The fourth book on my list of most anticipated reads of the year has been out for a little over a month! Queen Charlotte is both a Netflix show and a book. After some thought, I watched the show first and then the novel since this was the order that these two were released. The series on Netflix is 6 long episodes and it took me a while to get through them… not because they weren’t great episodes, but some of the content is heavy and I couldn’t find myself watching more than 1 episode in an evening.
The book and the show are both based on history, but the authors are very transparent that any liberties taken from real events is purely for entertainment value. We meet the reigning Queen Charlotte in the Bridgerton show on Netflix. It is worth noting that she does not appear in the Bridgerton book series. If you are a fan of historical romance novels, the Bridgerton books are fabulous.
A large part of the book and the show, Queen Charlotte, is King George’s struggle with his mental health. Many experts today believe he suffered from the genetic condition porphyria, an abnormality in his body’s inability to make hemoglobin and leads to an imbalance of toxins in the bloodstream that impact the nervous system and the brain. Others hypothesize he had bipolar disorder. We see King George struggle with anxiety, hallucinations and confusion, which eventually would lead to him being removed as the monarch in real life. King George and Queen Charlotte’s son, George IV, was appointed the regent monarch in 1811 and ruled in his father’s place until George III died in 1820. King George is the fourth great grandfather of the current King of England, King Charles.
Aside from his illness, King George III is most known as the king who lost the American colonies. He is now infamously portrayed by Jonathan Groff in the musical Hamilton.
Can you tell that I love the British Royal Family?! I studied abroad in London in undergrad and that was one of the best experiences of my life. Anyway, enough of the history lesson…
Book Summary:
The book and show follows the love story of King George III and Queen Charlotte. They meet the morning of their wedding as Charlotte is attempting to climb over a castle wall. She is sure that the King is a troll or a monster because the staff as been so aloof about details of her intended. George assures her that he is no monster and after a brief conversation, Charlotte agrees to marry him. After the wedding it become apparent to her that something is not quite right with her new husband. He insists on not living with her and prefers to study the stars and planets. Charlotte is persistent and they eventually live together. Through some unconventional medical practices, George finally believes he has a handle on his mental instability. But when Charlotte discovers she is pregnant with their first heir, she dismisses the doctor and attempts to help George control himself.
Both book and show alternate between the beginning of their relationship and the “present.” We see pieces of George’s mental status in the Bridgerton show and know that he was removed as acting monarch but Charlotte never leaves his side.
While both the book and the show are amazing, it was difficult for me to sit through the same story back to back. The Bridgerton books have large differences between the books and the shows (so far) so there is entertainment value in consuming both just to spot the differences in the storytelling. Since Queen Charlotte in both the book and show form where released at the same time, they are nearly identical. The book gives you a little more back story that is simply implied knowledge in the show. So, if you want to read or watch just one of them, I suggest the book!
Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, 🌶️🌶️
Favorite Quotes:
“Whales died so I could look like this.”
“I am sorry. But there are worse fates than marrying the King of England.”
“No one will speak of him,” she said. “No one. He is clearly a beast. Or a troll.”
“Just George.”
