'The Spanish Princess' Season 2 Episode 7: Is Catherine really pregnant or just lying to win Henry's love?
Spoilers for 'The Spanish Princess' Season 2 Episode 7 'Faith'
Amid commotion surrounding Thomas Wolsey's (Phillip Cumbus) presence in the court and her husband Henry VIII (Ruari O'Connor) constantly relying on the cardinal to assert his own dominance, Catherine (Charlotte Hope) had blurted out she was, once again, with child in the previous episode of 'The Spanish Princess'. At the time it had seemed like nothing short of a ruse to win back the love of her once affectionate husband, who had taken more to her ladies-in-waiting in recent times. As the seventh episode rolls by, we finally learn the truths of this alleged pregnancy and how it molds the existing relationship between Henry and our titular princess turned queen of England, Catherine. And also those between her and her closest friends.
When Episode 7, 'Faith' opens, we see Catherine showing off her daughter's caliber in Latin to a far from pleased Henry in his court. Catherine wants to prove Mary is at par with her male counterparts, and young Mary does the best she can with conviction and determination. But it's not enough for Henry who feels girls should be taught Latin only to read the gospels, not political counsel. The bitterness pricks Catherine, who believes Maggie hasn't been a stern enough governess to Mary and it becomes obvious that she is so desperate to win back her husband's love, she does not care who she hurts or how many things she hates along the way as Lina de Cardonnes (Stephanie Levi-John) later points out while giving the queen a bath.
But there's a stand-by plan for Catherine to fall back on, turns out she is, in fact, pregnant again and uses that as an excuse to offer Henry strength and support in counsel. As Wolsey points out at one point in the episode, given her past tragedies and loss concerning pregnancy, it's a miracle how Catherine is so certain that she's carrying the heir Henry craves for this time. And Henry, another fool, is also carried away by the fact that he truly might be on to proving those in his court wrong by finally having a legitimate male child, as opposed to the existing bastard from Bessie Blount.
Henry favors Catherine, calls her to dine with him, recognizes her inputs during council meetings only as long as she is carrying the prospective male heir. Behind her back, he is also working with Wolsey to get their marriage annulled because the beard the king has grown makes it look like we are entering Anne Boleyn's territory quite soon. Catherine too tries to partner with Wolsey and sneak into the king's favors and her desperation knows no bounds.
So even after this pregnancy ends in a secret miscarriage, even after Henry locks up Stafford away for false treason, Catherine still burns books of heretics in a public pyre to show the commoners not to question the king. She chastises Meg for trying to disrespect God by getting her and Angus's marriage annulled. Catherine is blinded and exhausted for not being enough for Henry and that, as episode 7 plays out, becomes her ultimate downfall.
'The Spanish Princess' airs on Sundays at 8 pm only on Starz.