The story of ‘The Bridgertons’ has become our new television obsession. We have a lot of questions about it, particularly about the monarch and his medical condition.
The first ‘spin-off’ of ‘The Bridgertons’ has already arrived on Netflix and explores the young stage of Queen Charlotte, title that gives its name to the fiction and starring India Amarteifio. Plus, it provides a deeper insight into the royals that inspired the story (because yes, both the monarch and a few other characters existed in real life). Although we have been wondering about one of the plots in particular: King George’s illness, which appears in both the central show and the prequel.
To recap, in the first and second seasons of ‘The Bridgertons’, Queen Charlotte’s husband spends a lot of time off-screen and the characters allude to the fact that he suffers from a permanent illness that prevents him from fulfilling his duties as a monarch. One of the most impressive moments that he leaves us is in the second installment, when he bursts into the room where the queen, Edwina, Lady Danbury and others are while they decide the future of Anthony Bridgerton’s wedding. In ‘Queen Charlotte’, we have been able to get to know King George in depth, played by Corey Mylchreest, as well as his beginnings with his wife, his complicated love story and his deteriorating health.
So with these data in mind, Here’s what is known about the real life of King George III and the illness he suffered from.
Did King George exist in real life?
Despite the fact that ‘The Bridgertons’ is not based on a true story —it is an adaptation of Julia Quinn’s saga of novels—, two of the characters did exist in real life: King George III and Queen Charlotte, protagonists from the Regency spin-off series.
George was born in 1738 and ascended the throne after his father’s death in 1751, succeeding his grandfather, George II, in 1760. A year later he married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became Queen Charlotte after the marriage. . The couple welcomed 15 children, of whom only 13 reached adulthood.
After assuming the throne at the age of 22, George ruled for six decades until his death in 1820. However, due to illness, he was unable to fulfill his duties as monarch for many years before then. Carlota assumed the role of his legal guardian, and her son the functions of regent.
What disease did King George suffer from?
Both in ‘The Bridgertons’ and more deeply in ‘Queen Charlotte’, we see how George III’s life is affected by his mental condition. He has hallucinations, mood swings… but what was his illness like in real life?
The disease that Jorge suffered is based on historical accounts. According to him British royal family website, there are various theories as to what caused his ”madness”. One came to write complete work.
Some historians suggest that Jorge’s “mental instability was caused by an inherited physical disorder called porphyria.”, notes the website of the British royal family. “The porphyrias are a group of rare disorders, as a result of problems in the production of chemical substances, called porphyrins, in the body,” they explain from nhs . ”These are the basic chemical components of heme, which make up hemoglobin, the component of red blood cells that allows oxygen to move throughout the body. They tend to cause attacks in adults, and the main symptoms may include gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting; heart symptoms such as changes in blood pressure or increased heart rate; motor symptoms such as muscle weakness or paralysis; psychiatric symptoms symptoms such as anxiety, confusion or hallucinations, or central nervous system symptoms including seizures”. Hence, the monarch suffered a kind of anxiety attacks in the most conflictive moments.
Another theory about George III’s illness is that he suffered from hypomania, a mental disorder similar to mania and that is associated with bipolarity.“It is possible that we will never know exactly what was happening to the monarch, it may have been hypomania,” they explain from the website of the British royal family. ”However, researchers studying his letters found that the spikes often came amid problems at home, such as the untimely death of his youngest daughter, Princess Amelia, from tuberculosis.”
Other theories propose that Jorge suffered from dementia, with one historian telling the BBC: ”Porphyria is out of the options. What George III suffered from was a mental illness.
In short, it seems that George III’s disease is something that we will never be able to decipher 100%. Some say it was something physical, others that it was clearly a mental ailment. Perhaps a season 2 of ‘Queen Charlotte’ can give us another answer…
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.
