11, 2020.[31]

## Reception[edit]

### Critical response[edit]

The series received mixed to positive reviews in the United States. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, part one of the series has an approval rating of 75% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.13/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Spanish Princess blends soapy melodrama with beautifully rendered historical set-pieces to paint a rounder — if still not fully realized — portrait of an often overlooked queen."[32] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[33]

In Spain, the series caused curiosity upon release, but later received a combination of hard criticisms and tired indifference. It was accused of "wild historical inaccuracy", and has been described by various media as "insulting", "offensive", and "as full of stereotyping as sadly expected". The newspaper ABC wrote that it "invents and humiliates [Catherine's] history."[34] The newspaper 20minutos and the TV guide by eldiario.es both call it "one of the worst shows about Spanish history."[35][36]

### Ratings[edit]

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Spanish Princess No. | Title  | Air date | Rating
(18–49) | Viewers
(millions) | DVR viewers
(millions) | Total viewers
(millions)

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | "The New World"  | May 5, 2019 | 0.05 | 0.393[1] | — | —
2  | "Fever Dream"  | May 12, 2019 | 0.05 | 0.398[2] | 0.464 | 0.862[37]
3  | "An Audacious Plan"  | May 19, 2019 | 0.07 | 0.456[3] | 0.503 | 0.959[38]
4  | "The Battle for Harry"  | May 26, 2019 | 0.07 | 0.500[4] | 0.556 | 1.056[39]
5  | "Heart Versus Duty"  | June 2, 2019 | 0.06 | 0.546[5] | 0.512 | 1.058[40]
6  | "A Polite Kidnapping"  | June 9, 2019 | 0.06 | 0.493[6] | — | —
7  | "All is Lost"  | June 16, 2019 | 0.06 | 0.509[7] | 0.560 | 1.069[41]
8  | "Destiny"  | June 23, 2019 | 0.05 | 0.528[8] | 0.481 | 1.010[42]
9  | "Camelot"  | October 11, 2020 | 0.04 | 0.252[9] | — | —
10  | "Flodden"  | October 18, 2020 | 0.02 | 0.173[10] | — | —
11  | "Grief"  | October 25, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.180[11] | — | —
12  | "The Other Woman"  | November 1, 2020 | 0.02 | 0.233[12] | — | —
13  | "Plague"  | November 8, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.221[13] | — | —
14  | "Field of Cloth of Gold"  | November 15, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.234[14] | — | —
15  | "Faith"  | November 22, 2020 | 0.04 | 0.290[15] | — | —
16  | "Peace"  | November 29, 2020 | 0.02 | 0.315[16] | — | —

## Home media release[edit]

Volume(s)  | DVD release date  | Blu-ray release date

|
|

Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Region A | Region B
Part 1  | 13 August 2019[43] | 12 August 2019[44] | —  | 13 August 2019[45] | —
Part 2  | 20 July 2021[46] | 19 July 2021[47] | —  | —  | —

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (7 May 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.5.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
2. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (14 May 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.12.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
3. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (21 May 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.19.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
4. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (29 May 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.26.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
5. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (4 June 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.2.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
6. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (11 June 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.9.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
7. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (18 June 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.16.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
8. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (25 June 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.23.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
9. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (13 October 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
10. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (20 October 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
11. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (27 October 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
12. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (3 November 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.1.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
13. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (10 November 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.8.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
14. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (17 November 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11-15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
15. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (24 November 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11-22.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
16. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (2 December 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
17. ^ Petski, Denise (15 March 2018). "Starz Greenlights The White Princess Followup Series The Spanish Princess". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
18. ^ a b Petski, Denise (17 May 2018). "The Spanish Princess: Charlotte Hope To Star In The White Princess Follow-Up On Starz". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
19. ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (24 June 2019). "The Spanish Princess creators and star tease what's to come in season 2". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
20. ^ Porter, Rick (3 June 2019). "The Spanish Princess extended by another eight episodes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
21. ^ Maas, Jennifer (3 June 2019). "The Spanish Princess extended by another eight episodes". TheWrap.com. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
22. ^ "AfterBuzz TV Dramas Showrunners Emma Frost & Matthew Graham Guest on The Spanish Princess Season 1 Episode 6". YouTube. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
23. ^ Foster, James (8 May 2020). "Richard Pepper to return as Thomas, Earl of Wiltshire". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
24. ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (7 May 2020). "Get an exclusive first look at The Spanish Princess season 2". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
25. ^ Malloy, Tomas (15 May 2018). "Photos show film crews invading Somerset town for new movie". Somerset Live. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
26. ^ Frost, Emma (26 September 2019). "No Rest For The Royals". Twitter. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
27. ^ Frost, Emma (15 February 2020). "Emma Frost's Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
28. ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (20 December 2018). "Exclusive: Get your first look at Catherine of Aragon in 'The Spanish Princess'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
29. ^ Kosin, Julie (25 January 2019). "The First Trailer for 'The Spanish Princess' Is Here and It's Mesmerizing". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
30. ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (7 March 2019). "The Spanish Princess: Philippa Gregory Adaptation to Debut in May on Starz". TVLine.
31. ^ Kosin, Julie (10 September 2020). "The Spanish Princess Prepares For Battle In The First Trailer For Season 2". elle.com. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
32. ^ "The Spanish Princess: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
33. ^ "The Spanish Princess". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
34. ^ "Los errores históricos de "The Spanish Princess", la serie norteamericana que ridiculiza a Isabel la Católica". 9 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
35. ^ "'The Spanish Princess': ¿la peor serie sobre la historia de España?". Retrieved 10 June 2020.
36. ^ "Las inexactitudes reinan en 'The Spanish Princess', "¿la peor serie sobre la historia de España?"" (in Spanish). 13 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
37. ^ Welch, Alex (29 May 2019). "'Game of Thrones' stays on top of the cable Live +7 ratings for May 6–12". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
38. ^ Welch, Alex (6 June 2019). "'Game of Thrones' finale tops 18-49 and viewer gains: Cable Live +7 ratings for May 13–19". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
39. ^ Welch, Alex (13 June 2019). "'Vanderpump Rules,' 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' get biggest boosts in cable Live +7 ratings for May 20–26". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
40. ^ Welch, Alex (17 June 2019). "'The Hot Zone' posts biggest viewer gains in the cable Live +7 ratings for May 27 – June 2". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
41. ^ Welch, Alex (27 June 2019). "'Big Little Lies' scores big gains in cable Live +7 ratings for June 10–16". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
42. ^ Welch, Alex (9 July 2019). "'Yellowstone' premiere doubles in cable Live +7 ratings for June 17–23". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
43. ^ "Spanish Princess, The (DVD)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
44. ^ "The Spanish Princess (DVD) (2019)". Amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
45. ^ "Spanish Princess, The (Blu-ray)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
46. ^ "The Spanish Princess (2020)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
47. ^ "The Spanish Princess Season 2". Amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* The Spanish Princess at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Works by Philippa Gregory

