Welcome, welcome, my dear readers! Today, we’re taking a journey back in time to explore the world of Queen Charlotte, the newest addition to the Bridgerton universe.
The show is set in two different time periods: the early Georgian era and the Regency era. In the early Georgian era, we meet a young, spunky Princess Charlotte who’s set to marry King George III of England. But wait, there’s more! Charlotte isn’t just any old princess—she’s the first Black royal, which leads to some major tension as she tries to navigate high society in her new home.
Meanwhile, in the Regency era, we see the older, more established Queen Charlotte (played by the fabulous Golda Rosheuvel) struggling to ensure her family’s bloodline endures, despite having given birth to 13 living heirs. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!
But how much of this is fact and how much is fiction? Well, my dear readers, let’s just say that the show takes a few liberties in its storytelling. While the characters were inspired by the real-life King George III and Queen Charlotte, the show definitely takes some creative license in exploring their lives.
1. The Great Experiment
In the show Augusta and Charlotte’s brother arranged for the marriage of George and Charlotte, leaving the princess perplexed as to why the King of England would choose to marry her, a member of a minor German province. The show offers a depiction of Charlotte’s feelings of bewilderment and reluctance toward the idea of marrying a man she barely knows, especially when she is made to feel powerless in the decision-making process. Despite her brother’s reassurances that there is no apparent reason for the match, we later discover that it was part of a broader political strategy known as the Great Experiment.
However according to history George III’s selection of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from a list of potential brides may have placed her lower down the list initially, but it was ultimately his decision to marry her. Moreover, George’s choice was not surprising given the circumstances of his position. As a member of the Hanover dynasty, George III was required to marry a Protestant princess from outside of England. This limited the potential pool of candidates to German and Scandinavian royalty, making it unsurprising that he chose a German princess. The Hanover dynasty originated with the ascension of George I, the second cousin of Queen Anne, who had no heirs despite 17 pregnancies. George I’s son, George II, also grew up in Germany and passed the throne to his son, George III, upon his death.
2. King George III: The Royal Mystery Man With An Acute Mania
The show highlights that George III was showing signs of a mental health condition well before he tied the knot with Charlotte in 1761 when he would have been around 23 years old. Unfortunately, his illness was so severe and recurrent that he had to stay away from the public eye and even avoided spending time with his newlywed wife. To make things worse, Dr. John Monro used brutal methods of physical torture to treat the king, which only worsened his condition. However, Charlotte refused to give up on her husband and was determined to understand what was happening to him. She showed great empathy and care towards George, which eventually helped him in his recovery.
The British royal family‘s site acknowledges that King George III had his fair share of “illness” during his reign. He was known for his erratic behavior, including talking to trees and struggling with fits of madness. But what exactly caused his decline? Well, there are a few theories floating around, but one of the most interesting involves a rare genetic condition called porphyria.
According to some medical historians, porphyria may have been the underlying cause of George III’s mental health struggles. This disorder affects the body’s ability to produce heme, a component of hemoglobin that’s essential for carrying oxygen in the blood. Without heme, toxic substances can build up in the body and cause a range of symptoms, including anxiety, confusion, and hallucinations.
It’s not clear how Charlotte reacted to George’s first suspected episode, but her reaction to his first true manic episode in 1788 was fear. She locked him out of their bedroom and had him subjected to blistering and leeching. However, it wasn’t until Francis Willis took over the treatment that he showed signs of improvement. Willis encouraged calm and had George study Latin and work with watches, which was helpful to him. The series exaggerates the severity of the treatment, but the use of gags and straitjackets was not uncommon during that time.
Yes, Dr. John Monro was a real person, but his methods for treating mental illness were far from ideal. As the head of Bethlem Hospital, also known as Bedlam, Monro continued to rely on outdated treatments such as bleeding, purging, and vomiting, as well as the use of cold baths. This was a time when even being a Methodist could get you committed, so you can imagine how little was known about mental health back then. Yikes, not great! While Monro and his son were consulted on King George III’s condition later on, there’s no evidence that they treated him privately.
3. From Royal Duty To True Love
In the show, we witness George and Charlotte’s whirlwind romance, from their first meeting to their marriage at the Royal Chapel in St. James’s Palace. Despite their arranged marriage, the couple quickly develops a strong affection for each other and shares a deep connection. Their love remains a constant throughout the series, even in the face of George’s mental health struggles and the challenges of their royal duties.
Oh boy, get ready to grab a box of tissues because this one is a real tear-jerker. The love story of George and Charlotte is one for the ages, and it’s all true! George was a real gentleman, the first in his family to never take a mistress. And once he married Charlotte, that was it – he never looked at another woman again. They were both into the arts and sciences and even though Charlotte had a bit of a snuff addiction (hey, nobody’s perfect), George loved her more every day.
And even when George’s health started to decline, Charlotte was right there by his side. She was his physician, his friend, and his guardian angel. It’s enough to make you believe in true love, isn’t it? But unfortunately, as George’s condition worsened, Charlotte had to become his guardian. She never left his side, not even during the Regency. And even when she passed away in 1818, George still loved her just as much. He died just 14 months later, proving that their love was eternal.
Excuse me while I grab another tissue…
4. The Racial Identity Of Queen Charlotte: Separating Fact from Fiction
While the idea of Queen Charlotte being the first Black queen of England makes for a compelling storyline in the show, in real life, the truth is much more complex. The speculation about her racial identity has been debated by historians for decades, with some arguing that she was indeed of mixed-race descent, while others remain skeptical.
Princess Sophie Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who serves as the inspiration for the character of Charlotte in the show, is believed by some to have been of mixed-race or Black descent. This theory first emerged in the 1940s when Jamaican-American historian J.A. Rogers suggested that Charlotte’s facial features in portraits indicated African ancestry. The theory was later revisited in 1997 by historian Mario De Valdes y Cocom, who argued that Charlotte was a direct descendant of Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a Black branch of the Portuguese royal house, through Margarita de Castro e Souza. However, not all historians are convinced that this proves Charlotte’s racial identity, as the term “moor” in historical records can refer to Muslims and not necessarily Black individuals. The debate about Charlotte’s racial identity continues to this day.
Note: The historic information is taken from The TIMES & Vulture
