The Spanish Princess

I watched with an open mind, and hoping it would at least hold a candle to the previous two series: The White Queen, and The White Princess. It didn't. The characters were off beat from the preceding shows. When The White Princess followed the The White Queen, the director, and casting management really did a great job of finding actors that fit the roles of their predecessors. It was done so well, that I didn't even need to hear their name to know who everyone was in most cases.

This latest effort fails terribly in that department, as King Henry is a doofus, and his son is homely, I can't even look at him. The son of Henry should be attractive, as in the prior series the parents were extremely attractive. So, if the idea that the preordained Princess from Spain is semi attractive, and Prince Arthur is homely, is the opening premise for this show, and none of the characters seem to be the same character they were in the previous two series I liked, and the sets are a low budget version of its predecessors, then I will pass on this mess.

I hoped for the Tudors, expected the White Queen, but its more like Reign. Too much Soap Opera than History Drama Piece. Only for Genre Fans

This review comes after only the first 3 episodes. I was excited at the prospect of seeing the story of Catherine of Aragon, which usually is only a sideline to the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. Now, I'm aware that historical dramas cannot be totally factual in every way for good reason, but I find it disconcerting to twist what is known to be true in a massive way. In just 3 episodes I have witnessed countless discrepancies that are just too glaring to be ignored. Most egregious is portraying Henry, Arthur's much younger brother, as being the same age as he and Catherine. I think I understand their reasoning, but it cuts down my star rating (among other glaring mistakes) by quite a bit. I watch historical pieces for the history as much as the drama. And really, this story has plenty of real-life drama which doesn't need made up stuff to be interesting. Hopefully the rest of this series won't be as big a disappointment, since I intend to keep watching anyway.

The White Queen was very lurid but it was entertaining.

The White Princess was very lurid and it was NOT entertaining.

The Spanish Princess, well . . . . At least Catharine has red hair.

If you know absolutely nothing of this era, this is your show. If you do, you must ignore the very obvious historical inconsistencies.

Honestly, why? They have the money. The history is very interesting on its own. I am so disappointed, Catherine of Aragon deserved better.