The Spanish Princess has captivated audiences with its lush costumes and dramatic portrayal of Catherine of Aragon’s early years, but how accurate is this Tudor-era television series when held up against the historical record? Based on Philippa Gregory’s novel, the show blends fact with fiction, often taking significant liberties with real events, characters, and timelines. In this essay, we’ll explore the historical inaccuracies in The Spanish Princess, separating the dramatized narrative from the documented truth about Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, and the Tudor court.
With over 25 years of studying the Tudor period and a seven-book Tudor historical fiction series to my name, I bring a well-researched and passionate perspective to the lives of Henry VII, Catherine of Aragon, and the court that shaped them. If you enjoy peeling back the layers of fact and fiction in Tudor dramas, you’ll feel right at home here, and maybe even find yourself intrigued enough to explore my novels that bring this world to life in rich, imaginative detail.
Episode 6: The Field of Cloth of Gold
Catherine and Henry’s alliance with France reaches a dazzling high during the famed summit of 1520. Lavish costumes, political theater, and the pressure of royal diplomacy make The Spanish Princess Season 2 Episode 6 a visual and emotional spectacle. As Catherine navigates the pageantry, cracks deepen in her marriage—and the future of the Tudor line grows more uncertain.
Charles V Was Not There
The Field of the Cloth of Gold got its name from the literal gold-brocaded tents both monarchs set up to impress, flatter, and outshine one another. This 1520 summit between Henry VIII and Francis I of France was all about prestige and diplomacy, full of feasts, jousts, archery contests, wrestling matches, fountains of wine, and ridiculous levels of pageantry.
Charles V was not there and he would not have shown up without an invitation! In the show, he gives Henry a Spanish Andalusian stallion, and calls Wolsey the “other king” to his face, which would have been a breach of protocol and didn’t happen. In real history, Charles had already met with Henry and Catherine earlier, as part of his separate diplomacy tour. Gift-giving, especially of horses, was certainly a thing among royals, and yes, Andalusians were prized for their strength and training, but the lethal “kick like my mother’s horse” line is pure fiction.
The Timeline Is… a Hot Mess
The show crams together historical events from across the decade. Here’s what it mangles:
- Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon married in 1515, secretly at first, and were later forgiven by Henry after Wolsey’s intervention and after paying a hefty fine. He allowed them a public marriage at Greenwich two months later to legitimize the match according to court protocols.
- The Field of Cloth of Gold was in 1520.
- Henry FitzRoy was in 1519.
- The London Riots took place in 1517.
Yet in the episode, all of this happens… at the same time. Brandon and Mary act as if they just came from the French court and request permission to return to England. FitzRoy is already toddling around, with his mother instilled in a London residence. And Catherine’s court is flitting between riots and wrestling matches.
Yes, Henry and Francis Wrestled (No, Not Because of an Insult)
One thing the show sort of gets right is the wrestling match. Henry VIII and Francis I did wrestle each other, but not over a personal slight. Francis would never have insulted Henry to his face on their first meeting, since he wanted this alliance as much as England did. He would not have referenced Catherine being married to Arthur, or cast aspersions on her honor and how it reflected on divine punishment. The wrestling match was a display of friendly competition and mutual masculinity. Henry lost (to his great embarrassment), but he and Francis remained cordial throughout the event and even competed in archery afterward (he won!). No insults. No brooding. Just some good old-fashioned kingly posturing.
The London Riots of 1517: A Missed Opportunity
The episode weaves in the London Riots of 1517, which were real, violent, and rooted in xenophobia (you can read my essay about it here). The cause? English resentment over foreigners, especially the influx of Spanish, Flemish, and Italian immigrants who competed for jobs and lowered wages. Many of them came to England with the Spanish entourage when Catherine arrived; not only did they flood the court, but other Spaniards saw this as an opportunity to create a new life in London. With them came Spanish bankers, textile merchants, and laborers, followed by immigrants from other countries.
Having Lena attacked and forced into Bessie Blount’s house for her own safety brings emotional weight to the threat the riots posed to the lives of the immigrants, but the show misses the perfect moment to feature Thomas More. As Undersheriff of London (from 1510-1518), he famously tried to turn back the mob himself. This was a defining moral stand that could have shown his courage and popularity with the people, something later episodes completely ignore in favor of soapy drama and slander.
In real life, the riots resulted in 500 arrests, the majority of them from Thomas Howard when he rode his army in to protect London. (He can’t in this narrative, because he has been banished from court because… I forget the reason. It was stupid.) The most powerful scene in the real story? Catherine of Aragon walking into the cathedral to kneel before Henry and plead for the boys’ lives, many of them just teens. That moment cemented her public image as the merciful, noble queen. She wasn’t just a foreign princess; in that moment, she became the people’s queen. Beloved because of the lives she saved, and her grace and mercy toward those who wronged her by attacking her countrymen. And that legacy helped win her public support years later during her divorce.
Why that moment in favor of a quiet argument between her and Henry about what to do with the prisoners didn’t make it into the show is beyond me. (I get it. Budget restraints!)
FitzRoy’s Premature Cameo
Lena and Oviedo shelter with Bessie Blount and baby Henry FitzRoy… except he wasn’t born until 1519, two years after the riots and a year before the Field of Gold.
As for losing Princess Mary in the crowd? Henry VIII took over 5,000 people to France with him. Where were they when the royal family rides through a riot-strewn London? Even if the city were in chaos, they would have awaited offshore for Howard to restore order and not stumbled into the midst of it, risking their lives in the process. Mary would not have been trotting around on a pony alone, and certainly not during a riot. The royal family traveled with more security than a modern-day presidential convoy.
Catherine’s “Feminist Awakening” Is a Travesty
In one of the episode’s more infuriating moments, Catherine meets Rosa, her former lady-in-waiting, who essentially shames her into realizing that her daughter Mary might be worth educating.
…Excuse me?
Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of Isabella of Castile, one of the most powerful queens in history. Isabella ruled in her own right, commanded armies, launched exploration ventures, and spread Catholicism throughout Spain. Catherine was raised to value female rulership.
She wouldn’t have needed someone else to tell her Mary was important. She absolutely would have seen Mary as a viable future queen and taken steps early to ensure she was educated like one. She hired Spanish tutors, emphasized classical education, and raised her daughter to embody both piety and political skill. Mary was intelligent and well-educated for her age.
The real Catherine wasn’t indifferent. She was deeply maternal, devoted to her daughter, and proud of her heritage. This scene betrays her legacy as both a woman and a mother. I hate that the show paints her as discrediting her daughter’s potential, while attempting to control and dominate the men around her. You can’t have her be a feminist (by making her even more of one than she actually was) and yet clueless about her own daughter’s potential. It’s inconsistent.
Step Back in Time with The Tudor Throne Series
While The Spanish Princess revamps Catherine’s story with dramatic flair, The Tudor Throne Series offers you a more historically accurate interpretation to the tapestry of events in her young life. Set earlier during Catherine of Aragon’s formative years, each novel blends rich historical details (family loyalties, dynastic alliances, and peril) with the emotional depth and suspense you crave.
