Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel to the popular Netflix series Bridgerton. The series explores the life of Queen Charlotte, a historical figure, and her marriage to King George III.
The six-episode series is a work of fiction, inspired by fact, that tells a captivating story about love, power, and social revolution. The show has been created by India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest and directed by Julie Anne Robinson.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – A Review
The first episode begins with a quick wedding ceremony between the young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) and King George III (Corey Mylchreest), who meet each other for the first time just a few minutes before walking down the aisle.
The series revolves around Queen Charlotte’s rise to popularity and power and how her marriage to King George sparked a cultural revolution, resulting in the world of the Ton that the Bridgerton characters inherited.
From the very start, the show emphasizes the fact that England is getting its first black queen, without explicitly mentioning her race. The dialogues are stuffed with references to her being the first of her kind, as there have been only “white” monarchs until then. Even the reason behind her betrothal to King George has subtle underlying racism.
Despite the historical backdrop, the show’s intentions are clear that it is just a piece of entertainment and not a history lesson. Lady Whistle-down, voiced by Julie Andrews, mentions this right at the beginning. The show is a work of fiction inspired by fact, and all liberties taken by the author are intentional.
Queen Charlotte is a beautifully crafted piece of work that tells a heartbreaking and captivating story. The series explores the complexities of Queen Charlotte’s life and the challenges she faced as a young queen. The show is sensitively written, touching on themes of mental illness with great care.
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One of the most poignant moments of the show comes in the final sequence of the third episode, where a revelation is made about King George, and Queen Charlotte’s reaction, beautifully portrayed by India, instills goosebumps instantly.
The fourth episode is from King George’s narrative, wherein we see his struggles to keep himself composed to serve his monarchical duties.
We see how there wasn’t any honeymoon bliss with Charlotte and why staying in an observatory is a priority over residing in Buckingham Palace.
The episode is titled “Holding the King,” and it provides a different perspective to the story, highlighting the importance of understanding both sides of the narrative.
The show’s first three episodes are filled with tension and frustration between the couple, while the last three episodes transition into a beautiful love story that the world deserves to know.
When it’s George and Charlotte, they only need each other’s eyes to forget the world. That’s how she teaches him to step into the real world, assuring him that she will never leave his side.
India and Corey make Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story what it is—a beautiful piece of work that is different from other titles on Netflix. Shonda Rhimes shows that, with sensitivity and an amazing screenplay, a great show can be made despite being cut from the same cloth.
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The show also explores the Regency era with Lady Danbury (Adjoah Andoh) and Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), focusing on companionship as one grows older and loses their partner.
The show also highlights the Great Experiment, which refers to making Queen Charlotte, who was just 17, marry King George III. The show touches upon the push to get the lineage right, and we see Charlotte having a dozen children thereafter.
