Dearest gentle reader, Netflix gave Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte her own spinoff, but don’t expect her to burn down systems, she’s far too busy perfecting her corset game and nibbling on pastries. While the show tiptoes around race and power, Charlotte’s character often feels more fashion-forward than revolutionary.
Sure, she rules with flair and side-eye, but when it comes to challenging white supremacy or shaking the monarchy’s dusty foundations? Let’s just say her tiara stays firmly in place. Lavish, witty, and dripping in pastels, Queen Charlotte serves style over substance and some fans are wondering if that’s a royal misstep or just Regency escapism.
Queen Charlotte picks corsets and croissants over colonial chaos
Queen Charlotte may slay in sapphires and silk, but when it comes to tackling white supremacy, she’d rather lace a corset and nibble a croissant.
Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton spin-off dives into young Charlotte’s romance with King George, but avoids the stormier questions. Yes, we get a glamorous Black queen crowned in love and luxury, but we don’t get a real look at how her race would’ve shaken up 18th-century Britain.
Color-blind casting? Sure. Color-blind storytelling? Definitely.
It’s a royal vibe, just not a revolutionary one. Viewers have clocked the visuals. India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel play younger and older Charlotte with regal flair and afro-textured hair. But fans are asking: why don’t her kids look mixed-race? While her brother and some side characters were cast with clear intent, most of Charlotte’s 15 children resemble King George’s lineage a bit too strongly.
Even Charlotte’s standout features, her natural curls and darker skin, don’t seem to carry through. Two of the children seem mixed-race, but the math (and casting logic) feels fuzzy.
Illegitimate subplot? Genetics? So far, no clear answer.
Meanwhile, the Queen Charlotte costume game is on point. Designers Lyn Paolo and Laura Frecon sourced silks from Europe, handmade corsets in LA, and even recreated royal tiaras by hand. The aesthetic – “High fashion meets period style, with a twist.” Think Dior’s New Look meets Georgian glam. Every outfit drips in detail, even her wedding crown was inspired by Elie Saab and Queen Elizabeth II.
But under all that taffeta and tiara sparkle, the show never asks: what does it mean to be a Black queen in a white empire? Turns out, Queen Charlotte isn’t rewriting history, it’s just redressing it.
Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte lands a regal new role in BBC’s The Dream Lands
Queen Charlotte is trading her crown for climate fiction. Golda Rosheuvel, best known for playing the flamboyant royal in Bridgerton, is stepping into The Dream Lands, BBC’s upcoming six-part drama based on Rosa Rankin-Gee’s novel Dreamland (per Collider).
Rosheuvel joins an all-star lineup including Katherine Parkinson, Connor Swindells, Anna Friel, and Clara Rugaard. But the spotlight’s on newcomer Pascale Kann, playing 17-year-old Chance, described as “fiercely loyal, intelligent, and hyper-vigilant.”
Meanwhile, fans can also expect more royal drama in Bridgerton Season 4. Showrunner Jess Brownell teased that it’ll dive deeper into Queen Charlotte’s bond with Lady Danbury, cue the fireworks.
