We know Queen Charlotte from Julia Quinn's famous book saga "The Bridgertons" and her television series of the same name. But actually Queen Charlotte is inspired by a royal character.
Today we are going to talk about who was in reality This queen who is now so fashionable in the television and reading scene in terms of the romance genre.
Who was Queen Charlotte?
Queen Charlotte is a character, as we mentioned, well known to lovers of romantic novels with Julia Quinn's saga "The Bridgerton" but also from the series of the same name and based on the books. The triumph of the saga when it jumped to the big screen made them decide also dedicate her own series to the character of this queen. In the sip-off of the main series, it is told how this queen ascends to the throne. But in addition, a book has been written that extends the story of Queen Charlotte and was written between Julia Quinn and the producer of the television series Shonda Rhimes.
But, the truth is that the fictional person is inspired by a real character. A person who existed between 1761 and 1818: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A German duchess who was queen consort of George III of England, mother of Kings George IV and William IV and grandmother of the well-known Queen Victoria. A A large number of English kings descend from Queen Charlotte.
Let's get to know a little better this English monarch who has inspired fiction and, most interestingly, what happened and what they invented for the fictional character.
Queen Charlotte: her true story
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in Mirrow in 1744. She appears reflected in historical texts as a educated young woman, lover of the arts and fluent in French.
When King Frederick Louis of Wales dies, his son would inherit the crown, becoming George III at the age of 22. The young king had to marry Given his new situation and his advisors urged him to go as soon as possible. To solve it the monarch requested that they give him a compilation of all the German Protestant princesses and he would choose one of them. Charlotte met the requirements to be the next queen consort in England.
We know this is not a pretty or romantic way to create a marriage. Throughout history, few monarchs, if any, married after meeting and falling in love. Arranged or convenient marriages were the norm. to fulfill what was expected of the monarchy, as was the case of Queen Charlotte.
What was Carlota like?
Just as in fiction, at the tender age of 17 Charlotte married King George III and they were crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1761. Together they had 15 children, two of them would die, yes, without reaching adulthood.
They would eventually move to Buckingham Palace, where Charlotte I would dedicate a lot of time to an acquired passion for botany (something that can also be seen in fiction). It would help establish the current Kew Gardens and is related to the history of Queen Charlotte of England.
Not only did he dedicate his time to the plants, but also to music, receiving classes from Johann Christian Bach, son of a famous composer. Plus, she would be a great driving force in the career of Amadeus MozartThis passion for music is mentioned briefly throughout the series, even in the patronage of Mozart.
The couple's love life appears to have been satisfactory until the king's health deteriorated in the 1780s. It was said of them that There had been no marriage as happy as that one and now it was plunged into the greatest misfortune. And the king's physical and mental health would lead to serious problems within the family.
The king's mental disorders are clearly reflected on the screen., as well as the beginning of that couple's romance that later falls into misfortune due to illness. The queen would end her days at Kew Palace surrounded by two of her daughters, the Prince Regent and the Duke of York. The king would follow the same path two years later.
Between reality and fiction
As we have seen, The real person and the fictitious person have points in common others are already distancing themselves from reality or tiptoeing over it. And one of the most talked about is whether the queen had ethnic ancestry and therefore her skin was black. This was already studied by experts at the end of the XNUMXth century and at the time of making the series, both actresses (the young Carlota and the adult Carlota) are of Ghanaian and Guyanese origin.
In the archives of the British Royal Household no mention is made of Queen Charlotte's ancestry, collects everything that comes from the marriage with King George III. Although some historians maintain its African origin And some even claim that she was a descendant of Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a member of a black branch of Portuguese royalty. These hypotheses are supported by the fact that the portraits we have of the queen seem to show African features, even though her skin tone is not dark. Other historians such as Kate Williams have reacted to all these "ridiculous" hypotheses. and other historians have supported this opinion due to the lack of historical rigor.
Queen Charlotte's ethnicity remains up in the air, There is no data that reflects it, nor historical evidence, only hypotheses. And it seems that this line of research is what led to the queen being black in the screen adaptation.
Enjoy both: history and fiction
Yes, we must keep in mind that the series, despite dazzling young people and adults, is fiction, although some characters may be based on a real one. It is a fictional series without historical rigor in either characters or music, nor in the events. Although, without a doubt, a great way to spend several days on the sofa under a blanket now that the cold has arrived.
