Set in the 18th century, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story tells the tale of Queen Charlotte Bridgerton, who is the Queen of England. Set in the year 1761, there is a lot that viewers learned from the queen herself. A daunting character in a world in the void of feminism, her struggles are still relatable to this day. So, let’s take a dive into the five things we learned from this new spinoff.
Anyone who has missed catching the latest Bridgerton spin-off is sure to miss out on a few of the most well-written characters in the recent past of TV history. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton has developed a devoted fan base and continues attracting viewers worldwide.
When it comes to the franchise’s newest spinoff, a prequel to Bridgerton, there is a lot to learn from the Queen herself. Her sheer percipience and agency in her own life, given the time and place the story is placed in, is remarkable.
This season covers how Queen Charlotte got married to King George III and how she dealt with his growing mental health issues. Remarkable acting adorned with marvellous direction, the series is a must-watch for everyone. And yes, you can watch the new series even if you haven’t managed to catch the first two seasons of Bridgerton.
Five things we learned from ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’
5. Take charge
Queen Charlotte remains to be the strong character that we all know her to be in the future. She doesn’t allow anyone else but herself to exercise agency in steering the raft of her life. Be like the queen and take on your oars before the waves of life manage to push you in the wrong direction.
Another example of this was shown when Lady Danbury decided that she did not want to marry Adolfus. She only wanted to be by herself and thrive as an individual. The show managed to uplift how women claimed agency in their respective eras.
4. True love
Brridgerton completely embraces the essence of love. Similar to its mother show, this spinoff also covers the true meaning of love, looking into how Queen Charlotte accepted and still loved King George III despite his crippling mental issues.
George even went to extreme lengths, doing everything he could to help cure himself, however, his mental health only deteriorated under the extreme pressures he was put under.
3. The Queen of matriarch
Queen Charlotte was a strong matriarch, she knew what she wanted and was simply not ready to accept the double standards that were imposed by society on her. However, when she rose to power, she quickly realised how the power of the thrones was of utmost importance to the family.
Queen Charlotte managed to navigate through George’s worsening mental health. She presents as an incredibly powerful independent queen, played by the wonderful India Ria Amarteifio. Queen Charlotte exhibits a clear vehicle for equality and women’s rights.
2. What power really means
A true emblem of power, the matriarch is the head of the country. Queen Charlotte’s sheer ability to stand up for herself and her family when in need is a reflection of her resilience. She is powerful, she is strong-minded, and she is aware. She truly exudes what the meaning of power truly is. Not to be abused, but to be treated with respect and dignity.
However, great power comes with great responsibilities. As the show reflects on the life of Queen Charlotte, the audience is made aware of how she starts becoming more and more like King George III’s mother. Where she starts upholding the value of the kingdom over the value of the individual. Although she began presenting herself filled with rebellion, she eventually did succumb to how royal families work. Either way, she made a charming, powerful, determined, and strong-willed Queen that aeons of newcomers looked up to.
1. Who was the real Queen Charlotte?
Aside from all the essential life lessons reflected by Queen Charlotte herself through the spin-off, the audience gets a visual insight into the life of the royals in the eighteenth century. As the program creator explains, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is “fiction based on facts”. Regardless of the additions to the story, the story remains authentic and a bright reflection of who Queen Charlotte was and how her strength made waves in Britain’s past.
Although Bridgerton decided to tackle race heads on, it is not historically accurate. England continued to support slavery in the era that Queen Charlotte was based on. In addition, the creators made King George III and Queen Charlotte’s love story seem like a fairytale, despite the fact that, towards the end of her life, the Queen stopped visiting her partner for being too fearful of his erratic behaviour.
Despite the historical inaccuracies, Bridgerton did a great job at balancing fact and fiction. Something that the creators of the show had already provided a disclaimer for.
Why watch ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’?
Unlike the previous Bridgerton seasons, this spinoff focused a lot on character development. Scandal was also not the centre of the show, at the same time, historical accounts were given more importance to the way characters were presented. A must-watch six-episode series for any viewer who loves period dramas with a hint of fiction, dive into the world of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix now.
