Television series

The Spanish Princess

Name: The Spanish Princess
Genre: Drama, History
Released: 2019
Cast: Charlotte Hope, Stephanie Levi-John, Laura Carmichael, Ruairi O'Connor, Aaron Cobham

Period drama

The Spanish Princess recounts Catherine of Aragon's arrival in Tudor England with political ambition, sharp intelligence, and iron resolve. It's a richly costumed court drama that centers women's power and agency, expanding the canvas to include the overlooked lives of Black Londoners in the 16th century. Lush, female-focused, politically shrewd.

TVMaze rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like court intrigue seen from the women's side of the table, with marriage politics and rivalries in Tudor England told with a sharp eye for who really holds the power.

Skip it if you want a tight, fast-moving costume drama; this one takes its time over letters, negotiations and waiting rooms, and its pace can feel stately to the point of slow.

What it asks of you: Sixteen hour-long episodes across two seasons, so it wants a long commitment; it moves at a patient, unhurried clip and rewards sustained attention more than channel-surfing.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Other Boleyn Girl2008

A sister rivalry at the Tudor court with similar scale and glamour. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson tear into ambitious women navigating Henry VIII's unpredictability and desire. Sweeping, gossipy, visually sumptuous.

But The historical liberties are extreme and the tone sometimes feels soap-opera lightweight compared to the weight of real consequence.

Wolf Hall2015

A BBC miniseries about Thomas Cromwell's rise that shares the Spanish Princess's fascination with Tudor intrigue and power. Dense, intelligent, and anchored by Mark Rylance's quietly terrifying performance. Addictive once it clicks.

But Deliberately paced and shot in muted tones. If you want constant spectacle and music swells, this demands more patience than the Spanish Princess does.

Reign2013

Another female-centered historical drama following Mary Queen of Scots. Bold costumes, political scheming, romance, betrayal. It leans into melodrama in a way that feels fun rather than exhausting, with genuine character development beneath the intrigue.

But The historical accuracy takes a back seat to narrative momentum. Some find the soap-opera pacing and invented plot points annoying rather than entertaining.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Spanish Princess

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Queen Margot1994

Both center women navigating impossible political marriages in the 16th century. Both insist that the women are the story—not decoration around men's ambitions.

A French film about religious war and royal marriage in 16th-century France, made with Baroque excess and blood-soaked ambition. Patrice Chéreau's vision of the period is sensual, violent, and utterly committed to moral complexity. Virna Lisi as Catherine de Medici is unforgettable.

But Graphic violence and sexuality throughout. The pacing is operatic and slow-burn; if you want plot momentum over visual immersion, this will feel indulgent and remote.

The Crown2016

An epic examination of power, duty, and the emotional weight of bearing a crown. Claire Foy's performance in the early seasons is masterful. Gorgeous production design and a willingness to sit with quiet, difficult moments.

But Later seasons become increasingly speculative about recent events in ways that feel presumptuous. Also much longer and slower—this is not a binge-and-forget show.

Becoming Elizabeth2022

Focuses on the young, brilliant Elizabeth before she became queen, navigating dangerous court politics and survival. Alicia von Rittberg carries it with intelligence. Darker and grittier than the Spanish Princess, but similarly interested in young women's agency.

But Only one season. The pacing is uneven and some supporting characters feel thin, making investment harder than it should be.

The Tudors2007

A sweeping, sensual chronicle of Henry VIII's reign with sex, murder, and constant political upheaval. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is magnetic. If you want accessible, dramatic, gorgeously made Tudor storytelling, this is the gold standard.

But Henry VIII is the focus, not his wives. The show is sometimes more concerned with spectacle than character depth, and some seasons lose momentum.

Mary Queen of Scots2018

A visually arresting two-hour film about power, ambition, and female rivalry. Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan are excellent. The cinematography is striking and the female gaze is sharp throughout.

But Heavy-handed in places and compresses decades of history into moments. Some find the modern sensibility undermines period authenticity.

The White Queen2013

BBC miniseries about Elizabeth Woodville navigating the Wars of the Roses. It has the same DNA as the Spanish Princess—women as political actors, sumptuous design, focus on power rather than romance. Intelligent and compulsively watchable.

But Only three episodes means some characters feel shortchanged. The scope is smaller than the Spanish Princess, which some find disappointing.

Downton Abbey2010

Different era entirely, but shares a fascination with how power, class, and gender intersect within rigid hierarchies. Beautifully written, with a large cast of women with agency and secrets. Warm and witty without being flippant.

But Very British, very genteel. If you want Spanish court intrigue and darker stakes, this is safer and narrower in scope.

Black Mirror2011

Both explore what happens when women's bodies and choices are treated as political property. Both ask what a person becomes when agency is systematically removed.

Completely different genre, but a startling meditation on consent, agency, and being trapped in someone else's story. It's harrowing and brilliant, with the same interest in how power corrupts intimacy that runs through the Spanish Princess. One episode that hits harder than many full seasons.

But Science fiction rather than period drama. Brutal and psychologically dark in ways the Spanish Princess never aims for. Some find it too nihilistic to rewatch.

Beloved1998

Both insist on centering the inner lives of people whom history has sidelined or erased. Both are about reclaiming narrative from those who would deny it.

Toni Morrison's novel adapted with Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. A ghost story about trauma, freedom, and the weight of impossible love. The Spanish Princess expands its canvas to include Black lives in 16th-century London; Beloved demands that slavery's interior emotional life be taken seriously. Haunting and necessary.

But Dense, sometimes fragmentary in structure. Emotionally heavy and not comforting. Some find it deliberately difficult in ways that resist easy viewing.