Queen Charlotte: what is Netflix’s Bridgerton prequel series about, cast, who were real Queen and King George?

Fans of Netflix period drama Bridgerton have had a long two year wait for the show's spin off series, Queen Charlotte, to air - but it's finally available to watch.

The show, which explores the life of Queen Charlotte in much more detail, as the title of the show suggests, landed on the streaming platform on Thursday 4 May. But, just what is the series about, what was the real Queen Charlotte's story and who stars in the show? Here's everything you need to know, including how you can watch the series.

What is the Bridgerton prequel about?

The full name of the Bridgerton prequel is "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton story". The synopsis given by Netflix reads: "Young Queen Charlotte's marriage to King George of England sparks an epic love story and transforms high society in this Bridgerton universe prequel. The show documents Queen Charlotte's romance with King George, their wedding and the early days of their marriage, and also reveals how she meets Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton.

Who stars in the Brigerton prequel?

The Brigerton sequel features some faces fans of the original Bridgerton series will recognise. Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell all reprise their roles of Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton respectively. There will also be some new faces, in the form of actors who play the younger versions of characters. India Amarteifio plays a young Queen Charlotte while Arsema Thomas plays a young Lady Danbury. Viewers are also introduced to young King George (Corey Mylchreest) and Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley).

How can I watch the Bridgerton prequel?

You can watch all six episodes of Queen Charlotte now on Netflix.

When was the Bridgerton prequel first announced?

Shondaland, the television production company founded by Shonda Rhimes which produces Bridgerton, first told fans back in May 2021 that a prequel about Queen Charlotte was in the works.They posted a behind-the-scenes image of Golda Rosheuvel dressed as Queen Charlotte alongside two of her co-stars Adoja Andoh (Lady Danbury) and Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton).

The caption read: “Netflix and Shondaland will add a second show to the franchise, a limited prequel series based on the origins of Queen Charlotte, which will be written by Shonda Rhimes. The spinoff will also tell the stories of young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury. Rhimes will also serve as executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and Tom Verica.”

Will there be another series of Queen Charlotte?

It has been confirmed that Queen Charlotte is a limited series, and that means that it’s only designed to be a single season-long. So, unfortunately, no, therefore won't be another series. But, fans still have further episodes of Bridgerton to look forward to as it has been confirmed that a third season of the Regancy drama is on the way, as reported by our sister title Edinburgh Evening News.

Who were the real Queen Charlotte and King George?

In the TV series Bridgerton, the character of Queen Charlotte is based upon Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Born on 19 May 1744, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

The family ruled over Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a small north-German duchy which could be found in what was then the Holy Roman Empire. She came to England in 1761, aged 17, and has been sent to marry a King she’d never met. Her wedding to King George III took place just six hours after her arrival in the country, and she swiftly learnt English. The couple went on to have 15 children, and she became an accomplished interior decorator.

A champion of women’s education, Charlotte also founded a number of orphanages and helped to fund what was then called the General Lying-in Hospital for expectant mothers. That is now named the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in her honour. Queen Charlotte died in 1818, and after Prince Philip, she is the second longest-serving consort in British history; a role she held for 57 years and 70 days.

How is Queen Charlotte portrayed in Bridgerton?

In the hit Netflix show, which is based on Julia Quinn’s historical romance novels, Queen Charlotte is portrayed by Guyanese-British actress and singer Golda Rosheuvel. In Quinn’s Bridgerton series of books, however, Queen Charlotte doesn’t feature.

Although the varied racial representation in the TV show Bridgerton is widely accepted to be a reimagining of how London high society looked at the time, there are theories that Queen Charlotte did in fact have mixed racial heritage. In Bridgerton, we can see the dramatisation of when Queen Charlotte is forced to confront the declining mental state of her husband, King George III. This is said to be based on truth.

Portrayed in a moving way by Golda Rosheuvel during the first season of the show, Charlotte appears happy and relieved when her husband’s behaviour appears to be stabilising. She then attempts to retain her composure when he suddenly erupts into fits of rage, confusion and paranoia.