Queen Charlotte appears regal and put together in ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ but inside she’s suffering
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will showcase the older queen (Golda Rosheuvel) that fans already know while introducing fans to who she was in her younger years ((India Amarteifio). Much of what Bridgerton fans know about Queen Charlotte is surface level, but underneath it all, she’s suffering.
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ release
Queen Charlotte, billed as a limited series prequel to Bridgerton, will debut on Netflix on May 4. The story opens in 1761 when the young German princess arrives in London for her arranged marriage to King George (Corey Mylchreest). Although it was hinted at in the first season of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte’s arrival in the 18th century marks the first time the elite society in London was integrated into this world.
Surely, Queen Charlotte’s background will cause some upheaval, especially at the hands of those who are resistant to it. However, the Queen Charlotte cast is thrilled that Black history is being put on display.
“I think especially in the world that we are in now, to celebrate Black History is really really important, and through a female protagonist, female historical character,” Rosheuvel told Digital Spy. “I think is really cool and beautiful and right on and it’s an extraordinary story because as we’ve said it’s one of love which is very rare I think.”
Shonda Rhimes says the queen is suffering
In the trailer for the six-episode season, it’s clear that King George and Queen Charlotte have an unexpected connection. However, because they are forced to marry a mere six hours after meeting each other, their relationship will be a huge learning curve.
It doesn’t help that the royals aren’t all that they appear to be. The description for Rhimes and Julia Quinn’s new novel Queen Charlotte, upon which the series is based, reads, “Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent, not exactly the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets — secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.”
Rhimes has explicitly stated that these secrets will hurt Queen Charlotte. She told The Sunday Times that she “has everything she could want, yet she is suffering underneath.”
Queen Charlotte and King George
Fans of Bridgerton have already seen glimpses of the older king and queen. While Queen Charlotte loves her balls and to be amongst the ton, King George remains locked away in the palace. He’s suffering either from a mental illness or some sort of dementia.
Therefore, as much as Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story centers on romance, it may not be what fans expect.
“Marriages can be complex, and the endings can be complex, and you can understand that in authentic ways,” Rhimes told Tudum. “I loved delving into the romance between Charlotte and King George, I thought that was really fascinating and I really wanted to be able to show people what that kind of love is like, even though they already know how it ends up. I thought that was a challenge and thought that’d be exciting.”
