The actual historical past behind Queen Charlotte in 'Bridgerton,' who some say was Britain's first Black royal

• “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is out there now on Netflix.
• The sequence fictionalizes the lives of Queen Charlotte and King George III of England.
• It leans into the speculation that Charlotte got here from a Black department of the Portuguese royal household.

“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is the primary sequence within the franchise to focus solely on the real-life monarch.

The brand new Netflix spin-off, which is streaming now on the platform, follows the lifetime of Queen Charlotte after she will get married to King George III, an 18th-century monarch of the UK of Nice Britain and Eire.

Like in the principle “Bridgerton” sequence, Queen Charlotte is portrayed by two Black actors: Golda Rosheuvel, who portrays the character in the principle sequence, and India Amarteifio.

Rosheuvel beforehand advised Insider that it was “empowering” to play the queen consort as a Black actress.

It has been mentioned that Queen Charlotte might have been the primary Black member of the British royal household. Here is every thing we all know concerning the royal.

There is a historic idea that Queen Charlotte was a descendant of a Black department of the Portuguese royal household, although this has been disputed by historians

Queen Charlotte was born Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to a German duke and princess in 1744. She turned queen consort of Britain upon her marriage to King George III in 1761 on the age of 17. The couple wed simply six hours after Charlotte arrived within the UK from Germany.

It has been claimed that Charlotte was a descendant of a Black department of the Portuguese royal household.

The speculation was popularized by historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom. In keeping with The Guardian, Valdes claims that the queen was associated to Margarita de Castro e Souza, “a Fifteenth-century Portuguese noblewoman 9 generations eliminated, whose ancestry traces from the Thirteenth-century ruler Alfonso III and his lover Madragana,” whom he believes to “have been a Moor and thus a black African.”

“Six totally different traces could be traced from English Queen Charlotte again to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, in a gene pool which due to royal inbreeding was already minuscule, thus explaining the Queen’s unmistakable African look,” Valdes wrote in a 1997 article for PBS which options outdated, offensive, racist language and assumptions.

The speculation has been disputed by a number of historians, together with Hakim Adi, a professor of the Historical past of Africa and the African Diaspora on the College of Chichester.

Adi advised Insider that “the proof is slender, to place it mildly.” He additionally mentioned that pinpointing Charlotte’s race would rely in your definition of “Blackness.”

Buckingham Palace additionally appeared to ignore Valdes’ idea when a reporter from The Boston Globe requested about Charlotte’s ancestry in 1999.

“This has been rumored for years and years. It’s a matter of historical past, and admittedly, we have got way more essential issues to speak about,” the spokesperson mentioned, based on The Impartial.

Buckingham Palace and Netflix didn’t reply to Insider’s request for remark.

‘Bridgerton’ reimagines a extra various society in the course of the Regency period, and suggests Queen Charlotte was the catalyst

Queen Charlotte’s race is briefly talked about in episode 4 of season considered one of “Bridgerton,” when Woman Danbury reminds Simon that King George and Charlotte’s union is the rationale why society was extra inclusive, particularly for these among the many aristocracy. 

“Take a look at our Queen. Take a look at our King. Take a look at their marriage, have a look at every thing it’s doing for us, permitting us to grow to be. We have been two separate societies, divided by coloration, till a king fell in love with considered one of us. Love conquers all,” she mentioned.

The brand new “Queen Charlotte” sequence reveals the method of how the 2 societies got here collectively.

In actual life, the aristocracy — and society generally — was nowhere close to as various because the present portrays London to be in 1813, particularly because the slave commerce had not but been abolished.

The royal household publicly supported Britain’s slave commerce within the 1500s. Queen Elizabeth I supported Captain John Hawkins, who captured 300 individuals from Africa and offered them for hides, ginger, and sugar in 1562.

Marlene Koenig, an professional on British and European royalty, advised Insider that “range as we all know what the phrase means didn’t exist” throughout King George and Queen Charlotte’s reign as a result of slavery wasn’t abolished till 1833 — 15 years after her dying.

The ‘Bridgerton’ franchise’s various casting selections have usually been lauded

Whether or not or not Queen Charlotte was Black, followers and critics of the Netflix sequence have usually appreciated the casting decisions. 

The Huntington Information’ Sarah Barber praised “Bridgerton” for efficiently “opening doorways for Black actors and different actors of coloration to not be restricted to demeaning servant or slave roles in interval items.”

In the meantime, Oprah Magazine’s McKenzie Jean-Philippe dubbed the present “a welcome breath of recent air” because it would not embrace “exhaustive on-screen dialogue about why my individuals need to be seen on successful TV sequence.”

“We have already spent a long time saying as a lot. ‘Bridgerton’ simply reinforces it,” she added.

The forged has defended the present’s casting decisions after some viewers criticized it for not reflecting historic accuracy — a problematic criticism that may very well be thought-about racist.

Phoebe Dynevor, who performs Daphne Bridgerton, advised Grazia in 2021 that she believes the present had “good casting” and that it advised tales that hadn’t been proven on display earlier than.

Nicola Coughlan, who performs Penelope Featherington within the present, additionally pushed again on the few critics who mentioned it was not thought-about to be traditionally correct to have Black members of the aristocracy throughout this time.

Adjoa Andoh, who performs Woman Danbury, defended the present’s choice as effectively, telling Digital Spy in 2021: “There’s actual proof of Black individuals on this nation for hundreds of years. We have taken the factual existence of Black individuals on this nation at the moment, which is an absolute nailed-on truth and heightened it.”

Queen Charlotte actress Golda Rosheuvel desires followers to know that ‘Bridgerton’ is not a royal biopic

“Bridgerton” and “Queen Charlotte” each present the Queen’s weak facet throughout scenes along with her husband, King George (James Fleet), who was thought to have skilled psychological sickness in actual life. It’s believed that George might have had bipolar dysfunction and porphyria, a genetic blood dysfunction that may trigger confusion, hallucinations, and paranoia.

Rosheuvel beforehand advised Insider’s Claudia Willen that they “by no means mentioned” the specifics of George’s situation on set whereas filming “Bridgerton” season 1, including that the sequence is not a royal biopic, however reasonably a reimagined model of historical past. 

“Again then within the 1800s, they would not have identified what bipolar was,” Rosheuvel mentioned. “The unknown of that might be terrifying, I feel. The outbursts can be terrifying.”

There have been smaller facets of Charlotte’s life that “Bridgerton” saved near actuality, reminiscent of her love of Pomeranians. When the Queen first sailed to England to marry the King, she introduced her two Pomeranians along with her, Harper’s Bazaar stories. The publication additionally stories that Charlotte would present the canine breed to different family members.

“Bridgerton” additionally briefly mentions that Charlotte found Mozart as a baby — one thing which occurred in actual life.

Within the sequence, Charlotte recollects assembly the well-known composer as a baby and predicting that he “ought to grow to be one of many best composers in Europe.”

The actual Queen Charlotte met Mozart in 1764 when he was simply 8 years outdated. The composer later devoted six sonatas to the Queen.

“Queen Charlotte” addresses each these facets within the restricted sequence.