SonyLIV’s latest show, The Spanish Princess is a historical costume drama set in 1501. The plot revolves around Princess Catherine of Aragon, who was engaged to Arthur, Prince of Wales since they were kids, in order to strengthen ties between England and Spain.
When Catherine finally travels to England to meet her husband by proxy, she struggles to adapt to English customs along with an unwelcoming attitude by some members of the royal family. Destiny, however, had other plans for the young princess as Arthur suddenly dies due to a mysterious illness. A widowed Catherine is determined to not return to Spain and give up being the queen of England. In the process, she sets her eyes on Arthur’s younger brother, prince Harry, who is more attractive and strong-willed.
The narrative moves forward with Catherine’s unwillingness to accept defeat in the face of adversities such as her own mother, as well as the king’s mother standing against her. But what makes the show worth a watch is the young woman’s strong and assertive nature. She is full of grit, which makes her story rather intriguing.
The show has fictitious elements and is a must watch for hardcore history lovers who don’t mind mixing some drama with facts. However, if you enjoy watching royal dramas, this one will keep you hooked too. There is no dearth of romance and drama, and the lavish sets made keeping the era in mind further make the show worth our while. This is why, perhaps, it was reportedly extended for another eight episodes.
The performance of the supporting cast are indeed noteworthy – Laura Carmichael as Maggie Pole, Angus Imrie as Arthur and Aaron Cobham as Oviedo. Another character we couldn’t overlook was that of Lina De Cardonnes, the princess’ primary lady-in-waiting, played by Stephanie Levi-John. She has a parallel track of her own and despite being way down in the hierarchy, she often gives sane advice to the princess. All of this, while she struggles with a forbidden love affair of her own, which will be a major roadblock if she wants to secure her future.
The Spanish Princess explores the pre-Elizabethan era, a time not too widely explored by storytellers and scriptwriters. It focusses on the power struggle which dates back 500 years, a time when England was poor and needed Spain’s wealth to sustain. Now how many times do we see that, right?! Another reason why you should binge watch the show right away!
This post is a paid partnership with SonyLIV India.
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