If you’ve been hooked on Bridgerton like we have, you’ll be delighted to know that Shondaland is producing a new Netflix prequel to the much loved Regency era period drama – that happens to be inclusive and somehow rather modern too. Whatever it is, we happen to be here for it, and the prequel is based on the Queen herself.
She’s scheming, competitive, easily bored and in need of constant amusement – Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte is in fact, based on the real-life wife of King George III. Played by Golda Rosheuvel, the new spin off show will also feature the two other central characters of the show, Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton.
A press release about the upcoming drama reads, “While the series will center on the rise and love life of a young Queen Charlotte, it will also tell the stories of young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.” Bela Bajaria,of Netflix added, “Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world.” She said, “this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,”
Netflix have also confirmed that Shonda Rimes will be writing the series and will be an executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and Tom Verica. What we don’t know is how many episodes this limited series is set to have!
The show will be about the younger versions of our favorite characters. Golda Rosheuvel told E! News that she will most definitely be starring in it, “I will be in it. We have no film date or any kind of scripts or anything at the moment. We’re going to still be in the world of Bridgerton. We’re not moving away from the world that we know and love Queen Charlotte to be in. I think that’s really clever, because it kind of keeps us on the same track.”
She added: “it’s really going to be interesting to see where she has come from and the things that have led her to her in the Bridgerton that we know and love.”
Andjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury, also stated, “These relationships are long lived between Lady Danbury, Lady Bridgerton, and the queen. That’s what the prequel is going to talk about. It’s Shonda Rhimes writing it, so it is going to be fabulous.”
Julia Quinn is the creator of our beloved characters, Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury, but Queen Charlotte was actually a real person! She was married to King George III when she was just a teenager, and lived from 1744 to 1818. In Bridgerton, the Queen’s children aren’t in existence, but in reality, Queen Charlotte had more than 10 children! Her race may also mirror what is shown in Bridgerton, as she was most definitely German but it has been suggested that she did have African ancestry. As shown on the Netflix series, King George III eventually suffered with a mental disorder.
