Starz recent limited series, The Spanish Princess, has garnered enough attention and praise to warrant a second season. According to Variety, the show will receive eight additional episodes to tell the next and more familiar chapter in Tudor history, when the titular character rules as the first wife of the man who would be King Henry VIII. As such, regular cast members will be returning, including the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) and Prince Harry (Ruairi O’Connor), her betrothed. Showrunners and executive producers Emma Frost and Matthew Graham will also be returning to their roles.
The show follows the teenaged princess as she makes her way in a foreign land full of political intrigue. At a tenuous time in history, her marriage to a British monarch could solidify certain alliances but only if an heir is produced. History buffs may remember King Henry VIII as one of the men responsible for the concept of divorce, and the Church of England, so it will be interesting to see if there’s any mention of a certain Boleyn girl next season.
The Wrap reports that this is the Starz network’s third installment in series of adaptations of works by author Philippa Gregory. Gregory is known for her broad historical romance and fantasy and has even released a suggested reading order for her different books. So far, Starz seems to be following both history and the reading order, having previously released The White Queen and The White Princess, with ten and eight episodes respectively. While the first two series are based on books of the same name, The Spanish Princess is actually based on two books, The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse. Observant fans might remember the late 2000s film, The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson was also based on a Gregory novel. However, the time period portrayed in that film is just after what is most likely about to be portrayed in the second season of The Spanish Princess.
One thing that the show does that is so different from other period pieces, but gets correct in its storytelling is its inclusion of people of color. Period pieces are often prone to excluding women and people of color, something the entertainment industry is slowly pulling itself out of, but in this show they made an effort at inclusivity. One of the princess’s ladies-in-waiting, Lina (Stephanie Levi-John) is a Spanish noble of African Iberian descent notes Deadline.
The final three episodes of The Spanish Princess air on Sunday through the Starz network or as an add-on through other streaming services.