Shondaland, has captured the world by storm, becoming a trending topic on
Twitter in its debut weekend alone.
Fans and critics alike have praised the series for its on-screen diversity, specifically in casting Black actress
Golda Rosheuvel as the Queen. But according to history,
Queen Charlotte may have been Black during her reign after all.
According to
The Washington Post, some historians believe that Queen Charlotte (who this fan-favorite character is based on) may have been Britain’s “first Black Queen.” According to history, Charlotte was 17 years old when she came to England and married
King George III, only six hours after arriving in London.
By pandering to woke casting, Bridgerton has ignored how fascinating Queen Charlotte s life really was
Bridgerton s portrayal of Queen Charlotte has prioritised fiction and fancy over the chance to tell the true story of an admirable woman
Well acted but unfair: Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
Credit: Netflix
The portrayal of Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) in the TV series Bridgerton as having been of African descent has sadly wasted a splendid opportunity to tell her true story, which is all the more compelling because it is true.
By putting their ultra-woke agenda of twisting history to fit into a Critical Race Theory agenda, the novelist Julia Quinn and producer Shonda Rhimes have passed up the chance to bring the real Queen Charlotte to life, for the first time since Helen Mirren’s portrayal of her in Alan Bennett’s play The Madness of George III 30 years ago.
The author of the books which inspired new Netflix drama Bridgerton has backed the decision to cast King George III s wife as black.
Queen Charlotte is played by British actress Golda Rosheuvel, 49, in the new period drama, which has been compared to the enormously popular Downton Abbey.
American author Julia Quinn, whose book series of the same name inspired the show, has backed the colour-conscious casting, saying that many historians believe Queen Charlotte had some African background .
The theory that Charlotte - who was born into an aristocratic German family - had African ancestry is partly based on how she looks in some portraits.
Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte in Netflix s Bridgerton
Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
It’s starting to become a habit. Netflix has found itself caught in another controversy over historical accuracy, this time over its romping Regency drama, Bridgerton.
At first blush, it seems the bodice-busting show has plumped for colour blind casting. It’s an established practice in theatre – and is starting to become more popular in films, such as Armando Iannucci’s recent Dickens adaptation, The Personal History of David Copperfield.
But the casting of black British actress Golda Rosheuvel, 49, as Queen Charlotte appears to have been a deliberate nod to a tenuous historical theory – that George III’s consort was Britain’s first black queen. This is especially telling as Queen Charlotte is the most prominent real-life figure in the show; the duelling families around which the drama swirls are fictitious.