Philippa Gregory Novels Will Be Basis of New Starz Drama The Spanish Princess

Starz’s royal court is getting rather full: The premium cabler has greenlit The Spanish Princess, a limited series based on two Philippa Gregory novels, TVLine has learned.

Like The White Queen and The White Princess that preceded it, The Spanish Princess will take place in Tudor England and will follow the machinations of its monarchs. Unlike the previous series, however, the eight-episode Spanish Princess is based on material in two of Gregory’s best-selling books: The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse. In addition, the saga will depict the lives of people of color in 16th-century London.

The official logline:

Catherine of Aragon, is the beautiful teenaged princess of Spain who was 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 lady-in-waiting Lina — an African Moor. She is Princess of Wales now, but when her husband Prince Arthur dies suddenly, the throne seems lost to Catherine. Until she claims her marriage was never consummated and that as a virgin she may set her sights on the new heir, the charismatic and headstrong Prince Harry who will one day rule as King Henry VIII.

“Starz is committed to its ongoing programming strategy to provide premium content highlighting the untold stories of strong women in history,” Carmi Zlotnik, Starz president of programming, said via statement. “We have a passionate fanbase who embraces female-led stories like The White Queen and The White Princess and are excited to continue with Catherine of Aragon’s story in The Spanish Princess.”

The White Queen/White Princess‘ Emma Frost will serve as showrunner and executive producer alongside Matthew Graham (Life on Mars). Playground and All3 Media’s New Pictures will produce.