Nearly as soon as Bridgerton hit the screens of everyone with a Netflix subscription around the world, on Christmas Day 2020, it became a massive hit. The drama, which is based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn, broke records not long after, made stars out of many of the cast members, and gave viewers several amazing Queen Charlotte moments. TV super producer Shonda Rhimes is behind the incredibly sexy historical series, and she knows a sure thing when she sees one, which is why it only took until May 2021 for the announcement of a spinoff which would follow the feisty queen as a young woman meant to marry King George III.
We are growing ever closer to that prequel being completely ready for viewing by the rabid fanbase awaiting Bridgerton Season 3. So, if you have questions about the new show, which was given the official title, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, we do have several answers and can now get into what we know about the upcoming tale!
What Is The Queen Charlotte Premiere Date?
February 2023 offered those eager to watch the new costume drama a bit of a Valentine’s Day gift, as it was around that time that it was revealed that we should “save the date” for May 4, 2023, which, if nothing else, is an appropriately royal way to let us know when the show will arrive. The news came at the end of a new teaser trailer for the hotly anticipated series, and we’ll talk more about that a bit later.
India Amarteifio And Corey Mylchreest Play Young Queen Charlotte And King George
As for who will be taking on the roles of the young leads of the series, India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest are starring as the young royals, who will have an intricate and dramatic love story worthy of Lady Whistledown’s gossip sheet. Amarteifio has starred or guested in a number of series/mini series across the pond, including The Interceptor, Evermoor, Line of Duty, The Tunnel, The Midwich Cuckoos, joined the Sex Education cast for one episode in Season 1, and appeared on Doctor Who in 2015. Mylchreest, meanwhile, is just getting started, as he only has four credits right now, including his role with The Sandman cast as Adonis.
Three Major Bridgerton Actors Will Reprise Their Roles
One of the many joys of Bridgerton has been watching how things play out between three of the older main characters — Queen Charlotte, Lady Violet Bridgerton, and Lady Danbury — who’ve all clearly been acquaintances for quite some time and are extremely well-versed in the world of the ton. We’ve got good news for folks who loves watching Golda Rosheuvel, Ruth Gemmell, and Adjoa Andoh (respectively) work their magic in those roles, because Netflix revealed that all three are returning for the prequel, though we don’t know yet just how much we’ll see of the stars.
The Rest Of The Cast Includes A Game Of Thrones Star And Many More
Lest you think that the inclusion of Rosheuvel, Gemmell, and Andoh will give us our only highly recognizable faces in the cast, think again. Not only is Hugh Sachs bringing the queen’s right hand man, Brimsley, over to Queen Charlotte from the parent series, but someone who’s brand new to the franchise should be recognizable to those who love far deadlier costumed dramas. Michelle Fairley, who played Catelyn Stark on Game of Thrones and was again a part of AMC’s Gangs of London cast when Season 2 premiered last fall, has taken on the role of Princess Augusta (you can see her in the photo above), who’s willing to do whatever’s necessary to make sure George’s rule is secured.
Other cast members include Cyril Nri (The Witches) who will introduce fans to Lord Danbury, Tunji Kasim (Nancy Drew) as Adolphus, Rob Maloney (Casualty) will portray the Royal Doctor, Richard Cunningham (The Witcher) is Lord Bute, and Sam Clemmett (Cherry) takes on the role of Young Brimsley.
We Now Have A Trailer!
While the streamer’s Tudum fan event back in September 2022 gave us our first real look at the action of Queen Charlotte, with a clip of a brief scene that put the spotlight on how our leads would banter over the course of the series, we now have a full trailer to feast our eyes on. Enjoy!
YEEESSSSS! Bring it to me…NOW.
The Queen Charlotte Series Will Be A Prequel
As was mentioned already, the upcoming romance will see a very young Charlotte and George as they start to get to know one another and a love story for the ages begins, altering society and leading to the version of the ton that viewers were introduced to on Bridgerton. We’ll see Charlotte being forced to learn how to deal with the intricacies of palace life after she was promised to the similarly young king (whose official description on Tudum calls him “handsome, charismatic, and a bit of a mystery”) against her will and arrived to see that “she was not exactly what the royals were expecting.” She will also have to deal with her “unpredictable” new husband as George is forced to “face his hidden demons head on.”
When asked by Town & Country in October 2022 if the new show will have the “same vibes” as the one that inspired it, Shonda Rhimes noted that she believes “it's an entirely different kind of show” from our dear Bridgerton, and I cannot wait to see how it plays out!
The Show Will See Young Charlotte ‘Suffering’
While we already know Charlotte will face several challenges, Rhimes revealed more during a November 2022 interview with The Sunday Times (via Collider), and noted:
Queen Charlotte is an over-the-top presence. She has everything she could want yet she is suffering underneath.
The showrunner didn’t expand on what this “suffering” would entail or how long the new royal had been dealing with it by the time we meet her, but that will just make watching every episode even more thrillingly dramatic!
It’s Planned As A Limited Series
Seeing as how the main focus of the upcoming show is set on how Charlotte and George (I wonder if I can get the portmanteau “Georlotte” to take off for this show? “Charlorge,” maybe?) met, fell in love, and married, fans can’t really expect the spinoff to last anywhere near as many seasons as Bridgerton might. When Tudum announced the cast in late March 2022, it was confirmed that it’s going to be a limited series, meaning that only one season is likely. However, this plan has changed for limited series before, so if it proves popular enough it’s not impossible that a continued story could be arranged to add another season.
They’re Planning Something ‘Really Special’ For The Music
I know I wasn’t the only one who watched that first season of Bridgerton and squealed with delight when I realized I was listening to a classical cover of a Taylor Swift song. Well, during November 2022’s Netflix Playlist event, Alex Patsavas, the music supervisor who worked on Season 1, spoke to Variety about now figuring out music for the prequel, and said:
I can’t tell a thing. We’re going to do something really special, but it’s still in the ideation phase.
Basically, it sounds like we’ll all be in for more excitement when it comes to the music of Queen Charlotte, and I know viewers wouldn’t want it any other way!
Shonda Rhimes Is Acting As Showrunner And Writing The Series
Though Rhimes helped to bring the parent show to audiences after reading the Bridgerton books, because her production company worked on it, she was not the creator or showrunner there, as she had been with previous shows like Grey’s Anatomy or Scandal. It would seem that this new romance has a really special place in her heart, however, as the streaming giant announced that she signed on to executive produce, serve as showrunner, and write the spinoff.
I’m sure more information about Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will be forthcoming as the premiere date approaches. Until then, you can revisit an older, wiser queen in Bridgerton on Netflix, and expect to see more of her when the hit returns for Season 3 in the (hopefully) near future.
