Entertainment
On Sunday, May 5, Starz adds its third miniseries from the mind of Philippa Gregory. Following The White Queen and The White Princess, comes The Spanish Princess, a show based on two of Gregory's best-selling historical fiction novels — The Constant Princess and The King's Curse. As with its predecessors, the new Starz series will feature strong women from English history. But this time, the story will follow Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife. And while the hype behind the first two limited-series might be enough for some fans, the cast of The Spanish Princess will make the third installment a must-watch.
Per Starz, The Spanish Princess will tell "a vivid and captivating story told uniquely from the point of view of the women, which also sheds light on a previously untold corner of history: the lives of people of color in 16th century London." Not only will the miniseries follow the Princess of Spain as she arrives in England, but also her surprisingly diverse court, including ladies-in-waiting Lina and Rose. That being said, this isn't a Disney production and Catherine's life isn't a fairytale. After Catherine marries Prince Arthur, he dies and suddenly, her claim to the throne vanishes. That is, until she sets her sights on Prince Harry, the new heir and future king.
Now that you know what The Spanish Princess is all about, it's time to meet the cast behind each character. Who knows? You might even recognize a few familiar faces.
Charlotte Hope As Catherine Of Aragon
According to her iMDB profile, Charlotte Hope has been in the business since 2010. However, if you're a massive Game of Thrones fan, then you're going to remember Hope as Myranda, Ramsay Bolton's — equally sadistic — lover. While Myranda ultimately met her demise thanks to Theon Greyjoy, Hope moved on to star in The Theory of Everything as Phillipa Hawking and The Nun as Sister Victoria.
Stephanie Levi-John As Lina de Cardonnes
Stephanie Levi-John plays one of Catherine's important ladies-in-waiting, Lina. However, The Spanish Princess is one of Levi-John's first roles. Per her iMDB profile, the newcomer has starred in a short called Diversion and appeared in a single episode of the Irish television series, Striking Out.
Nadia Parkes As Rosa
Nadia Parkes plays Rosa, another one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting. But if you thought that she looked familiar, you are mistaken. Parkes' acting resume is even shorter than Levi-John's and The Spanish Princess is her first credited role.
Harriet Walter As Margaret Beaufort
Chances are, you've seen Harriet Walter at some point. The actress who plays Margaret Beaufort has been building quite the career for herself since the late 70s and has since starred in Sense and Sensibility as Fanny Dashwood, The Young Victoria as Queen Adelaide, and Downton Abbey as Lady Shackleton — just to name a few.
Laura Carmichael As Maggie Pole
While she might play Maggie in The Spanish Princess, fans of Downton Abbey know Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley. While the Masterpiece Classic was Carmichael's breakout role, she has been in a few small projects since. In 2016, she appeared in Marcella as Maddy Stevenson and played Muriel Williams in A United Kingdom.
Aaron Cobham As Oviedo
In The Spanish Princess, Aaron Cobham plays Oviedo, an African-Iberian crossbowman. Per his iMDB profile, Cobham has a few projects under his belt, but the Starz series will be his first major role in a television series.
Ruairi O'Connor As Prince Harry Tudor
Portraying Prince Harry Tudor is Ruairi O'Connor. Like many of the other actors in The Spanish Princess cast, O'Connor doesn't have a long list of past roles. But, he has appeared in the television series, Delicious, as Michael Vincent, and Teen Spirit at Keyan Spears.
Elliot Cowan As King Henry Tudor
Elliot Cowan plays King Henry Tudor in The Spanish Princess, and there's a chance that you might recognize him from his previous roles — or even just his voice. According to iMDB, Cowan played Daron-Vex in Krypton and Abrecan in the miniseries Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands. Cowan has also lent his voice to a few video games, voicing characters in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Alexandra Moen As Queen Elizabeth
Alexandra Moen, who plays Queen Elizabeth, has been in quite a few high-profile projects. She starred as Lucy Saxon in Doctor Who, Frances Barbary in Dickensian, and Petra in Fortitude, alongside Dennis Quaid.
Georgie Henley As Meg Tudor
Ever wondered what happened to the kids from The Chronicles of Narnia franchise? Well, Georgie Henley, who played Lucy Pevensie, will now star in The Spanish Princess as Meg Tudor. Following The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010, Henley took on a few projects here and there. However, The Spanish Princess will be her first major television series to date.
The Spanish Princess premieres May 5 on Starz.
