A Bridgerton star has reignited the controversy over whether George III’s wife Queen Charlotte, who is depicted in the Regency-era drama, was black in real life.
Adjoa Andoh said of the royal, played by fellow black actress Golda Rosheuvel, “Queen Charlotte wasn’t fictionalized as a woman of color, she was a woman of color. You just have to do your historical research, according to The Daily Mail.
The actress – who in 2023 said the Buckingham Palace line-up after King Charles’ coronation was “terribly white” – said the Netflix series gave viewers “a more realistic version of history.”
The lineage of the German-born Charlotte can be traced and there is one relative of Moorish ancestry, 500 years before she lived.
One fan said: “The chances of me having black ancestry are way bigger than that and I’m not a woman of color.”
“History is full of really interesting actual women of color, so it’s time we start making TV shows about them and stop giving credit where there’s no credit due,” he added.
Bridgerton is a historical drama and romance series produced by Netflix and set in Regency-era London (1810s).
The series, inspired by Julia Quinn’s novels, explores love stories and social intrigue. It has been officially renewed through season 6. The fourth season, focusing on Benedict’s love story, is now streaming on Netflix.