Queen Charlotte is better than Bridgerton, tell me I’m wrong
Bridgerton is having a major moment with the release of season three. So whilst in limbo waiting for part two, let’s travel back to the mini series Queen Charlotte on Netflix. This follows the the romance between Charlotte and King George III – quite a sad love story. However, there was a prequel book written by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rimes shortly after the series was released, containing a few differences from the Queen Charlotte show we know.
Obviously, a powerhouse team of Julia and Shonda would write a book as good as the series and make us all wish we lived in 1761. Apart from the storyline of Charlotte getting married within hours which is terrifying. To remind you, Queen Charlotte is set just before the first season of Bridgerton, about 50 years before, with the focus on Charlotte and King George III.
Of course, a book is going to be more detailed and hidden with secrets. On the flip side, the series can build up storylines more and cuts out unnecessary conversations. The main difference is the time frames and if you want to know more about characters that aren’t shown as much in the Queen Charlotte series then the book is worth a read. I do need a family tree of all the characters mapped out to watch this show as I can’t keep up. Here are all the slight differences between the Queen Charlotte book and Netflix series:
The timeline jumps
In the series, it is set in the present day a lot of the time as Charlotte is trying to marry her children off. This makes sense for series fans as Queen Charlotte is set after the second season of Bridgerton. Yet, in the book this plot line is only mentioned at the start and the end – which makes it easier to follow.
Male POV’S
In Queen Charlotte the book has chapters from George’s perspective and details of his tragic life. The different chapters with the male voices is reminiscent of Jenny Han’s The Summer I turned Pretty series, another great read. Obviously, for dramatic effect the series doesn’t really flashback George’s life until the fourth episode. This paints him as a beautiful, romantic man (we love Corey) before we find out what else is going on in his life.
The bond between Agatha and Charlotte
One of the perks of reading a book is that there is going to be more detail on the relationships between characters, especially Agatha and Charlotte. In the book, Charlotte actually tells Agatha about George’s illness and this solidifies the amount of trust that these characters have. That said, there is still a friendship on the screen but the book just explores their friendship better.
Brimsley to Bartholomew
Supporting character Brimsley has more attention in the book than the series and the reader finds out his first name is actually Bartholomew. There is more of a budding romance between Brimsley and Reynolds in the book, with the pair seen dancing together at the end. The difference is that Charlotte and George notice the couple in the book, making it clearer that there is something going on.
Violet Bridgerton’s love story
Jumping back to the present day storyline in the series, Violet Bridgerton starts to long for a partner after the death of her husband Edmund. There’s a friendship bond between her and Lady Danbury as Violet confides in her about her feelings. Although, in the book this plot line doesn’t exist as the present day is rarely mentioned.
Lady Danbury’s widowhood and short love affair
In the series and the book, there is a discussion of Lady Danbury coping with widowhood after experiencing a traumatic marriage. It is nice that both versions go into detail on this as we get to learn about her more personally as a character. Sometimes in the main Bridgerton series, with so many characters it can feel hard to get to know a character well. However, the book doesn’t mention her short affair with Lord Ledger. Readers love a scandalous love story so I’m surprised this didn’t make the cut.
