Synced & corrected by QueenMaddie www.addic7ed.com
_
The year of our Lord 1501.
Spain is wealthy, but fears for its political power.
Queen Isabella overthrew a thousand years of Muslim rule
and must have Catholic allies to maintain her sovereignty.
And England faces poverty.
Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth have long needed rich allies
to deter invasion from France and Scotland.
Both believe an alliance is vital to solve their problems,
and so a match has been made between their eldest son
and heir to the Tudor throne, Prince Arthur,
and the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon.
This alliance will eventually make Catherine the Queen of England.
She has been promised this since she was a small child.
The fortunes of both kingdoms and the security of Europe
rest upon Catherine's young shoulders
as she leaves her palace home
to make the arduous journey across Spain
to the ship that will carry her to England.
But achieving her God-given destiny comes at a price...
For Catherine may never see her beloved homeland again.
"My own darling, my dearest spouse,
I feel a strong desire to embrace you.
Your letters have delighted me
and your passion rendered me so smitten.
Let your coming to me be hastened,
that the love between us reaps its joy and proper fruit.
Your Highness' most loving spouse,
- Arthur." - Arthur.
Highness?
Is it foolish to believe myself in love
with a man whom I have never met?
You love God,
and you have never met Him, either.
I hope God has not read my letters back to Arthur,
or he would not think me so devout.
Good morning, madre.
_
Highness!
Daughter of Spain.
Queen of England.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain. Queen of England.
Wife to Prince Arthur. Daughter of Spain.
Queen of England. Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain. Queen of England. Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain!
Queen of England! Wife to Prince Arthur!
Wife to Prince Arthur. Daughter of Spain.
Queen of England. Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain. Daughter of Spain!
Queen of England! Wife to Prince Arthur!
Daughter of Spain.
Queen of England.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
_
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God...
Henry.
Have you had news?
First we're told her brother dies and her mother cannot spare her.
Then the princess has a fever, and again she is delayed,
and now I hear some Moorish rebellion blocks her passage.
Are you sure God isn't trying to keep her from us, Lizzie?
God tests her resolve and ours,
but every threat is overcome,
so it seems to me that God protects our princess
and brings her to us.
My bride has sailed, mother?
She has, so you must leave for Dogmersfield House,
where she will break the journey and you may meet.
Are you not coming with me?
Your new brother cannot bear the journey.
Richard Pole will ride with you as always,
and your Aunt Maggie will attend to you.
You are not sleeping.
We are beset with enemies on every side.
Until wedding bells ring out and Spain becomes our ally,
we have neither the... the funds nor the...
nor the men to save ourselves...
and all of Europe knows it.
Until that girl arrives...
we are lost.
Arthur...
your Aunt Maggie, what does she say to you?
- You know you must relay it to me. - She says nothing, Mother.
My cousin may know of plots against us.
She cares for me, and that is all.
You must tell me everything she says.
Many are against us.
God save you, Arthur.
Highness!
Ohh.
Tell me, are you afraid?
I have never been to sea.
It was God himself who sent me to England.
No wind or rain will stop us.
Did they not tell you that when they chose you as my lady?
I was chosen when I was a girl.
My father was Mauro de Cardones.
My mother's adviser on the Moorish issue.
Ambassador.
Do you bring news of our landing?
We are blown a little way off-course.
I will fetch you something for your stomach.
Allahu Akbar.
_
We are not in Spain.
_
Get your hands off of me.
_
My name...
Oviedo,
and I, uh, remember,
my, uh... lady.
_
Arthur!
My lords.
Aunt Maggie.
My brave hunters.
Oh, Arthur.
Oh. Rabbit stew.
Uncle Richard shot them.
I hesitated.
Well, then you are merciful to save a life
when others are too quick to take one.
My mother does hold you in high affection, Aunt Maggie.
I do not like this house, Richard.
I want to go home.
I miss the children.
They will join us in Westminster.
It's not long now.
I know that Galahad has this...
That boy's mind is all over the place.
In a fog of love, I suppose.
I nearly took an arrow in the backside.
The girl is coming, then?
- I have hoped, after all this time... - Her name is Catherine,
and you must learn to use it, Maggie,
for the boy's sake and our children's.
You heard Arthur.
The queen would like to put the past behind us.
I would like that Spanish girl
to sink down to the bottom of the ocean,
because she is the cause of my pain and grief,
and so is Queen Elizabeth.
But we do not get what we want in this life, Richard.
The king's mother travels to Southampton to accompany her.
Maybe the princess will be so affrighted,
she'll take the first tide home again.
_
The child will be exhausted, confused,
and humbled by the sight of England.
