What Happens Next For Queen Charlotte & King George III Before Bridgerton?
Queen Charlotte covers the early years of the royal couple’s marriage, but there’s more. We break down what happens next for the king & queen.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story follows the early days of Queen Charlotte and King George III’s relationship, but what happens next for the royal couple? Created by Shonda Rhimes, Queen Charlotte is a few decades removed from Bridgerton’s early 19th century setting. The prequel series distinguishes its two time periods as it focuses on a post-season 2 Bridgerton world that sees Queen Charlotte fed up with her children’s inability to provide her with an heir, and the first year of her marriage to King George III.
Queen Charlotte is now streaming on Netflix and has garnered a mostly positive critical reception. Queen Charlotte ends with the title character and King George in a good place, having overcome the initial tension present in the early stages of their relationship. Queen Charlotte is also pregnant with the couple’s second child, and Lady Danbury, who decided she never wanted to be married again, secured her family’s title and their financial future. With Queen Charlotte and King George being inspired by the real 18th century couple, what happens to them in the aftermath of the prequel series and after Bridgerton?
Queen Charlotte & King George Had A Happy Marriage Before His Illness Became Permanent
Queen Charlotte and King George III were married for 57 years, and the couple had a happy marriage for the majority of their union. Unlike his sons, however, King George III never took a mistress during the years of his marriage. He and Queen Charlotte welcomed 15 children into the world over the course of 21 years, and Charlotte was George’s guardian up until her death. When the couple was apart — though King George never strayed too far from southern England — Queen Charlotte would write to her husband, signing her letters (via Royal Collection Trust), “Your very affectionate Friend and Wife Charlotte.” The pair were very loyal to each other.
There Are Further Tensions Between Queen Charlotte & Princess Augusta
The dowager Princess Augusta, King George III’s mother, was very controlling in the first several years of Queen Charlotte’s marriage. Princess Augusta restricts Queen Charlotte from having much social contact at first, though the Queen will go on to have debutante balls hosted in her honor, and hired most of Queen Charlotte’s staff in a bid to keep tabs on her. Princess Augusta wanted to keep up appearances and implored strict social royal court behavior. Princess Augusta also kept Queen Charlotte in the dark about King George’s mental health and the Regency Bill, which would make the Queen Regent so King George III be unable to rule (via Percy Fitzgerald’s book The Good Queen Charlotte).
King George & Queen Charlotte Oppose Their Daughters Marrying Young
Queen Charlotte establishes that all but one of King George and Queen Charlotte’s daughters are married, despite being past what was considered their prime in the early 19th century. That’s because the couple restricted their daughters from marrying young, and were generally opposed to them marrying at all. King George III rejected many marriage proposals on behalf of his daughters, and even signed the Royal Marriage Act of 1772 (via The Guardian), which stipulated that none of his children could marry anyone without his permission before the age of 25. Charlotte, the Princess Royal, the couple’s fourth child, didn’t marry until she was 31 years old, while Elizabeth, the seventh child, married aged 48.
Queen Charlotte Indirectly Influenced Political Affairs (Despite Being Told Not To)
Upon marrying King George III, Queen Charlotte was told not to meddle in any political affairs. And she herself had no real interest in British politics, refraining from getting involved for the most part. However, that didn’t mean that Queen Charlotte stayed out of everything. In fact, she indirectly influenced certain decisions. Since she and King George were close, Queen Charlotte occasionally made recommendations, and it is believed that her suggestions led King George to get involved in a German conflict between Joseph II and Charles Theodore, elector of Bavaria in 1785.
King George III Had A Longer Mental Health Episode In 1788
King George III’s first mental health episode occurred in 1765, but it was short, and he was able to resume his duties. During the summer of 1788, however, King George’s mental health deteriorated and he remained out of commission until at least the spring of 1789. When this happened, it scared Queen Charlotte. King George was moved to Kew, but Queen Charlotte will sleep and eat alone in a separate room until he recovers. What’s more, King George’s doctor wouldn’t consult Queen Charlotte about his condition.
