# The Spanish Princess (2019)

> A Spanish princess navigates the treacherous English royal court in pursuit of power and a throne.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/73417

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Matthew Graham, Emma Frost
- Network: STARZ
- Cast: Charlotte Hope, Elliot Cowan, Ruairí O'Connor, Laura Carmichael, Philip Cumbus, Georgie Henley, Stephanie Levi-John, Sai Bennett
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8417308/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: brooding, intense, sumptuous, tense, melancholic

## What critics say

Reviewers and audiences found The Spanish Princess a mixed but watchable royal drama, with strong lead performances and lavish production offset by uneven plotting and a loose adaptation of its source history.

## Synopsis

The Spanish Princess (2019-2020) is a US-produced historical period drama created by Matthew Graham and Emma Frost for STARZ. Charlotte Hope plays Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess who arrives in the English royal court and navigates its dangerous lineage with a fierce eye on the throne. Ruairí O'Connor appears as Henry VIII, whose volatile favour and dynastic demands shape her every move, while Laura Carmichael plays her loyal confidante Maggie Pole and Philip Cumbus portrays the scheming cleric Thomas Wolsey. Across sixteen episodes over two seasons, the engine of the show is survival through alliance, marriage and intrigue, as Catherine must outmaneuver rivals, advisors and a court that doubts a foreign woman's right to rule. Each episode is built from conspiratorial councils, private chamber negotiations, and the constant cost of royal succession. Set in sixteenth century England and Spain, the series carries a lavish costume aesthetic and a brooding, intense tone, with courtly menace and moments of raw ambition. Fans of The Tudors, Wolf Hall and The White Queen will find resonance in its blend of dynastic politics and fiercely drawn female ambition.

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- [Isabel (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/38640)
- [The Great (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/79346)
- [Victoria (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/59311)
- [Máxima (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/158165)
- [Becoming Elizabeth (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/123832)
- [The White Queen (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/51114)
- [Elizabeth I (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/12403)
- [Wolf Hall (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/54963)

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