What is the true story behind Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story?
Netflix's Bridgerton prequel is already a huge hit with fans after its release on the platform yesterday. The short series tells the story of fan-favourite Queen Charlotte from the show, and her marriage to King George III, reports the MEN.
But the series has left some fans wondering about the real life Queen Charlotte that the character is based on. However, the series does begin with a message from the infamous Lady Whistledown reminding viewers that the show should not be taken as historical fact.
READ MORE: When is Bridgerton season three coming out?
The new Netflix drama is loosely inspired by the life of the longest-serving female consort in British history, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She is played by Golda Rosheuvel in the main Bridgerton series and parts of the prequel and mainly by India Amarteifio in the prequel, playing a young Queen Charlotte.
The real Queen Charlotte was born in Germany, and was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, which was the Black branch of the Portuguese Royal House, leading many to believe that she was biracial.
The couple had 15 children - 13 of which survived to adulthood - with their eldest son being King George IV. Charlotte was also the grandmother of Queen Victoria who reigned for over 63 years.
The pair also bought some now famous royal homes which include Buckingham Palace and Frogmore House - which was given to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a wedding gift by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The first 25 years of the King and Queen’s marriage were happy ones that sparked a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton which fans see in Bridgerton. According to Historic Royal Palaces, they would attend plays and concerts together and duet on the harpsichord and flute. When not at court, their lives were rural and informal in their homes at Windsor and in Kew.
However, according to the Royal Family website, George became mentally ill and was unfit to rule in the last decade of his reign. When the King became ill, his inappropriate, manic behaviours terrified and upset the Queen. Their relationship was never the same and they led increasingly separate lives.
It said: "After serious bouts of illness in 1788-89 and again in 1801, George became permanently deranged in 1810. He was mentally unfit to rule in the last decade of his reign; his eldest son - the later George IV - acted as Prince Regent from 1811.
"Some medical historians have said that George III's mental instability was caused by a hereditary physical disorder called porphyria. We may never know exactly what was wrong with George III, it may have been hypomania, but researchers studying his papers have found that breakdowns often came amid turmoil at home, including the premature death of his youngest daughter Princess Amelia from tuberculosis."
Charlotte was queen for nearly 60 years and lived a fascinating life until her death in 1818. She even was credited with introducing the Christmas tree to Britain and its colonies.
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