Long Live Queen Charlotte

There was only one royal I wanted to watch this weekend and it was none other than Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. After bingeing on six glorious episodes I can happily admit that I enjoyed the prequel more than the original series. The tone was completing different, the characters more developed and every modern instrumental was added to my first dance list.

There are a lot of themes to unpack from this series from mental health, homosexuality to of course, the treatment of women. These themes and concepts were brought to life by the incredible writing from Shonda Rimes and the stellar casting of the lead roles. I would be very happy to imagine that India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest were the real historical figures.

Please read the disclaimer

Speaking of history, I could not continue this article without mentioning the disclaimer (read by Julie Andrews AKA Lady Whistledown) before the first scene had even aired. Andrews voiceover read;

“This is the story of Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton. It is not a history lesson. It is fiction inspired by fact. All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional.”

We can only assume that this disclaimer is in relation to the criticism Netflix’s “The Crown” faced with its latest season. Politicians and actresses publicly denounced that the series was misleading and needed to be caveated as fictitious yet inspired by real events. Netflix included a disclaimer in the trailer however not on the actual show.

In terms of the “liberties” taken by Shonda Rhimes I assume this to be the decision that actors of colour were selected to represent royalty and the upper-classes of society in a time where this “elite” class were predominantly white. A concept that the internet, not all the internet, but some simply cannot fathom.

The Queen has spoken

We know Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton as the salacious monarch with a thirst for gossip, influencing the ton and selecting the diamond of the season. Now we see her as a headstrong young queen determined to lead the country in the absence of her husband, the mentally ill King George. This opening scene is the perfect portrayal of Charlotte’s quick wit and sharp tongue. It provides a strong arc for her challenging journey of proving herself to the royal family she has never met and is soon to be apart of.

This more wilful and formidable persona she portrays in the early scenes contrasts hugely with her treatment of George when she finds out about his mental state. She treats him with care and kindness that only he is lucky enough to receive. India Amarteifio commands each scene she graces and I must mention those dance scenes between her and King George - they are so visually stunning yet also so engaging. At the celebratory ball for the birth of their son you can’t help but feel the power emitting from them and you really want say a massive F*** You to the parliament who are just waiting for George to fail.

Lady Danbury is the GOAT

In the world of Bridgerton we know that women are seen as a commodity and marriage is a societal business deal but one of the most upsetting scenes in the series is a realisation by Lady Danbury. Young Lady Danbury is played by the captivating Arsema Thomas and she states to lady maid Coral how she had been “promised” to Lord Danbury from the age of 3. She was brought up to like and agree with all of his tastes, opinions and whims so much so she had no idea what her identity was without him.

Now a widow she was able to carve a path for herself without a husband and try to learn what her identity could look like. Her power and determination to not let the “Great Experiment” fail was admirable whilst her efforts to do so were calculated, strategic and frankly, genius. Learning more about the mysterious Lady Dunbury makes you love her even more, she is the Queen’s best friend but now we know how she secured her place at the top of society with an indirect alliance the pair struck up to ensure social equality and fairness for their community.

“Mad” King George

We knew from the original Bridgerton series that Queen Charlotte was married to “Mad King George” due to references to the monarch’s mental state. Admittedly, I know very little about the royal family tree and their history but we all know of the “Mad King”. Yet until watching this series I have never wanted that nickname to cease existing more. Corey Mylchreest portrays the monarch with an immense depth that makes you actually feel for the real-life person. His moments of disassociation and withdrawal were as heart breaking as the Queen’s face when she witnessed his pleas to Venus in the sky.

In a non-fictious world, researchers have debated what was the real cause of George’s behaviour and they seemed to reach agreement that it was due to “recurrent mania” possibly bipolar disorder. Seen on our screens we witness, and hear, the inhumane and brutal “medical” treatments George subjects himself to to try and treat his illness. Whether it was the leaches put onto his body to draw blood or his suffocating ice baths hearing his screams from that dungeon door were enough to make my skin crawl.

The final scene between the Queen and King was the most perfect, and heart breaking, way to climax the series. Looking at their faces, young and old, it showed that Queen Charlotte undeniably loved the man in front of her and he broke her heart every day through no fault of his own. Plus, huge props to Golda Rosheuvel for getting underneath that bed with her gown, wig and costume paraphernalia - that was impressive.

The tenderness of duty

Huge catalysts for the story was the passionate, secretive and emotional relationship by the King and Queen’s secretaries Brimsley and Reynolds played by Sam Clemmett and Freddie Dennis respectively. First and foremost they serve their monarchs and watch over their every whim, need and emotion but that passion also translates to their own relationship. We watch Reynolds care for King George and suppress the whisperings from the other palace workers. He facilitates messages delivered by Brimsley in the form of a “gesture” and with each subtle glance and movement you can’t help but melt for Reynolds.

We’ve seen older Brimsley in season one and two of Bridgerton, he is the Queen’s faithful servant and confidante. So when Sam Clemmett’s came on my screen I couldn’t wait to find out more about him and I loved every minute of it. His care, humour and dedication to her emotions in the early stages of her marriage was moving. Yet contrast this to his tear jerking response when Charlotte asks him if he ever married and he says, “Who could I ever find who would be free to spend a lifetime with me?”.

The relationship and on-screen chemistry between this pair has caused uproar online with viewers demanding to know what happened to Reynolds and why didn’t we see the end of their journey together. I feel like we don’t want to know the truth on this on so we can only imagine their younger lives intertwined and in-love.

Relevance today

Despite this series being set to the backdrop of opulence, extravagance and the “ton” its themes still resonate with society today. Class systems still exist, people of colour still face prejudice and discriminations and in many cultures, communities and countries women are seen as second-class citizens. Shona Rhimes has achieved something masterful by catapulting actors of colour to the forefront of the Bridgerton world in a genre where they would typically be ignored.

A powerful accompaniment to the drama series is a recent music video released by Netflix, Shonaland and Alicia Keys. The video shows the artist being joined by a 74-piece orchestra consisting of women of colour playing “If I Ain’t Got You” on it’s 20th anniversary and the results are…sublime.