Was Queen Charlotte real?

Many only know Queen Charlotte as the gossip-loving royal introduced to the screen thanks to Bridgerton, Netflix’s adaptation of Julia Quinn’s book series. Golda Rosheuvel does an incredible job of giving life to the character in the show, so much so that the monarch now has her very own spin-off, appropriately titled Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Firm and with a rebellious spirit, Queen Charlotte is undoubtedly a compelling character, whose ascension to the throne is even more interesting. And while viewers already got the rundown of how that comes to be in Bridgerton, the spin-off promises to give fans a deeper understanding of the Queen and shine a light on her love story with King George III, who we rarely see in the main show.

As is the case with most historical fiction series, fans often ponder whether the Queen Charlotte we all know and love to watch on the screen is purely a figment of Quinn’s imagination. Luckily, we have an answer to that.

Did Queen Charlotte really exist?

Much like King George III, Queen Charlotte is a real historical figure. She was born on May 19, 1744, to the royal family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which led to her also becoming known as Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She married the young George III in 1761, with little to no interest or knowledge about politics, and what it takes to rule a kingdom. Nevertheless, being a quick learner meant Queen Charlotte had some influence over her husband’s decisions, something that later came in handy when the King’s mental and physical health started to decline.

While what we see on the show is inspired by reality, there is some room for artistic liberty, of course, which is likely the case when it comes to portraying the Queen’s personality, mannerisms, and behaviors. One thing that is up for debate, however, is whether the real-life Queen Charlotte had African heritage. In both Bridgerton and its prequel spin-off, the character is played by Black actresses, and while viewers might be inclined to attribute that to the show’s dedication to representing people of color, there are theories that suggest Queen Charlotte did actually have mixed-race ancestry.

Despite how her portraits depict a fair-skinned woman, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time in history that artists alter the physical features of monarchs and noble people in their portraits. The theories have been widely discredited by scholars, though, which means that the world may never know.

For those who would like to see more of this monarch, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is already available for streaming on Netflix.