Starz Hands ‘The Spanish Princess’ Additional Eight-Episode Order

Starz has handed The Spanish Princess a second run of eight episodes, with the Lionsgate broadcaster saying Monday that will bring to an end the limited series telling the story of Catherine of Aragon.

Charlotte Hope and Ruairi O’Connor return in their roles as Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, respectively, while showrunners and exec producers Emma Frost and Matthew Graham will also remain in their roles.

This comes as The Spanish Princess premiered on May 5. The series is produced by Playground and All3 Media’s New Pictures and based on Philippa Gregory’s book The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse.

The Spanish Princess is the third in a trilogy that began with The White Queen, which was a co-production with the BBC, and The White Princess, which starred Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer. Neither of the previous series were handed additional episodes.

Although there are currently no other projects in the works at Starz, Gregory has written other books that could be used as source material for further projects.

Returning to the world of Tudor royal court intrigue, The Spanish Princess is told 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, living and working in 16th century London.

Catherine of Aragon (Hope) is the strong-willed young Princess of Spain, who has been promised the English throne since she was a child. She arrives in a grey, rain-lashed England with her glorious and diverse court including her ladies-in-waiting Lina (Stephanie Levi-John) – a Spanish noble of African Iberian descent – and the sweet and free-spirited Rosa (Nadia Parkes). When her husband Prince Arthur dies suddenly, the throne seems lost to Catherine until she devises an audacious plan and sets her sights on the new heir, the charismatic and headstrong Prince Harry who will one day rule as King Henry VIII.

“We are thrilled to tell the next chapter of Catherine of Aragon’s story as she negotiates war, politics and marriage to the most dangerous King of England,” said Frost and Graham. Adding, “As a company that always produces compelling and dynamic projects, Starz has been a great creative partner and we look forward to concluding Catherine’s journey with them.”

“Emma and Matthew have created an alluring portrait of one of the most familiar narratives in English history,” added Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch. “Viewers are intrigued by Catherine of Aragon’s story and this eight-episode conclusion will give us the opportunity to tell it in its entirety.”