5 things about "Queen Charlotte," Bridgerton spin-off

Let us dust off tiaras, capes, gorgeous gowns and the lust for gossip, because coming to Netflix on 4 May is Queen Charlotte - A Bridgerton Story, a Bridgerton spin-off dedicated, as the title suggests, entirely to Queen Charlotte. The much-anticipated miniseries, directed by Shonda Rhimes, will consist of six episodes and will trace the monarch's rise to power and her romance with King George, introducing a new hot couple. Following in the footsteps of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset Duke of Hastings and Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, two more characters are set to join the cast, with the faces of India Ria Amarteifio and Josh Cuthbert vying for fans' favour and building on the success of the original series. Unlike the first two seasons of Bridgerton (the third is currently in the works), the prequel is not based on the novels by Julia Quinn, but is being developed by Rhimes based on the character of Charlotte, which she invented, so the project is being watched with great curiosity. Fortunately, the wait will soon be over and we will soon be able to stream the entire series.

G-Club summarises everything we know so far so that we can sit in front of the screen on 4 May well prepared, ready to press play and binge-watch.

Plot

«Why me?» Charlotte nervously asks in the teaser for the series, as she rides in a carriage through the English countryside with her brother Adolphus. The latter replies, «Charlotte, there are worse fates than marrying the King of England». The real unspoken question is: how can she love someone she does not know? And the answer comes when she meets her future husband. «I realize you have no reason to like me, but if you will give me one evening of your time, it might make you hate me a little bit less» King George says. What follows is a journey through Queen Charlotte's rise to power, her love life with the King, her relationship with the royal family and a secret that concerns the King. «This is my home. I am the queen», she says at the end of the teaser, giving us a taste of everything that will happen in the six episodes of the Netflix series, which a few months ago was touted as «the marriage of the young queen to King George represented not only a great love story, but also a social change, leading to the birth of the English high society in which Bridgerton’s characters live».

It will be an in-depth look at some of Bridgerton's characters

The back story will show how some characters became who they are and how they got here. Not only will we find out who young Charlotte was before she became the bitter monarch who reads the Chronicles of Lady Whistledown and enjoys watching the courtship of high society, but we will also learn more about Lady Violet and Lady Danbury, who take on co-star status here. The new episodes describe the Bridgerton siblings' mother as "a friendly and curious teenager who is not yet on the marriage market" and promise to reveal the genesis of their friendship with Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury, giving us an insight into the journey and sacrifices that enabled them to carve out important roles for themselves in society.

Sex and intimacy

If you loved Bridgerton not only for its costumes, plot or cast, but also for its hot scenes, you will not be disappointed by the prequel, which promises more realistic sex. There will be no tongue-in-cheek spooning or moonlit backyard amps, but passion that leads to real intimacy. There will certainly be no shortage of love-hate relationships, passionate kisses and moments of unbridled physical attraction, but the new series promises more nuance in Charlotte and George's love affair. Indeed, the two will face some challenges, including the King's mental illness, which will leave room on screen for feelings of vulnerability, tenderness and devotion between husband and wife.

Important themes will be addressed

The new series will explore several important themes, in addition to the female condition of the time, which have already been addressed in the first two seasons of Bridgerton. It will be about loneliness, a condition that grips all the main characters at some point, but most importantly about the issue of race and mental health. Charlotte and George's wedding, described as a "Great Experiment"," will show how a multicultural marriage can be an opportunity to change society, but also how difficult it is to eradicate prejudice and open up to inclusion. King George's Illness, on the other hand, will bring to the screen the fragility of people suffering from mental disorders, as well as the difficulties, sense of frustration and helplessness felt by those around him as he suffers.

The real Charlotte

For the character of Charlotte, Rhimes drew inspiration from Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a German noblewoman who historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom believes is descended from a 13th-century Portuguese monarch and his North African mistress. She married George III, King of England, in 1761 and became Queen consort. The couple had 15 children: granddaughter Victoria, daughter of third-born Edward, later became Queen in 1837. As depicted in Bridgerton, King George III suffered from a mental illness that made it impossible for his consort to be near him. When her husband's condition deteriorated in the late 18th century, he persuaded her to retire to an estate he had purchased near Windsor Castle called Frogmore House. Unlike the protagonist of the Netflix series, however, the Queen was not an avid gossip but an amateur botanist and patron of music with a particular fondness for German composers such as Handel and Mozart.