Nearly a week after Netflix's regency epic Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story floated onto screens for the first time, audiences have been left teary-eyed by the earth-shattering relationship between King George (Corey Mylchreest) and Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio). Their powerful alliance is continuously challenged both by the weight of the crown and George's hidden illness. Capturing their truly special essence, Queen Charlotte depicts the evolving nature of their relationship through a series of flashforwards of older Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and older George (James Fleet). Despite the couple living apart physically in their latter years, Mylchreest explained how they remain as close as ever.
“In that scene at the end, under the bed, we see that George is still very capable of becoming lucid and seeing Charlotte for who she is," he told Netflix's Tudum. According to young George actor Mylchreest, the love remains firm between the pair with their lack of physical proximity acting as a buffer to ease Charlotte's pain. "To see him like that every day and to love him with just as much passion is incredibly painful because, in a way, you’ve lost him," he added. "And it’s like asking someone, 'Well, your partner died. Why don’t you spend every day in the cemetery?' You have to allow yourself time to breathe and to, in a sad way, move on. But of course, she can’t move on. She’s locked in. She has to return now and then, which is exactly what Brimsley (Hugh Sachs) says to her at that point. Charlotte is frozen in time because it’s almost like [George has] died, but he hasn’t. He’s still there.”
Charlotte and George's Relationship Takes a Toll on the Queen Over Time
Despite Charlotte evolving into the fierce ruler audiences are familiar with in the Bridgerton series, she still retains a place of softness for George. Where she commands the hallways with ease, she also just as effortlessly slips under the bed to help shelter George from his thoughts in a bid to attain a moment of true connection. This essence is mirrored in a heartbreaking scene in the show which sees George urge Charlotte to run and avoid being left with "half a husband." The show alludes to the isolation that Charlotte does feel during the long days but leans into the moment of peace she feels when she is in George's presence. Whether audiences will be given further insight into their relationship as adults in Bridgerton is not yet known but Queen Charlotte has certainly teed this possibility up well.
Queen Charlotte also takes the chance to explore the unspoken strain Charlotte's devotion to George has on her children. Whilst she has undoubtedly been physically present, there is a clear suggestion she has been more Queen than mother, creating a gap between them. However, there is hope yet when Charlotte softens upon news of an heir on the way, courtesy of her son and his new bride, leaving room for new connections to be forged in the coming season.
You can stream Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix now and watch a trailer for the show below.