One of the few real couples who really loved each other to the point of not being able to separate, a badly treated mental illness that turned everything upside down. This is the true story on which the first spin-off of ‘The Bridgertons’ is based.
Spoilers for ‘Queen Charlotte’ ahead
cuWhile binge-watching “The Bridgertons,” an experience not unlike enjoying a cup of hot soup in fluffy pajamas, you rarely risk thinking that the escapist drama is a historically accurate representation of the Regency era.
The scenery is painterly, the sun is always shining, and the never-ending calendar of balls and soirees is set to a soundtrack of classic covers of modern pop hits, not to mention the reinvention of racial equality.
However, with the Netflix hit’s first foray into spin-off territory, ‘Queen Charlotte’ is daring with the true story. The new six-episode limited series focuses on the main historical anchor of ‘The Bridgertons’: the consort who actually existed in real life, Queen Charlotte (played by the indomitable Golda Rosheuvel), who was an addition to the series to her source material from the Julia Quinn novels.
Played in her most youthful version by India Amarteifio, Queen Charlotte arrives in England as a teenager ready to marry the newly minted King George (Corey Mylchreest). The couple’s blossoming love affair soon hits troubled waters when George’s mental health problems threaten to end his marriage and destabilize the monarchy, and much of that was true of the real King George III and his marriage to Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The blending of this real-life King and Queen into the fantasy fabric of ‘The Bridgertons’ universe raises the necessary question of how much of ‘Queen Charlotte’ is based on the genuine ups and downs of her marriage to King George III. in real life.
What actually happened to Queen Charlotte and King George III?
The real Charlotte was born with a silver spoon, the daughter of a princess and a duke who presided over the little-known principality of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, in what is now Germany. When she was 17 years old, the 23-year-old King George III chose her to be his bride.
Carlota’s journey through the choppy waters of the Channel is said to have hit her with a horrible bout of dizziness, so much so that the diamond-encrusted wedding dress she wore on the big day nearly fell off her emaciated body.
Once Carlota and Jorge were married, the couple settled at Kew Palace, where they often walked the grounds without an escort (shocking!) and attended plays and recitals arm in arm. The King and Queen got to work creating an heir and a replacement and Charlotte gave birth to an impressive 15 babies, though two sadly died before adulthood.
King George bought what we now know as Buckingham Palace, as well as Windsor’s Frogmore House, which became a country getaway for Queen Charlotte and her daughters. Jorge’s documents in the Royal Archives are a testament to the couple’s loving marriage, especially since they were rarely apart, so they exchanged few letters.
‘Queen Charlotte’ signals a marked departure from the honey-sweet romances of previous seasons of ‘The Bridgertons’ in the way it candidly depicts the genuine marital struggle between Charlotte and George in the face of their devastating mental illness.
The first 25 years together of the real Queen Charlotte and King George were spent in wedded bliss, but in 1789 the King experienced a prolonged bout of mental illness that left him unable to carry out his duties as monarch. “When the king fell ill, his inappropriate and manic behaviors terrified and annoyed the queen,” says the Official website of the Historical Royal Palace. “Their relationship was never the same and they led increasingly separate lives.”
Queen Charlotte’s hair is said to have turned white amid the stress of her husband’s illness, which first presented itself as physical symptoms, but later saw him “increasingly deranged mentally”.
The King’s approach to treatment in ‘Queen Charlotte’ is seen through the shadowy Royal Doctor Monro (Rob Maloney), and largely reflects royal history. King George was isolated at Kew during his attacks and saw a variety of doctors, many of whom Charlotte distrusted, and they treated him with leeches and cold baths.
Historians still question the nature of King George’s illness, with some claiming that he had bipolar disorder, while others suggest that he suffered from the blood disease porphyria, but his eventual relapse led to his son taking over as Prince Regent in 1811.
In later life, Queen Charlotte suffered from edema, which causes painful swelling under the skin, and as her health deteriorated, she remained locked in her bedroom. As Queen Charlotte’s current timeline shows, Queen She remained faithful to her husband from afar and acted as her guardian until her death in 1818, a year before his.
Charlotte died surrounded by her children, in an armchair that remains at Kew Palace to this day. Her state coffin was carried to Windsor Castle, where the cobbled courtyards were thatched to ensure that the seriously ill King would not overhear the funeral procession of his beloved late wife. Meanwhile, Jorge’s health deteriorated. He developed dementia and was blinded by cataracts before finally dying of pneumonia.
‘Queen Charlotte’ showrunner and executive producer Shonda Rhimes spoke about delving deeper into Queen Charlotte and King George’s romance and said she hopes Netflix viewers leave the series with an idea of ​​the complexity of a marriage.
“I really wanted to be able to show people what that kind of love is like even though they know how it ends. I thought it was a challenge,” he said in Tudum from Netflix. “I think the most important thing is that I want people to feel that this is what happens with true love.
Love is hard, love is difficult, love has many layers. I also want them to really get rid of the idea that the happy ending that we always talk about for characters doesn’t have to be the obvious ending.
‘Queen Charlotte: A Story of The Bridgertons’ is now available on Netflix Spain.
Source: Fotogramas
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