The ambassador will accompany her from the quayside
to greet me with a curtsey at this dais.
Hmm.
And then we'll set forth to Dogmersfield to meet the prince.
Majesty.
She will have learnt the ways of England by the time she gets there.
Your Royal Highness,
England.
Lina, let me die.
Good.
Then please land. Land here.
But the welcome party waits along the coast for us at Southampton.
Tell the captain I have ordered it.
Rápido.
Is it always so cold?
God save you, my lady. God bless.
Where is the church?
Well, over the hill, my lady.
We will give thanks to God for our safe arrival.
I will find the mayor
to arrange for us an escort and horses.
Vamos.
Bless you, lady. Bless you.
Bless you also.
Does it always rain this much in England, Duke Stafford?
It's Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham,
and, no, it doesn't.
Sometimes it hails or snows, or floods.
But the sun always comes out in the end.
You know, you really should have landed at Southampton.
We'll escort you to Dogmersfield,
where the king's mother will now greet you.
But your beauty does cheer the rainy day,
as does your lady.
What's your name, Spanish beauty?
I am Rosa de Vargas, señor.
My ladies are to marry nobles of the court.
They will be chosen by the prince and I for their piety.
For their piety.
Well, what a pity I have a wife already.
Prince Arthur wrote to me of chivalry and faith.
I do not think that England lacks for piety.
Stop looking at him, Rosa.
I am looking at the English trees.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou...
England, receive my blood!
Lizzie.
Lizzie, she's landed.
In Plymouth for some reason, but she is here.
Finally I will see this...
mythical creature for myself.
God smiles upon us.
I will ride at first light to see them.
Harry shouted at her.
He's been in a rage all day.
House of Tudor,
I give to you our illustrious princess,
Catherine of Aragon.
_
I speak English perfectly well,
and I am not a child.
I am Princess of Spain
and Princess of Wales.
Soon to be Princess of Wales.
My marriage was held by proxy in my absence,
two times, I believe,
so I am Princess of Wales by law, yes?
Your Grace, we thank God for your safe arrival.
I am Sir Richard Pole. This is my wife Margaret.
I would like to be inside, out of these damp clothes.
Oh, uh, these ladies will take your belongings,
- and then you can... - I will bathe and then siesta.
Sie... "Siesta?" Is... Is this a food?
It is, uh, sleep, my lady.
Sleep? It's the afternoon.
No, you'll have your full introduction to Prince Arthur,
- and then... - No. I...
I cannot meet him until we stand together in God's presence.
But you're already married,
twice, as you've said,
so God will have no judgment on your meeting your own husband.
We are not blessed in His sight,
and I meet no one
until the English mud is washed off me
and I have had siesta.
What in heaven's name is that?
Oh, is parrot.
I can't bear it.
It hurts even to look at her.
You can, and you will have to.
_
I will bring your popurrí.
Where is the light?
It is you, señora.
You are the light.
I am happy...
that they chose you as my lady, Lina.
"My own darling, my dearest spouse,
I feel a strong desire to embrace you."
Ah, bring the bath to the Infanta's room at once.
These go to your kitchens to be stored where it is dry.
What is that?
We don't need your kindling.
We know how to build a fire in England.
This is vanilla, my lady,
for the Infanta's bath,
and the mint, dried rose petals, marjoram oil, and...
Did you bring your own water, too?
There is water here, no?
The Infanta must bathe every day.
Every day? Nonsense.
Once a week will serve her, just the same as everybody else.
At the Alhambra, we have heated baths with hot running water.
She already leaves all this behind.
My lady, if you'll excuse me,
I'll see to it the soldiers are billeted in the stables?
The... The stables?
Where they will sleep.
Over there.
Here?
No.
They are not animals.
It was good enough for our Lord.
Is it good enough for you?
These men are soldiers of Spain.
They have fought beside Queen Isabella of Castile.
I have given my instructions.
Does your prince wish for the smell of caca in his castle?
These men were brought as a gift to him,
part of the Infanta's dowry.
_
Thank you for this, uh, kindness.
It was for our Infanta.
Highness, please wake up.
Open the door.
This is the king.
Open the door.
The Infanta, she is sleeping, Your Grace.
Well, kindly ask her to rouse herself and let me in.
I will do no such thing.
The Infanta has been brought up modestly, Your Grace.
And willfully.
Considering what has been done to get you here,
- you'll kindly pay us the courtesy... - You speak of courtesy
while you bang your fists upon my door.
I swear by my crown,
I will summon my soldiers to remove this bloody door
at its hinges if you do not open it!
This is not the way a king behaves.
You do not have the right to force yourself into my rooms.
