Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Recap: An Arranged Marriage and a Royal Dilemma — Grade the Premiere
With Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which debuted all six episodes on Thursday, we know exactly how the titular monarch’s marriage to King George III sparked the diverse world presented in Bridgerton.
It all began with an arranged marriage in the series premiere. A young, strong-willed Charlotte (played by India Amarteifio) was not happy to learn that her brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim) set her up to marry the King of England (Corey Mylchreest). On the carriage ride to the palace, she threatened to leap from the moving vehicle and impale herself with her delicate and sharp corset made of whalebone. But as Adolphus pointed out, they had no choice in the matter. Their small German provence saying no to the British Empire? Preposterous.
George may have chosen Charlotte as his bride (without first meeting her), but no one from the royal court expected her to be Black. That presented a huge problem, given that she was darker than they anticipated. Since calling off the wedding was out of the question, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley) came up with a quick solution: invite other Black people and make it appear that George intentionally agreed to marry a Black woman.
A young Agatha (Arsema Thomas) and her much older husband were among the invitees, and they were gifted the titles of Lord and Lady Danbury.
In the present day, Queen Charlotte was awoken in the middle of the night with the somber news that the princess royal (Charlotte and George’s granddaughter) died in childbirth along with her baby. This left the Crown in crisis, since none of Charlotte’s 13 children has produced a royal heir.
Back in the past, Charlotte, understandably, was not thrilled about the wedding. Being inspected like cattle, given no choice in what she wore, and having virtually no privacy would make anyone feel trapped. Plus, she had no idea who George was or what he looked like, and all anyone could tell her of her would-be husband was that he was the sovereign ruler of England.
Fearing he could be a troll or a beast, Charlotte attempted to climb over the garden wall to escape. However, her elaborate dress made that impossible without help. Enter George, who wasn’t a beast like she suspected. He was handsome and charming, and encouraged her to address him by his first name. George even gave her the choice to marry him or walk away, and Charlotte decided to go through with the wedding. And yes, the show went with a classical rendition of Beyoncé’s “Halo” to see the newlyweds off.
However, their wedding night was not the romantic affair Charlotte had hoped for. George surprised his new bride with a lavish house he expected her to live in while he stayed at a different estate in Kew. When Charlotte pushed back against this, George threw his rank in her face — a stark contrast to their earlier conversation — and Charlotte politely retreated.
In the present day, Queen Charlotte assigned her children a new task: make her a royal baby.
Meanwhile, in the past, young Charlotte hugged her knees and expressed regret for not climbing over that wall.
What did you think of Queen Charlotte’s series premiere? Grade the episode below, and then share your thoughts in the comments.
Curious: is this series substantially historically accurate? Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, died in her mid-50’s quite slowly (over a number of days) and horrifically by repeated barbaric surgery, for a childbirth induced hernia (acc to a BBC show). King George III had extreme mental health issues and also endured grotesque medical care.
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That isn’t sexy at all.
I’m not sure if they are planning that for Charlotte at some point, but it isn’t happening now at least. She’s definitely in season 3 of bridgerton as well. From what I’ve heard it does delve into George’s mental health issues and the horrid treatments he endures though.
Oh, its Bridgerton. Its not going to be really historically accurate. Its kinda like in an alternate reality. A sexy alternate reality. Turn the history brain off and enjoy the ride. Think of it like Phillpa Gregory’s nonsense.
The opening of the first episode specifically states it is fiction inspired by fact.
Queen Charlotte died at 74.
Sorry, that isn’t true…
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Quick google says: Charlotte lived “8 September 1761 until her death in 1818”. Nov 17, 1818 to be exact. So 57 and a few months.
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I was going off a recently watched BBC show on PBS, so I was trusting they were correct…
Lol. She reigned as Queen from 1761, that wasn’t the year she was born. Check your reading.
Well, Charlotte actually died in her 70s, and while George the III likely had dementia when he died, the idea of lifelong mental illness has essentially been debunked, so I guess beware of documentaries?
I’m two episodes in and I think India is fantastic as Charlotte. Snappy and strong, I freaking love her and we see how the Queen is who she is.
I love it. I like the depiction of the king and queen’s relationship. Its beautiful and sad at the same time. Also love that they tell us more about lady Danbury. I find her to be so intriguing.
I’ve LOVED it. Beautiful, heartbreakingly sad on so many fronts. India and Cory have serious chemistry as charlotte and George. The actress who plays lady Danbury, she’s a star. And the timeline with the older women gives them a true chance to shine.
I binged the 6 episodes yesterday and I must say It left me wanting more. Charlotte and George were amazing and I was glued to every word they spoke to each other. The writing was excellent, the chemistry was excellent, and the entire cast was excellent. I will binge all 6 episodes again on Saturday morning. Thanks, Shonda, for a wonderful collection of entertainment, with more to come, that I will never get tired of rewatching. #Bridgerton
Thank god for fast-forward because I was bored out of my mind. 3 eps in and I’m not sure I’ll rush back to view the remainder.
Sure, Karen. People don’t waste their time watching shows they don’t like unless they have no life. Lol
What do you think Karen means? I am pretty sure it doesn’t mean “someone with different tastes in TV series”.
No actual history here, but the show is sparkling and well acted and produced. It’s just a lot of fun. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy.