The ‘Bridgerton’ prequel series will combine historical facts of Charlotte and King George III and fictional elements. ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ has a teenage Charlotte in an arranged marriage.
Bridgerton will explore the enchanting yet complicated love story between a young Charlotte and King George III. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story takes place years before the events of the Netflix series as a young Charlotte, played by India Ria Amarteifio, is whisked away into an arranged marriage. Seeing as the queen fans meet in Bridgerton is older, it begs the question of what age did Charlotte historically marry the king?
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ will combine history with a fabricated love story
As fans know, the Netflix series is based on the popular books by Julia Quinn. Queen Charlotte is a side character without much space to explore her story. Due to the series’ popularity, and the small snippets of her life revealed in the two seasons, fans wanted more. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will explore a young Charlotte as she is thrust into race, a political world, and an arranged marriage to a man she has never seen.
The beauty of the prequel series is that both leading characters, Charlotte and King George III, are real historical figures. Scholars have often debated the African American lineage of Queen Charlotte and how her marriage created a social shift. Bridgerton took the information in stride and used it to create the integrated ton fans now love. But the prequel has to follow a few historical guidelines.
For example, the storyline centers on how a young Charlotte must leave her home in Germany. She ventures to Great Britain for marriage. It will explore the unsuspecting yet blossoming true love story between her and King George III. It is unclear how far the prequel will venture into their story or touch upon their real-life children or the King’s future ailments.
When it came to filming, Amarteifio was told to make her Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story character her own. She was told not to emulate Golda Rosheuvel’s older version. While Corey Mylchreest, who will play King George, read historical literature about King George III, he admitted that the series is also fiction.
Charlotte was only a teenager when she married King George III
The arranged marriage is at the heart of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. In the first teaser for the prequel, Charlotte is determined to scale a garden wall to escape. The handsome young man she meets happens to be her future husband. By this point, George III is already king and is pushed to find a worthy bride.
The breakdown for the series often describes the female character as “young Charlotte.” Netflix does not exactly reveal her age. It can be assumed that she is relatively young. During the Regency era, marrying young was common. Daphne was roughly 22 years old when she married Simon in Bridgerton. Kate Sharma was considered a spinster in Bridgerton Season 2 due to being “past her prime” for marriage.
Edwina was also 17 when she looked for a husband. What about young Charlotte? According to Historic Royal Palaces, Charlotte was 17 when she was selected for marriage by the king.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story does not exactly reveal the timeline of the marriage and events. But fans know Charlotte was 17 in 1761. It can be speculated that the prequel will occur around this time, with possible flashbacks of her life.
How old will King George III be in ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’?
For some, the age difference between young Charlotte and King George III is a bit uncommon in present times. But during the time period Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story took place, it was a regular occurrence. While Charlotte was married at 17, King George III was six years older. By the time he takes over the throne and is told to find a bride, he is 23 years old.
The very same day he met Charlotte, they got married. King George was born in 1738 and married in 1761. But there are a few details about the King before watching the prequel that may or may not be part of his story. Before meeting Charlotte, he was smitten with another woman, Lady Sarah Lennox. He was advised not to pursue her.
In return, King George III changed his outlook on marriage and realized he was only to marry for the sake of the country. But as Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will explore, an arranged marriage leads to true love. Unlike his predecessors, he never had a mistress.