The Wideacre trilogy|

* Wideacre (1987)
* The Favored Child (1989)
* Meridon (1990)

Plantagenet and
Tudor novels|

| Novels|

* The Other Boleyn Girl (2001)
* The Queen's Fool (2003)
* The Virgin's Lover (2004)
* The Constant Princess (2005)
* The Boleyn Inheritance (2006)
* The Other Queen (2008)
* The White Queen (2009)
* The Red Queen (2010)
* The Lady of the Rivers (2011)
* The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012)
* The White Princess (2013)
* The King's Curse (2014)
* The Taming of the Queen (2015)
* Three Sisters, Three Queens (2016)
* The Last Tudor (2017)

|

Adaptations|

* The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 TV film)
* The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 film)
* The White Queen (2013 TV series)
* The White Princess (2017 miniseries)
* The Spanish Princess (2019 series)

Other novels|

* A Respectable Trade (1995)
* The Little House (1996)

Non-fiction|

* The Women of the Cousins' War (2011)

* v
* t
* e

Starz original programming

Current|

* BMF (since 2021)
* Hightown (since 2020)
* Outlander (since 2014)
* Party Down (2009–10; since 2023)
* Power Book II: Ghost (since 2020)
* Power Book III: Raising Kanan (since 2021)
* Power Book IV: Force (since 2022)
* P-Valley (since 2020)
* The Serpent Queen (since 2022)

Former|

| 2000s debuts|

* The Bronx Bunny Show (2007)
* Crash (2008–09)
* Head Case (2007–09)
* Hollywood Residential (2008)

|

2010s debuts|

* American Gods (2017–21)
* America to Me (2018)
* Ash vs Evil Dead (2015–18)
* Black Sails (2014–17)
* Blunt Talk (2015–16)
* Boss (2011–12)
* Camelot (2011)
* Close to the Enemy (2016)
* Counterpart (2017–19)
* Da Vinci's Demons (2013–15)
* Dublin Murders (2019)
* Flesh and Bone (2015)
* The Girlfriend Experience (2016–21)
* Gravity (2010)
* Howards End (2018)
* Magic City (2012–13)
* The Missing (2014–16)
* Now Apocalypse (2019)
* The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
* Power (2014–20)
* The Rook (2019)
* The Spanish Princess (2019–20)
* Spartacus (2010–13)
* Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)
* Survivor's Remorse (2014–17)
* Sweetbitter (2018–19)
* Vida (2018–20)
* The White Princess (2017)

2020s debuts|

* Becoming Elizabeth (2022)
* Blindspotting (2021–23)
* The BMF Documentary: Blowing Money Fast (2022)
* Confronting a Serial Killer (2021)
* Dangerous Liaisons (2022)
* Death and Nightingales (2021)
* Gaslit (2022)
* Heels (2021–23)
* The Luminaries (2020)
* Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham (2021)
* Minx (season 2; 2023)
* Run the World (2021–23)
* Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (2020)
* Shining Vale (2022–23)
* Step Up (season 3; 2022)
* Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell? (2022)

Upcoming|

* 8 Mile (TBA)
* Mary & George (2024)
* Three Women (TBA)

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template