How Long Before Bridgerton Queen Charlotte Is Set
Bridgerton’s first spin-off tells the story of Queen Charlotte’s love story with King George 3, but how long before the original is it actually set?
Queen Charlotte, the Bridgerton spin-off series splits its timeline, becoming both a prequel and a sequel. Telling both the story of Queen Charlotte’s romance with King George in their early lives and her attempt to match make for her 13 childless children, the series spans multiple decades.
While Queen Charlotte opens with a voice-over from Julie Andrews’ Lady Whistledown stating that the story is only based on true events, there has been no real suggestion of major changes to timelines. The real people and historical events actually seem to set a precise timeline, even if specific events are told differently. But looking at the evidence presented by both Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, some extensive changes have been made to avoid some timeline issues.
What Year Queen Charlotte Is Set In
In real life, Queen Charlotte’s true story started in Germany, before she came to England to marry King George in 1761. The show makes a point of introducing Prime Minister Bute, who ran the U.K. between 1762 and 1763. That would seem a firm indication of date, but is actually a red herring as the 1760s are way too early. Violet Bridgerton’s appearance as a child confirms that.
The post-Bridgerton sequences that see the older Queen Charlotte dealing with her family problems are set in 1815, after Bridgerton season 2. The issue here is that the Queen Charlotte timeline doesn’t quite match Bridgerton, which is perhaps why it avoids outright naming the year it is set.
Other issues with Queen Charlotte’s timeline are caused by the assumed age of Violet Bridgerton, and the age of one Queen Charlotte’s children – her eldest son George IV, whose daughter briefly appears aged 21. At that time, in real life, he was 55 years old, which should put Charlotte above 70. But Queen Charlotte shows Prince George to be in his mid to late 30s at most (he’s played by 40-year-old Ryan Gage). He would have to be around 40 to have a daughter as old as the princess is shown to be.
Violet Bridgerton, whose eldest son Anthony is 29 in Bridgerton Season 1 and who appears in Queen Charlotte as a young teenager is also an issue. She and her husband Edmund married when she was 18 (4 years after the events of Queen Charlotte). That gives us a more clear timeline, as Anthony was born the same year when Violet was 18, meaning – because Violet was born in 1766, and Bridgerton Season 1 is set in 1813, Queen Charlotte has to be set in 1780, almost 20 years after the equivalent events in real world history.
How Old Is Queen Charlotte During The Bridgerton Spin-Off
At one point in the second episode, Queen Charlotte confirms to King George that she is just 17 when they meet. If the timelines matched real history, that would make Queen Charlotte 71 years old during the scenes set after Bridgerton season 2. But actress Golda Rosheuvel is just 52 in 2023, so that makes no sense, and she’s clearly not playing a 71-year-old. According to Queen Charlotte being set in 1780, Charlotte was born in 1763 and is thus 52 during the sequences set after Bridgerton season 2, matching her actor.
King George was 23 at the time of his coronation in 1761 (the same year he married Charlotte) putting him at 6 years older than his wife when they first met. His age matches the actor’s age, causing a further issue given he’s supposed to only be under 6 years older than Queen Charlotte but appears far older in Bridgerton. That could perhaps be put down to the trauma of his health complaints. According to the timeline established by Queen Charlotte, George must be just 58, 13 years younger than actor James Fleet, who is 71.
