‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’: Lady Danbury Is Responsible for the Queen’s Rise
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is as much about the young queen (India Amarteifio) as it is about her deep bond with Lady Danbury (portrayed by Arsema Thomas in Queen Charlotte and Adjoa Andoh in Bridgerton). The new series will offer some major insight into the queen’s role in society.
Moreover, it will also showcase a kindred friendship that is just as important as the romance at the center of the story.
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ begins in 1761
According to Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes’ new book, Queen Charlotte, the limited series will begin in 1761 when a reluctant young princess arrives from Germany to embark on her arranged marriage to the young British king.
The official description for the new novel reads, “Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent, not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets — secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.”
Who is Lady Danbury to the queen?
Lady Danbury has always been influential in Bridgerton. In season 1, fans learned that she stepped in to raise Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), when his father cast him aside. Fans will see how her influence helps a young Queen Charlotte in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
“The relationship was natural,” Amarteifio told Essence’s Hollywood House. “I think, you know, I really respect Arsema as a person and as an actor and then as the role I respect Danbury and I respect everything that she kind of does and I think one of the most amazing things about Danbury is that she sees Charlotte as almost a catalyst or an object that can be molded in order to make change. I can’t and Charlotte would never take full credit for how she turns out to be as a strong woman without the help of Danbury kind of giving her that power and making her realize her power. So it was in the writing but it was also just in understanding our characters and I grew to love Charlotte and I know you [Arsema] grew to love Lady Danbury.”
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ analysis
Lady Danbury’s guidance and King George’s illness will eventually allow Queen Charlotte to stand at the center of the ton and be revered. However, when fans meet her in the limited series, she won’t have an ounce of the power that she eventually gains. An outsider in every way possible, Queen Charlotte is going to have quite the time navigating high society in the late 18th century.
It’s very much about how you survive in a world in which you have no power,” creator Shonda Rhimes told Tudum. “Where do you find the power in that? When I think about this series and what I want audiences to take away from it, I think the most important thing is I want people to feel like this is what happens with real love, love is hard, love is difficult, love has many layers, and I also want them to take away the idea that the happy ending that we always talk about for characters doesn’t have to be the obvious one.”
It will certainly be a stunning transformation.
