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REVIEW: Dearest Reader,
After two successful seasons focused on the lives, loves and complex social politics of the ‘Ton, creator Shonda Rhimes has decided to take a leaf out of Jon Favreau’s franchise-building blueprint.
A seemingly peripheral, yet pivotal character amongst all the sometimes Machiavellian machinations and social climbing of Grovesnor Square’s Featherington and Bridgerton families, Queen Charlotte is now the subject of a six-part series (just dropped on Netflix).
A la Favreau’s Mandalorian spin-off The Book of Boba Fett, its action criss-crosses between two time periods, exploring both her ascension to the throne and dealing with a crisis that threatens her legacy. This allows both Golda Rosheuvel and newcomer India Amarteifio (The Midwich Cuckoos) plenty of opportunities to make the acerbic and already crowd-pleasing character truly their own.
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When we first meet young Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Amarteifio), her life has just been turned upside down by her sibling.
Anxious not to make an enemy of the British Empire, brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim) has agreed that she should marry King George III – much to his sister’s chagrin. Complaining all the way from their home in Germany’s Mirow to London about her ridiculous gown and whale-boned corset (“the slightest wrong move and I might be killed by my undergarments”), she vents her frustrations directly towards Adolphus: “I am angry – and I cannot breathe.”
“You were chosen – it is an honour,” he retorts.
“It isn’t an honour – you could have told them to choose someone else.”
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If you’re a fan of the original Bridgerton, I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed by Queen Charlotte.
After musing that perhaps he allowed her to read too much and made a mistake by indulging her every whim after their parents died, Aldophus simply reminds her to “shut up, do your duty and be happy. There are worse fates than marrying the King of England”.
However, her initial reception at court certainly doesn’t allay any fears, especially when there’s no sign of her betrothed and no one will answer her queries about his demeanour – or personality.
ITN
Meet the new stars of Bridgerton – India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest! Melissa Nathoo sits down to speak to them about starring in Queen Charlotte.
Flash-forward to the Lady Whistledown-era and the death of a Princess and her baby in childbirth has cast a pall over the Royal Household. But rather than mourning her granddaughter and great-grandchild, Queen Charlotte (Rosheuvel) is more perturbed by what it means for the future. She may have 13 children, but there are no heirs – at least not legitimate ones. Is the Queen’s famed knowledge about how to make a good marriage nothing but talk?
As we know though, Charlotte is fiercely protective of her reputation – and she’s not about to let the current situation stand for long. Gathering her clan together, Charlotte lays down the law.
“Virgins to the left of me, whores on the right. It’s time to find husbands and trade in the mistresses for respectable wives.”
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India Amarteifio is the young Queen Charlotte.
While reminding us right from the get-go that this is not a history lesson, but rather “fiction inspired by fact” and that “the liberties taken by the author are quite intentional”, this also marks a departure from Julia Quinn’s source novels.
Taking a hands-on role this time around, uber-producer Rhimes initially seems at pains to strike a distinctive tone, from the Saul Bass-inspired titles to a less-romantic emphasis.
But, just when you think things appear not quite as deliberately anachronistic and feel less (Jane) Austen-tatious, the surprisingly smouldering George (Corey Mylchreest) shows up and the familiar strains of Beyonce’s Halo swell from Bridgerton’s trademark string section. Don’t get comfortable though, for this Bridgerton Story has a few more surprises in store, before even the first episode plays out.
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The death of a Princess and her baby in childbirth has cast a pall over the Royal Household and its matriarch’s (Golda Rosheuvel) demeanour in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Yes, there is a certain amount of box ticking and filling in the missing puzzle pieces from the Bridgerton backstory – how Lady Danbury got her title, why Queen Charlotte is so headstrong and suspicious – and getting used to a whole new raft of characters won’t be easy, but, if you’re a fan of the ‘Ton, I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed by this chapter, even if it’s just to keep you sated until the main show’s highly anticipated third season finally deigns to make an appearance.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is now available to stream on Netflix.
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