It is a bad beginning,
and I will write my mother of your disrespect.
I merely wished to lay my eyes upon
what we have waited half a year to see.
Please, remove your veil.
I wear my veil until I am married.
Here, our customs are different.
You sound afraid, Your Grace.
Why would you be afraid?
You fear I may be ugly?
What difference would it make?
I am here to make a treaty for my mother and my country,
and you need me more than we need you.
Welcome.
And now you will come and meet my son...
and perhaps you will allow him to lay his eyes upon you also.
I-I am glad to finally meet you.
It rains.
I would like to go inside.
Oh, no, uh, this isn't rain.
It's drizzle.
It is rain.
Drizzle.
We have many different kinds of rain,
downpours, drizzle, mist, spitting, dancing dollies.
It's why our gardens are so green.
Well, it is water from the sky.
It is wet.
We... We cannot be alone until we are married,
and if we go inside, then they can hear us.
It's too small.
I will try hard to be a good husband to you.
I will... I will always listen to you, to your concerns,
and I will be attentive to your... to your needs.
My need is that I stay out of the rain so I do not catch a chill.
You were more caring in your letters.
You said that you would cherish me
and keep me safe and love me.
- I said... - How you longed to hold me
in your arms until our union bore fruit.
You were loving and poetic.
And did you write back?
Of course I did.
- How many? - Uh...
How many times?
I-I don't understand.
Arthur?
We will return into the house.
Now that they've met,
we will escort the prince to London.
You'll follow after with the princess, Stafford.
Yes, of course, my lady.
He did not know of them, the letters.
I was...
I shared my heart and passion.
I was intimate.
Who is it I have written to?
Uh, what is the seal?
A Tudor rose.
Will the noblemen who court us write love letters to us, too?
I imagined that I was in love.
Was it all a trick?
And the king said,
"What was done to bring you here."
What did he mean?
- Mama! - Hello, darlings.
Oh, here they are.
I've missed you.
- We missed you. - Ursula.
Mother!
Shall we go and make the room nice for Father?
Yes!
Come along.
I have finally laid eyes on Catherine.
She is willful, yes, and obstinate,
but our alliance is in place, and we are safe.
Was she comely?
Hmm?
Is she like the portrait they sent us?
Y-Yes, she is.
As you were when we first met.
She has your spirit, and she is...
Yes, she is beautiful.
Now if you'll excuse me.
I fear we shall have trouble with that one.
She's arrogant and overprivileged.
The perfect character for a queen.
But of course you'd like her humble and penitent.
I don't like her.
She brings the might and wealth of Spain to us.
Who any of us like or do not like is of no consequence.
We won't stay long, my love.
We will go home after the wedding.
Your Grace.
Hello, Maggie.
Come, Ursula.
We haven't seen each other in the longest while.
Sir Richard and I have been busy with our family
and running Arthur's household.
And now we must both hand him over to another.
It's strange, isn't it?
One day, we'll be doing the same
with my Harry and your little Henry, too.
Your Grace.
Maggie, I would like you to join me in my confinement.
It would give us the chance to reacquaint.
I have Prince Arthur and his new wife
to attend to at their seat at Ludlow.
- As soon as they are wed, we will... - Do you hear of traitors
that would raise against my husband?
I tend to Arthur.
That is all.
Do you poison him against me?
You cannot stay this way with me forever, Maggie.
Our Spanish princess will need a heart of stone
if she is to survive this family.
_
This is not the palace.
This is the tower.
You'll stay in tower apartments tonight.
This is the custom before a royal wedding.
They're most comfortable.
Hello.
May I introduce Prince Henry, Duke of York?
Harry. People call me Harry.
Do you like it here? It's cozy, isn't it?
I'm Charlie Brandon, not yet married.
It's, uh, me who'll be leading you up the aisle tomorrow.
Lucky you, eh?
Thank you for your welcome, Prince Harry.
They only use this place for special occasions.
What are you wearing that veil for?
Is it to stop my brother kissing you?
Because if it is, I've, I've, um...
I've got a little secret to let you in on, and...
My brother is afraid of girls,
so you're probably safe enough without it.
I am not a girl, though.
Whoa.
Give that here. Let me see.
My lord, this is, um... es muy peligroso.
Oh, sí.
- Give me a bolt. A bolt. - Yes, yes, try her out.
Be careful, Your Grace.
Cuidado. Ten cuidado, my lord.
Against the body.
El hombro!
Whoa!
I like it.
And you will teach me how to use it.
Princess Catherine,
the queen has asked to see you at the palace of Westminster.
I'm going to need better targets.
Perhaps the seals on love letters.
I'm glad that you want to kiss my neck.
