We all burn for more Bridgerton content, including Queen Charlotte’s love story and rise to power, as finely shown in the prequel spin-off’s trailer.
The long-awaited season three of the much beloved Regency-era romantic drama series Bridgerton is yet upon us. Indeed, fans are dying to know how Penelope and Colin’s romance will pan out, considering it’s particularly unlike Daphne and Simon’s as well as Kate and Anthony’s. The release date of Polin’s tale may still be kept under wraps; still, in return, we get to indulge in a Bridgerton-esque love story that’s just as compelling, about to make its grand debut on Netflix in a matter of weeks — and the pair in question is none other than Queen Charlotte and King George. Just because we all know what would become of their relationship doesn’t mean we can’t learn about their past, right?
That’s right; Their origin story will be revealed in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on May 4. Helmed by Shonda Rhimes as the creator, the show will finally answer one of the questions inquiring minds have wondered throughout Bridgerton’s viewing: the couple’s history. And, if the teaser released last February allows us to glimpse at the royal drama, the two-minute-and-a-half trailer uploaded on March 23 lets us see even more of the promised premise, with all the best Bridgerton charms present and extract for, for sure.
The Unconventional Yet Delightful Beginning
The trailer opens with a shot of a moving carriage. Inside is the clearly bothered young Charlotte (India Amarteifio) bluntly questioned why she was chosen as the King’s bride. Adolphus (Tunji Kasim), who’s presumably Charlotte’s brother judging by how familiarly comfortable he is around her presence, tries to reason with the maiden, “There are worse fates than marrying the King of England.” Unable to refute such sound reasoning, Charlotte falls silent.
Instead, a voice-over of George’s mother, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley), answers the earlier query by saying it’s time they all unite as a society, implying that the marriage of Charlotte and George as a Black woman and White man is to be the trigger to initiate revolutionary change in England. However, the agenda comes with an extreme burden on Charlotte’s part, for Augusta demands her to “make lots of babies, as many as possible” for George — which, as we know it, did get fulfilled; 15 children, no less.
The preview then shifts between Charlotte’s past and the present (that is, Bridgerton-verse-wise), with her older self (Golda Rosheuvel) candidly sharing that her life as Queen was difficult. Truly, even though constantly shadowed by young Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) and closely surrounded by the palace staff, our protagonist looks lonely without her significant other in sight. Naturally, she grew curious about George’s absence and asked Brimsley, whom she could not shake off, “Is he ugly? Perhaps deformed?” Not wanting to invite trouble, he utters a simple, safe reply before retreating: “He is the King.”
But then, the scene moves to finally show George (Corey Mylchreest) conversing with Charlotte in the garden as she attempts to escape by climbing over the garden wall, which was already teased back in September 2022. However, the somewhat awkward first meeting ends on a sweet note, as His Majesty lovingly tells him intended to specifically call him by his first name, to which she responds with a smile.
And they’re off to a great start. After a lovely wedding, George asks Charlotte to join him on a first date in the possibly most romantic place in the vicinity, the observatory, for it might make her “hate him a little bit less.” As their connection intensifies, so does their intimacy, followed by one steamy session of lovemaking.
Lady Agatha Danbury appears at last, too — both iterations even, the younger one (Arsema Thomas) and the seasoned one fans absolutely adore (Adjoa Andoh). As part of the Queen’s court, Danbury seems to have seized Charlotte’s liking from the moment she first introduced herself. The two ladies then become great friends.
Secrets and Conflicts Arise
All is well until the ugly color of marriage shines through. With Danbury playing the role of advisor slash friend, she strongly suggests Charlotte secure her position as she is “the first of their kind.” Sure enough, shortly after, our queen encounters strife: her husband is keeping a secret from her. Next, we see George and a few men stride across a tunnel, definitely up to something. And to make matters worse, a mysterious man named Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) persistently helps cover George’s clandestine business, despite Brimsley’s effort to coax him into telling because, after all, Charlotte is the King’s wife.
