Why Queen Charlotte Doesn’t Speak With A German Accent
Despite being a real figure from history, Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte does not align perfectly with the real queen, especially regarding her accent.
Although Queen Charlotte of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is based on a very real queen of England, the character lacks some important details of the historical figure, including her German accent. Queen Charlotte is a Bridgerton spinoff series following the youth of Queen Charlotte and her budding romance with King George. The series has recently premiered on Netflix and includes many Bridgerton fan favorites such as Golda Rosheuval’s Queen Charlotte, Lady Agatha Danbury, and Lady Violet Bridgerton.
Loosely based on the real romance between Charlotte and George, Queen Charlotte explores how the monarchs first met and how they eventually fell in love. The series isn’t entirely historically accurate, especially when it comes to the real-life king and queen of England. Although they include some major details such as George’s illness in Bridgerton and Charlotte’s brother Adolphus escorting her to England, many details lack accuracy. One major aspect of Charlotte that the show ignores is Charlotte’s ancestry, and in particular, her German accent.
Why Queen Charlotte Speaks English Not German
The most likely reason that Queen Charlotte speaks perfect English rather than German or with a German accent is for continuity purposes. In the first two seasons of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte often appears and has always spoken British English. In that way, the Queen Charlotte showrunners likely wanted to keep her character the same. Furthermore, Charlotte’s character is a very vocal one. It would have been very difficult for Charlotte to be the commanding, advocating her voice is without English in her vocabulary. Rather than taking the time to teach Charlotte English, showrunners avoid the trope entirely to allow Charlotte’s character to develop in other ways.
That isn’t to say that giving Charlotte a German accent would have been impossible. First, it would have made Queen Charlotte more historically accurate, and second, it would have heightened her feelings of isolation when first arriving in England. The real-life Charlotte first came to England at the age of 17 in order to marry King George III. Upon arrival, Charlotte knew no English at all, and later, spoke with a thick German accent. This could have been an interesting feature to give Charlotte, even if just for a little while, however, the logistics of the accent certainly could have been problematically considering her preexisting Bridgerton character.
Queen Charlotte’s English Accent Creates A Plot Hole
Unfortunately, Charlotte’s automatic English accent isn’t an entirely flawless plan. If, in the Queen Charlotte world, Charlotte arrived in England with already perfect English, then why did Prince Friedrich of Prussia in Bridgerton season 1 have a pronounced German accent. In this way, Queen Charlotte messes with the mechanics of the world in a way that is unrealistic to its characters. Although it isn’t a huge detail, it definitely ruins the historical authenticity of the series and takes away a potentially interesting feature that could’ve made Charlotte more dynamic, interesting, and real.
Overall, Charlotte of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story lacks a German accent essentially because it is easier plot-wise and already exists as such in the Bridgerton world. However, in terms of historical accuracy, Charlotte certainly would have had a German accent and likely would have spoken German as a first language. Despite this change, Queen Charlotte still brings unending romance and drama to its new spinoff series and tells a new version of the true story of Bridgerton’s queen.
