Fans who have been missing gorgeous costumes, heartbreaking drama and sweeping romance won't have to wait much longer to return to the world of Bridgerton. Netflix has announced that their spin-off prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will premiere on the streamer on May 4, 2023.
The announcement was made as part of a special Bridgerton Valentine's Day event, which also featured the premiere of the limited series' first trailer. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes appeared in a panel discussion with series stars Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), India Amarteifio (Young Queen Charlotte), Corey Mylchreest (Young King George), Arsema Thomas (Young Lady Danbury) with taped appearances from Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury) and Ruth Gemmell (Lady Violet Bridgerton). Netflix also released a series of brand-new images, hinting even further at what audiences can expect from the show.
The new stills are primarily focused on a young Charlotte and George, both in the early days of their romance, and in the early days of Charlotte's days in the palace and as queen. Also featured is the intimidating Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairely), seen in a position we are used to seeing an older Charlotte occupy. What the tensions between the two will look like once Charlotte marries into the family will be interesting to watch. There is also an image of Andoh and Gemmell in conversation with Rosheuvel, teasing perhaps at a framing narrative where the three reflect on their younger days at court.
Also featured in the cast of the six-episode limited series are Sam Clemmett as Young Brimsley, Hugh Sachs as older Brimsley, Freddie Dennis as Reynolds, Richard Cunningham as Lord Bute, Tunji Kasim as Adolphus, Rob Maloney as the Royal Doctor, and Cyril Nri as Lord Danbury. Rhimes, in addition to being writer and showrunner of the series, serves as executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and series director Tom Verica. Verica also directed four episodes of Bridgerton, which is set to return soon for its third season, which will follow the romance of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premieres on May 4. You can check out the new images and the synopsis below:
Centered on Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.