Charlotte Hope

Backstage with... the stars of The Spanish Princess

• It makes a refreshing change, and for the female stars of the show, they hope it's a sign of a brighter future. "I've felt since coming out of drama school there have been really exciting opportunities, but it's also funny how they're kind of circled as, 'this is a show about women'," says Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael, who plays Maggie Pole (or Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, to give her her full title). Carmichael's co-star Georgie Henley, who plays Princess Meg Tudor, Queen of Scots, tells Backstage that a lack of diversity in female roles is a very recent memory for her.