Queen Charlotte balances the weight of societal pressure alongside her whirlwind romance with King George in the new “Bridgerton” prequel teaser released by Netflix on Tuesday.
“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” which consists of six episodes following Queen Charlotte’s journey to becoming the most powerful figure in the Bridgerton-verse, will premiere May 4, 2023. Unlike “Bridgerton” which she only executive produces, Shonda Rhimes serves as the showrunner for “Queen Charlotte.”
The teaser picks up from the first look clip shared this fall in which young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) unknowingly encounters the mysterious and elusive young King George (Corey Mylchreest) in a thorny meet-cute, introducing the queen to her soon-to-be husband.
What comes next is both a whirlwind romance and an exercise in high-stakes pressure as voices echo “your marriage is the business of this country; this cannot go wrong.”
The trailer also teases the systemic obstacles Queen Charlotte faces as she enters England’s royal circle, as her confidants remind her, “You are the first of your kind, you must secure your position.” Despite Queen Charlotte’s adversity, she cements her status as stating, “This is my home, I am the queen.”
The trailer, premiere date and additional imagery were unveiled at a virtual event Tuesday, in which Netflix revealed that the Queen’s Ball Experience will take place in New York City. Interested fans can join the waitlist here.
The official logline is as follows: “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.’”
“Romance stories don’t usually include women of a certain age in this sort of genre,” Shonda Rhimes said during the virtual event. “I really wanted to tell the stories of these women and who they are and how they came to be.”
Golda Rosheuvel reprises her role as Queen Charlotte while India Amarteifio stars as Young Queen Charlotte alongside Corey Mylchreest, who plays Young King George, Arsema Thomas, who plays Young Lady Danbury.
Rhimes will serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer for the limited series alongside director and executive producer Tom Verica and executive producer Betsy Beers.