This Netflix Prequel Is a Majestic Treat

Well now… it’s as if we’ve been waiting for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story all along. Three times is a delightful if not thoroughly royal charm for the Bridgerton-verse. Bridgerton first wowed audiences when it arrived on Netflix in 2020, giving viewers a frequently shirtless and brooding Regé-Jean Page to fawn over. Season two followed similar suit as it chronicled the romance between Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey, shirtless and then some) and Lady Kate (Simone Ashley), in full-on overthinking mode.

But with Queen Charlotte, series creator/showrunner/writer Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy) creates something even more remarkable: a memorable and engaging six-episode prequel companion to the flagship series that will impress you with its layered storytelling, depth, and heart.

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Perhaps Lady Whistledown, Bridgerton’s ever curious scribe, summed it up best: “This treasure is set to join the likes of the queen’s ever so cherished crown jewels themselves.” That’s certainly the case here. Headlined with fiery delight by India Amarteifio (Evermoor) in the title role, Queen Charlotte takes place many decades before the events in Bridgerton, but we occasionally dip into that series’ timeline, following several story arcs — one involving the older Queen Charlotte we’ve come to know (Golda Rosheuvel) and a curious thread from the past that involves Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Lady Violet Ledger Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell).

But the heart of this series is wonderfully rooted in the past, with Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power. This is the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George III (an exceptionally on the mark Corey Mylchreest) was both a stellar love story and a significant societal shift, creating the Regency high society — known as the Ton — that was inherited by the characters in Bridgerton. That said, Queen Charlotte stands out, but not for the reasons you might think.

Not Your Average Cute-Meet

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The first episode of Queen Charlotte finds our beloved protagonist confronting a number of battles. In attempt to secure their family’s and country’s fate, her brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim) has arranged for Charlotte to marry King George III. Charlotte is only 17 and doesn’t take kindly to that idea, but off in the carriage they go.

At the royal palace, Charlotte has other plans. She retreats to the gardens and ponders how she can get over the palace walls. A strapping young lad charms her with his infectious grin, and it’s all so, well, Bridgerton-y. It isn’t long before Charlotte realizes who this fella is. (Hello, George.) Smitten, she agrees to marry a man she never met — until, like, 10 minutes ago. Here’s to happily-ever-after.

Not quite. The wedding is grand, of course. Royal treatment and all that. The honeymoon? Not so much. Best to experience all that for yourself, but Charlotte soon realizes that she and the King will have separate residences. George is also suddenly emotionally distant, perhaps aloof. Why? Then there’s all this fuss about her being doted on by countless servants, chief among them Brimsley (Sam Clemmett in fine form), who has dedicated life to the Royal Highness. That he always walks at least six feet behind her is a hoot. Well, Charlotte is her own woman. She won’t have it. Nor can she stomach feeling isolated from the man she married. What the bloody hell is happening?

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Shonda Rhimes and director Tom Verica do a lovely job at bringing us into this time period and setting up Charlotte’s plight from the get-go. To our delight, other Bridgerton characters appear. Young Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas) figures prominently throughout in amusing if not sometimes off-putting scenes, especially between her and her much older husband, Lord Danbury (Cyril Nri), to whom she’s been betrothed in an arranged marriage much like Charlotte’s. In time, these two young women bond, setting up the connection we later see between them in Bridgerton. About that…

Queen Charlotte Moves Back and Forth Through Time

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Once Queen Charlotte establishes its footing, viewers are offered glimpses into what’s unfolding in Bridgerton real time. This is obviously a deliberate yet welcome attempt to catch viewers up on matters before season three of the hit show returns. Things went sour between Lady Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) when Eloise discovered that her dear friend was — Good Lord! — Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews), gossip hound for the Ton.

Lady Violet mentions to Lady Agatha that the two aren’t talking for some reason. Of course, Kate and Anthony were married but there’s not much chatter about the Bridgerton kids beyond that. As the showrunner takes viewers through six episodes, Lady Violet ponders her own past and must come to terms with her initial impressions of the Ton as a girl, and the familial bonds that suddenly come into question.

Meanwhile, Golda Rosheuvel chews up the scenery at every turn as the older Queen Charlotte, who is mortified that not one of her countless children have produced an heir. Between her spoiled sons and her daft daughters, she can’t seem to understand where she has gone wrong as a mother. She’s been grand, in fact. Or so she believes. Brimsley — bless the man — is still at the Queen’s side. Hugh Sachs reprises his Bridgerton role here.

About that… there is no more tender a bond we see than the one formed between devoted butlers to their majesties in the past — young Brimsley to the Queen and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) to King George. Watch these two. They are one of this series’ shining triumphs.

Why This Queen Feels Royally Duped

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In Queen Charlotte time, the young queen frets over her marital frustrations. It doesn’t help that George’s shrewd and manipulative mother Augusta (Michelle Fairley) is also beyond over-protective. What’s she hiding? What is George hiding for that matter? Watch and revel in intrigue with how well this series reveals that and then leaps back to show things through George’s point of view in later episodes.

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The big reveal gives this romance more weight than the other romances we’ve experienced in Bridgerton, and India Amarteifio’s portrayal of the young queen is exceptional. She loses herself in the role, as does Corey Mylchreest, giving us a truly complex character, to whom Charlotte must suddenly fight for and pledge her devoted allegiance.

How and whether the young girl handles that is for viewers to experience, but every scene Amarteifio and Mylchreest occupy is believable and rife with an achy desire for something to be resolved. Their on-screen chemistry is something to marvel, recalling the Harlequin-like highs we felt back in season one of Bridgerton. Equally enjoyable is how well the series leans into historic events for what a treat it is here to find King George III exploring astronomy. That all plays out nicely.

Queen Charlotte is the best of the Bridgerton batch. It manages to also illuminate the plight and privilege of royalty. The Crown, and of course, Harry & Meghan spotlight that in spades, but there’s something refreshingly bold and invigorating about Queen Charlotte. Perhaps it is the noticeable thread of humanity woven throughout the tapestry from beginning to end. It’s doubtful this would be the last we see of this clan. It would be a shame to not see more, in fact. This show deserves the royal treatment.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story hits Netflix on May 4.

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