Alright Outlander fans, if you’re like us, you’re going through serious “Droughtlander” withdrawal and need your fix of love, war, and gore. So, it’s a good thing Starz‘ The Spanish Princess is returning Sunday, October 11, because this royal drama has it all.
At the end of part one, we saw Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) risk everything to become queen. It appeared that she had everything she ever wanted: a husband, a baby, and a seat on England’s throne. But as we know all too well, nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. As the series returns, the stakes are higher than ever as we see the monarch struggle to fight for the love and power she worked so hard to attain.
“A wife, queen, warrior, politician, mother, and friend,” Hope told The Knockturnal of the many roles her character Catherine juggles. “It’s such a gift to play a character that is so many things because that’s what women are. So many of us are trying to do it all, all the time. I think it’s really exciting to see that battle on-screen in one woman.”
It’s not often we see history through the lens of strong and powerful female characters. “I love that the story focuses on the female perspective,” Hope shared of the series. And the other women of The Spanish Princess also share the same sentiment. Downton Abbey actress Laura Carmichael, plays Margaret Pole, one of two women in 16th-century England to be a peeress in her own right with no titled husband. Carmichael told The Knockturnal that the show really explores what choices women had at the time and “how it’s so often stifling.”
While Queen Catherine may be ruling over the most glamorous court in Europe and beloved by her people, she is not equal to her husband, King Henry VIII. Executive producer Emma Frost said in an interview that part two of the series focuses on the two monarchs trying to be equal. “They very much start out on an equal footing. The story is about how Catherine struggles to maintain that equality because other things are expected of her as a woman.” Her marriage and entire life become under threat as she struggles to produce an heir. Despite proving herself a politician, a diplomat, a national inspiration, and even a military commander, Catherine must battle to save her love and her King, and protect her adopted country from chaos. A pretty small feat, right?
Part two of The Spanish Princess premieres Sunday, October 11 on Starz.
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Before you go, click here to see which other British dramas you should be watching right now.
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