You'll make a very handsome groom.
Go, all of you.
He sent her letters,
bloody wrote to her.
Harry.
I tried to write to her a year ago.
I-I wanted...
to be friends before she came here.
But I couldn't find the words.
I tried too hard. It sounded scholarly or else too soft.
And then Harry found them and made fun of me,
so I didn't try again.
But he did.
And she wrote back to him.
But she thought she was writing back to you.
It doesn't matter.
He's...
He's made love to her.
With words, at least.
He's ruined her.
She isn't mine.
He's jealous of you, Arthur, because you'll be king,
and your marriage will bring peace to England,
because your marriage makes you powerful, hmm?
Careful.
When do you think we will meet our husbands, Lina?
Will they be men or muchachos bobos?
The Infanta will choose husbands who are suitable.
- My lady. - Lina.
The herbs for the Infanta's bath.
My lady, the king's mother.
She must have stored them in the rain.
We must replace them.
It is her wedding day tomorrow. She will want them.
Where do we go?
We do not know the city.
Why do they live in these damp caves?
Ah, I will ask this person where we can find some herbs.
Rosa.
Oh, bellisima Rosa, I've missed you.
Where are you off to in the dark?
Uh, rosemary, herb for the Infanta.
Mm. Come.
Rosa?
Hey...
black pussycat.
Come.
Drink with me.
Come on.
Let's have some fun.
- Take your hands off me! - Let's have some fun!
Hey!
The lady not like this.
She is of royal house.
Do not be alone. Men think of you badly.
You should have guarded me.
The Infanta needs herbs for her bath.
What is, uh, "herbs"?
Rosemary. Romero.
Rosemary. We ask in the...
My...
There. Is food there.
Is called "pantry."
Sí. Pansy.
Maybe there is the...
ale in the pansy also.
_
You may take drink with me?
Princess Catherine of Aragon.
My husband tells me you are beautiful.
He is taken with you.
He was rude to me.
No, not rude.
Eager, desperate.
He is a starving man, and you are bread.
We paid a high price for you.
What price?
Yes, I see it.
He said that you were...
Well, he said that you were idealistic and certain of your goodness.
When I first arrived at court,
all I wanted was my liberty and love.
My mother says that steel runs through your veins.
Did she say that?
I'm flattered.
It wasn't always so.
I only know that I learnt not to fight every battle.
I am like a reed that bends in stiff wind, but doesn't snap.
Here I am. I haven't snapped.
What was the price you paid?
Did your mother never tell you what was done to bring you here?
Nor Lady Pole, when you saw her?
Lady Pole retreats upon sight of me.
Your mother would only pledge your hand
if there were none to challenge Arthur for the throne,
so two young men were...
they were put to death,
one of them an imposter,
the other a beloved boy from our family,
Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warrick.
He was Maggie Pole's brother, simple soul,
a child in his mind.
He had no idea why he had to die.
- Perhaps that was God's mercy on him. - My mother would not order that.
Oh, but she did.
She would not kill an innocent, only enemies.
He was beheaded at the tower, where you sleep tonight.
Why would you tell me this...
the night before my wedding?
Because you need to know what rests on you,
the hopes of Spain and England and the Habsburg empire.
We join forces to unite against our enemies
so that my son is protected on his throne when we are gone.
And you must give us sons, Catherine,
no girls, only boys,
heirs, so that the king may sleep again
and sweetly dream as he once did.
I know my duty...
but I will not share your guilt.
If you spill blood, then it is yours.
There is no guilt...
only love for both my sons.
Do not cross me, Catherine.
There is nothing I won't do to save my boys...
or to save my love.
L-Lord Stafford gave me this.
What else did he give you?
You are not here to throw yourself on any man you choose.
We will be matched with husbands.
They will not want you if you shame yourself.
He is kind.
And he is funny.
He has the soft hands.
- I like him. - It is an honor to attend the Infanta.
You must earn it, Rosa.
Infanta, we must dress you for your wedding.
More water for my bath.
Infanta, there is no more room for water.
Go, please.
The Infanta will have privacy.
Infanta, everything here in England is strange.
All my life, I have watched you.
I always knew that I would serve you as your lady.
One day, I heard you talking with Señor Colombo.
You asked him how he knew
he wasn't to sail off the very edges of the world,
and he smiled at you and told you...
_
Hello again, Highness.
Why did you write to me?
Was it to harm your brother?
At first.
Then I liked your letters.
They excited me.
Then you show your weakness.
You give me power over you.
I would never give my power away.
Daughter of Spain.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
Daughter of Spain.
Wife to Prince Arthur.
And soon...
Queen of England.
*CREDITS*