We’re into Droughtlander and that means many Outlander fans are looking for something new to watch. The Spanish Princess is on its way and here are five reasons to watch it.
The Spanish Princess is one of the upcoming shows on STARZ. Perfectly timed during Droughtlander, it could be the perfect option for Outlander fans.
Before getting into the reasons to watch, you need to know a little about the series. Based on two novels by Philippa Gregory, “The Constant Princess” and “The Kings Curse,” the series focuses on Catherine of Aragon. Initially the wife of Arthur Tudor, she marries his brother Henry after Arthur’s death.
Catherine of Aragon didn’t have the happiest of lives between her husband dying and marrying Henry Tudor. However, she’s often seen as a weaker woman, constantly at the mercy of men. And while, as a woman, she would have been at the mercy of men, she wasn’t as weak as many play her to be.
The Spanish Princess is going to give us a tale of her life, as a wife, a widow, and a future queen. But, as an Outlander fan, why should you give it a chance? Here are my top five reasons why.
5. It’s a continuation of other STARZ shows
If you love The White Queen and The White Princess, this is a show for you. The Spanish Princess is a continuation of the first two shows, something that many fans of The White Princess asked to see.
Like the others, there is a change of cast. Because of the time jump, new people are playing Henry VII of England and his wife Elizabeth of York. There are new people in the roles of Arthur Tudor.
Charlotte Hope plays Catherine of Aragon, known for roles in The Theory of Everything, Allied, and The Nun. More importantly, Game of Thrones fans will recognize her, as she played Myranda, the crazed lover of Ramsey Bolton. However, you won’t recognize her from the accent, as she’s certainly practiced the Spanish accent for the role.
Unlike some other period dramas, the show hasn’t given everyone generic upper class and lower class British accents to set the class of the people. There are local accents similarly to the previous STARZ shows to make the show more authentic.
This is something Outlander has offered. The French had French accents and the Scots had have Highlander accents. Focus is on quality with this series.
4. It’s a role an Outlander actor has played before
Outlander Season 4 introduced Maria Doyle Kennedy as Aunt Jocasta Cameron. This is a link to The Spanish Princess that you won’t want to overlook. Doyle Kennedy took on the role of Catherine of Aragon in another show — and took on the Spanish accent at the same time.
Doyle Kennedy was Henry VIII’s first wife in The Tudors, which aired on SHOWTIME for four seasons. She was in the first two seasons, sharing the role of Catherine in Henry’s life from the start of the end of their marriage to the end of her life.
The Spanish Princess gives an earlier time period of Catherine’s life. It will help to fill in some of the gaps. This is a chance to find out how Henry and Catherine fell in love and why the two got married. It will also delve more into why Henry later believed his marriage to Catherine was invalid.
You may want to watch The Tudors first to see Doyle Kennedy’s performance. Remember that this is of Catherine at different points of her life so try not to compare too much. However, it’s a good way to get a sense of what to expect.
3. It’s another STARZ production
We can’t overlook that this is STARZ. You likely already have a STARZ subscription for Outlander. Even though we’re in Droughtlander, there will be many of you who still have access to the STARZ app. It’s the only way you can watch the show right now, until the DVD release at least.
What’s not clear yet is when The Spanish Princess is coming to STARZ. The show is set for a spring release, but that could be any time from the end of March to the end of June.
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Supporting other STARZ productions is good for your favorite. It shows that you’re interested in the original content the company is putting out. This puts more money into the company as a whole, which can help with the budgeting of other shows across the network.
In between the episodes of The Spanish Princess, you’ll be able to watch more of your favorite shows. This is a chance to keep watching Outlander during Droughtlander, which will further help to show that you’re interested in the show. The best way to make it clear more episodes are needed is by watching it through the STARZ app — this is the best way for the company to track just how much you watch the series.
2. The Spanish Princess is another period drama about a strong woman
One of the elements that fans love about Outlander is the period drama aspect. The Spanish Princess is one of those shows. Not just that, but it’s a British-set period drama.
The series is set during the later period of Henry VII’s reign and into the earlier period of Henry VIII’s reign. However, it’s not mostly about the men in the world. Like Outlander, the show is focused on a strong woman of the time. Catherine of Aragon has to work on remaining in England, becoming queen, and fighting for her own happiness.
With it being a period drama, it means lots of beautiful costumes and research. While it is based on Philippa Gregory’s books and she’s not known to be the most historically accurate, she does do her own research. Her fiction novels are based on her opinions developed from her research and that will be shown on the screen.
Expect costumes that are accurate to the time period. While there isn’t the same interaction on social media as we’ve been used to with Outlander (and that’s not going to be the case moving forward with Outlander either), there is the chance to see the amount of research that goes into the sets and costumes to create something that looks like it belongs in the time period.
1. This is another book adaptation
As mentioned, The Spanish Princess is based on two novels by Gregory. It’s the adaptation of novels from decades earlier that as drawn some of the people into the series.
Both of Gregory’s books are works of fiction but focused on some of the more prominent people in history. This is where things differ from Outlander. After all, Outlander includes the odd prominent figure from history but focuses mostly on the lives of Claire and Jamie, and their family.
Gregory’s books aren’t as old as Diana Gabaldon’s novels — although some of Gregory’s works dates back to the 90s. “The Constant Princess” was released in 2005 and “The King’s Curse” was released in 2014.
The fact that the series combines too books together makes this even more interesting. The two novels aren’t as long as any of the Outlander books but combined they certainly raise an issue of time constraints.
This isn’t the first time multiple books have been combined. The White Queen was a combination of three books and managed to combine them extremely well, so there’s hope for The Spanish Princess.
Are you watching the upcoming STARZ Original? What are you watching during Droughtlander? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The Spanish Princess will premiere sometime in the spring on STARZ.