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Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is scheduled to drop soon, and fans are ecstatic with anticipation. The swoon-worthy show is a prequel to the Bridgerton franchise that will look at the past of the holy trifecta of matriarchs -- Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury, and Lady Bridgerton when they were younger.
The upcoming show is expected to be filled with drama, gossip, and tantalizing romance, which are some of the hallmark characteristics one expects out of the Bridgerton series now, which is based on Julia Quinn’s novel series of the same name.
The show is supposed to give us a rare look at the past life of the haughty Queen as we know her, and there are going to be a lot of unexpected similarities and dissimilarities between the two characters as well.
During an interview with Netflix, showrunner Shonda Rhimes opened up about Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story:
"You are going to see a bunch of differences and similarities, and that's going to be the fun—seeing the differences between Queen Charlotte as we know her in Bridgerton, and Queen Charlotte as we know her in this world.”
She continued:
"...You're going to see a woman who hasn't come into her own power yet versus the real command that Queen Charlotte of Bridgerton times has. And it’s thrilling to watch and understand that growth."
Queen Charlotte: 5 things fans might not know about the historical personage
1) Queen Charlotte had a much hasty marriage
Queen Charlotte or Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is immortal in history's pages as the wife of the “mad” King George III. It was quite the love story as the couple went on to have 15 children together. While talking to Opera Daily, Van Dusen went into detail about how the conceptualization of the series took place:
"What really struck me with the books from the beginning is that this was an opportunity to marry history and fantasy in a really exciting, interesting way. So in Queen Charlotte, that was the history. And then it was thinking of these fantastical scenes and situations to put her in that were really fun to write, too."
Historically, it has been said that as her features were not up to the mark according to royal beauty standards, little was taught to her about leading a political life. However, at only 17 years of age, she entered the British court as the Queen, and the rest is history from there.
Another fun fact about this royal alliance is that there were not even six hours of an interval between the Queen's arrival in England and her marriage. The reason had been George III's immediate need for a wife and an heir. The marriage was apparently a good union as they both loved and respected each other. However, the Queen had difficulty with the birth of so many children.
Like the fictional ruler was portrayed in Bridgerton, the real Queen was also an amateur botanist who took a great deal of interest in gardening. Her interest in Botany was honored with a South African flower, the Bird of Paradise, being named Strelitzia Reginae in honor of her name.
2) Queen Charlotte's husband, George III, was plagued with mental illness
In history, the Queen's husband, George III, was known as the "mad king." According to the Historic Royal Palaces website, the relationship between King George and the Queen was very amicable. Some historians even went on to say that they were very affectionate to one another. However, he was also grappled with mental illnesses that was kept hidden from the Queen.
In 1788, King George succumbed to a month-long manic episode that rendered him incapable of fulfilling royal duties. During his lifetime, he experienced four instances of such manic episodes that got him the title of "The Mad King" by the ignorant mass.
According to the Royal Family website, the Queen was devoted and faithful to her husband till the very end. She also acted as her guardian and took care of him during his difficult times.
Many theories have circulated about what might have been the issue with George III. Many said it was a blood disorder called 'Porphyria.' However, a modern research based at St George's, University of London, actually came to the conclusion that it might have been bipolar disorder as the King's manic episodes mimicked the symptoms of someone with the illness.
3) Queen Charlotte might have been the first black British Royal
Many historians speculate that Queen Charlotte was Black or at least mixed race. According to The Washington Post, Genealogical historian Mario De Valdes y Cocom said the Portuguese Alfonso III's mistress, Ouruana, is historically a black moor. He even pointed out that the royal physician of Queen Charlotte used the offensive and derogatory term "mulatto" to describe her:
"small and crooked, with a true mulatto face."
The Prime Minister at the time also depicted the Queen with a much racial undertone saying:
“Her nose is too wide and her lips too thick.”
In the paintings of the Queen, Valdes notes a darker skin tone and curly hair that might be indicative of her black heritage. The paintings are of great value in historic racial studies as artists at that point in time were expected to tone down and sometimes obliterate many racial features of a subject’s face as they were seen as undesirable.
However, many have tried to wave off Valdes’s claims, like University of Pennsylvania professor Ania Loomba, who told The Philadelphia Inquirer:
"The word 'blackamoor' in Shakespeare's time meant Muslim."
The Queen's race is still shrouded in mystery.
4) Like said in Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte did discover Mozart
According to history, the bond between the Queen and King George III was created through music. They both had a passion for music, and she was even a good harpsichord player. In one of the episodes of Bridgerton, the Queen says:
"I became acquainted with Mr. Mozart when he was not 10 years old. The boy accompanied me as I sang an aria, and I declared then and there that he should become one of the finest composers in Europe."
According to The Royal Collection Trust, this is true, and Mozart did perform for the royals when he was only 8 years of age. Mozart even dedicated his piece Opus 3 to her and also dedicated six sonatas to win the Queen's favor.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story drops on Netflix on Thursday, May 4. Fans are excited to see what this period drama brings this time to the table.
