10 Ways Queen Charlotte Is Better Than Bridgerton
Queen Charlotte tells the story of King George & Queen Charlotte’s love. We break down the 10 key things the prequel is better at than Bridgerton.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story may be a prequel series to the hit period romance, but it stands on its own merits. Introducing young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio), the series explores her rise to power and her romance with King George III (Corey Mylchreest).
10. Queen Charlotte Gives The Servants’ Stories Focus
In Bridgerton, all but two servants — Lady Featherington’s lady’s maid and Brimsley, Queen Charlotte’s right-hand man — are given any dialogue. Such is not the case in Queen Charlotte, which sees the servants interacting more often with the main characters. Brimsley has much more to do, and even has his own tension and romance with Reynolds, King George III’s personal attendant.
9. Lady Danbury’s Backstory Is Explored
Lady Danbury is a force to be reckoned with in Bridgerton, and she enjoys playing matchmaker for the youth, as well as giving advice on important matters. However, the series didn’t give her backstory any attention and the audience knew very little about her past beyond helping raising Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings.
8. King George Gets To Be A Person Beyond His Illness
Bridgerton includes King George III, but he isn’t really a full-fledged person beyond his illness. Fans see how King George’s deteriorating mental health affects Queen Charlotte, but there isn’t much to be clarified regarding his personality. Because Queen Charlotte is set decades ago, the young King George gets to be a person with interests, opinions, and a deep love for Charlotte. The prequel series explores his insecurities, as well as why he chooses to remain in hiding, feeling the pressure of his duties to the crown.
7. Lady Danbury & Lady Bridgerton’s Friendship Is Deeper
Lady Danbury and Viscountess Violet Bridgerton have grown closer over the course of Bridgerton’s two seasons, but the central focus of their friendship was the younger generation’s love lives and any scandals it brought. Queen Charlotte gives the characters’ friendship more depth, allowing them to connect in crucial ways that highlight how comfortable they are with each other.
6. Queen Charlotte’s Children Are Important To The Story
Bridgerton’s first two seasons mentioned in passing Queen Charlotte and King George III’s children, but they didn’t appear at all. Queen Charlotte not only brings them into existence, but makes them crucial to the titular character’s storyline. The series implies why they haven’t been around and reveals, over the course of the show, the kind of relationship they have with their mother.
5. Queen Charlotte Explains Why She Always Asks About The King’s Death
At the start of Queen Charlotte, the older version of the character asks, yet again, whether the king is dead. It’s an oft-repeated question across both shows, but the prequel series offers a reason behind the question. King George III’s mental health has been deteriorating for a long time, but so long as he’s still alive, Queen Charlotte can’t fully live for herself or be free from his love.
4. Lady Whistledown Isn’t As Big A Focus
Dear gentle reader, Lady Whistledown is still a presence in Queen Charlotte, with Julie Andrews returning as narrator. However, the author has a much smaller role to play in the grand scheme of things. Lady Whistledown’s voice can be heard on occasion, but the story’s focus is less on the Religion and more on Queen Charlotte’s past and interior life — both of which Lady Whistledown is not privy to.
3. Bridgerton Prequel Shows Charlotte & George’s Love Beyond Short Glimpses
Considering Bridgerton’s concept, it makes sense that Queen Charlotte only appears so often. The parent series conveyed the love Charlotte still had for George, but Queen Charlotte was able to expand on their relationship beyond the short glimpses offered in Bridgerton. In the prequel series, Queen Charlotte and King George’s love relationship was shown from every corner — through the good times, the height of their romance, the tenderness, their conflicts, and the effects George’s mental health had on their early on.
2. Queen Charlotte Is More Grounded In Reality Compared To Bridgerton
Bridgerton, with its pastel flourishes and happy endings, is less grounded than Queen Charlotte. The prequel series being based on real life people gives it an edge that Bridgerton didn’t have. Of course, the majority of the show is fictitious, with the writers taking creative freedom to suit the story, but there is a sense of realism that gives the show oomph.
1. Queen Charlotte Has Higher Stakes Than Bridgerton
Bridgerton has stakes in terms of its central romances, but Queen Charlotte takes things to another level. While some of Bridgerton’s characters may have ended up with a broken heart had they not gotten together.
