A prequel to Bridgerton, Netflix’s hit period drama series released last Christmas, has been announced. The story will follow a young Queen Charlotte played by Golda Rosheuvel in the current series, young Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Bridgerton matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell).
Although the character of Queen Charlotte was not penned by Julia Quinn in her novels about the Bridgerton siblings’ quest for love, it was an addition by the show’s producer Shonda Rhimes, which resonated well with the public. The first Bridgerton limited drama series by Chris Van Dusen was adapted by Netflix.
The giant streaming platform excitingly tweeted about the prequel recently, and fans are thrilled to be thrown back into the world of Bridgerton with this spin-off which gives Rhimes the full creative license to create the story of the younger version of the fictional Queen Charlotte. The title of the prequel has not been released yet.
“All Hail The Queen!,” Netflix wrote. “Thrilled to announce we’re expanding the Bridgerton universe with a limited series that will tell Queen Charlotte’s origin story — the series will also feature young Violet Bridgerton and young Lady Danbury.”
The series is fictional with some historical allusions especially to the character of Queen Charlotte. The real Queen Charlotte, born Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was believed to be born to an African mother and the descendant of Alfonso III of Portugal.
“Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,” Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria told Deadline.
There are many historical documents referring to her as one of mixed heritage, with her mulatto features sometimes being exaggerated. Queen Charlotte married George III in 1761 and had 15 children. Her granddaughter Victoria – daughter of their third son Edward – became Queen in 1837.
With all the news about the prequel making waves, fans are also anticipating the release of Bridgerton season 2 in 2022. Filming is currently ongoing in London and the only bummer is that the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) will not return to the second season.
The show has however received the green light for the filming of seasons 3 and 4, according to Town and Country Magazine. “Shonda and her team are thoughtfully building out the Bridgerton universe so they can keep delivering for the fans with the same quality and style they love. And by planning and prepping all the upcoming seasons now, we also hope to keep up a pace that will keep even the most insatiable viewers totally fulfilled,” said Bajaria.
