Did Charlotte and George really have such a romantic love story?Īs far as historians can tell, they really did love each other. In fact, during the period in which 'Charlotte' takes place, England still participated in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and ruled over colonies with a vested interest in enslaving African people (colonies that would later become the United States). 'Charlotte' offers a historical 'what if' in its story called 'The Great Experiment,' in which rich Black families were made a part of the nobility by George's mother, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley), as a way to smooth over the arrival of a Black queen.īut this isn't based on history. One of George III's lines repeated in the series is an actual quote from the King: 'I am born for the happiness or misery of a great nation, and consequently must often act contrary to my passions.' Was there ever a 'Great Experiment' in the English aristocracy? That is what gives the period setting of 'Bridgerton' and part of 'Charlotte' the name 'Regency era.' Prince George later became King George IV when his father died. Historians and scientists have different theories about his diagnosis, but George III (played by Corey Mylchreest) had documented bouts of mental illness, and eventually his eldest son George took over ruling for his incapacitated father as Prince Regent. Review: 'Queen Charlotte' is sexier than 'Bridgerton' Did King George III have a mental illness? There is a historical myth about her that persists (read more here), that was part of what inspired the depiction of the character in both series. In real life, there is no evidence that this Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III (whom you remember from your seventh-grade textbook on the American revolution), was Black or descended from Black people. In the series, Charlotte (played by India Amarteifio in one timeline and Golda Rosheuvel in a later one and in 'Bridgerton'), is described as 'very brown' by her mother-in-law and of the 'Moorish race' (Amarteifio identifies as mixed race). We separate the history from the fantasy in the six-episode Netflix series. The series' narrator, Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews), says as much herself in the opening moments, calling it 'fiction inspired by fact.'Īmid all the fiction in 'Charlotte' – which tells the origin story of a real British queen but takes extensive liberties – there are a few facts sprinkled in here and there.

And while it's a great romance and soap opera, it's not a very good history lesson. Netflix's 'Bridgerton' spinoff 'Queen Charlotte' (now streaming) has captured our hearts and binge-watching hours since its May 4 premiere on the streaming service. Spoiler alert! The following contains significant details from Netflix's 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.'

The great believer