Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a spin-off series about the titular monarch and her initial days as the Queen of the United Kingdom. The series is streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz is promised King George of England and Ireland after her brother, Adolphus signs the betrothal contracts in exchange for a political alliance between Britain and his province.
She isn’t too happy about this decision but reluctantly accepts it because she genuinely has no other options. When she arrives in England, she is inspected by George’s mother, Princess Augusta.
The Princess, Lord Bute, and some of the other Lords of Parliament express their concerns regarding the shade of Charlotte’s skin. There has never been a union such as this, with someone of a darker complexion and they are worried about the message it sends.
Augusta believes that it is a progressive decision that should have great results and decides to add people like Charlotte to her court and invite them to the wedding, while also giving them new titles and lands.
One of these people is Agatha Danbury, who becomes Lady Danbury along with her husband who is bestowed with the title of Lord. Agatha isn’t too fond of her situation and merely tolerates her marriage to Lord Danbury.
Charlotte is saddled with Brimsley, the Queen’s man who is by her side at all times, ready to serve her. She feels his presence suffocating but cannot seem to get rid of him easily.
She manages to slip away from him on her wedding day but runs into George, unaware of who he is. They share some playful banter before she learns that he’s her future husband.
That short conversation wins her over and she’s more agreeable to getting married to him. However, as soon as they are wed and retire to Buckingham House, George pushes Charlotte away and prefers to keep to himself for some unknown reason.
In the present day, Charlotte’s eldest daughter-in-law dies in childbirth leaving the crown with no legitimate heir. She worries about her succession and puts pressure on her 14 children to produce an heir and do their sovereign duty.
Lord Bute lets Augusta know that there is pressure on the King and Queen and Parliament wants to know if they have consummated their marriage yet. Augusta insists that they have but she doesn’t know the truth.
Despite Brimsley and the King’s Man, Reynolds’ efforts, George continues to stay away from Charlotte, much to her annoyance. She gets very frustrated until she takes matters into her own hands and visits him at his residence in Kew.
They appear to make up with each other and consummate their marriage but after a short period of happiness, George once again pushes her away with no clear explanation.
The truth is that George is suffering from some kind of illness of the brain and is going through severe treatment with his physician to cure it. He does not wish for Charlotte to see him in that state which is why he chooses to keep her at a distance.
Charlotte wishes to be closer to her husband as she is with child but isn’t able to. Ultimately, she decides that enough is enough and takes on the responsibility of caring for George herself while dismissing his doctor, much to the worry of Princess Augusta and the others.
Meanwhile, Lady Danbury’s husband passes away, leaving the fate of her titles and land up in the air. She seeks to solidify her position and stands up to Princess Augusta in the process.
She also has a brief romantic tryst with Lord Ledger, father of a young Violet Bridgerton, a little while after her husband’s passing.
Back in the present day, Charlotte furthers the issue by getting two of her sons married to respectable noble women and wonders where she went wrong with the raising of her children.
Violet Bridgerton tells Agatha that for the first time since Edmund’s passing, she considering taking another man as her desire to be loved and taken care of has blossomed once again.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story ending explained in detail:
What happens between Agatha and Lord Ledger?
Agatha took long walks through her estate following Lord Danbury’s death and one day she meets Lord Ledger as their estates run adjacent. They begin to go for walks together and develop a close bond that eventually leads to them making love.
However, Lord Ledger is still married so they could not be together. They are still grateful to each other for the companionship the other provided.
Agatha is momentarily courted by Charlotte’s brother Adolphus but she soon realizes that she does not wish to be married ever again and wants to learn how to live a life of her own.
She wishes to settle the issue of succession of her late husband’s titles and set a precedent for the rest of her people, establishing them as equals.
In the present, when Violet talks about her desire to start anew, Agatha is reminded of her time with Lord Ledger. Violet learns about it after seeing one of her father’s crafted birthday crowns at Agatha’s house.
She doesn’t explicitly bring it up but accepts it for whatever it is as Agatha and Violet continue to remain close friends and confidantes.
Does George prove himself a fit king?
Princess Augusta is shocked when she hears that Charlotte dismissed Dr. Munro and confronts the Queen about it. Charlotte insists that George is fine and doesn’t need treatment since he is with her.
Augusta claims that she has not yet understood the real importance of being King and how George cannot remain hidden due to his illness. To secure his position, he must appear in public looking able and fit to lead a kingdom.
Charlotte is sure that George will do fine and lets him know that he must prepare a speech and deliver it before Parliament. Reynolds is not so sure the King can do it and he’s proven right when George panics in the carriage on the way there.
He apologizes to Charlotte but she tells him that they will get through it together. She then suggests that they host a ball at Buckingham House to introduce the future king and prove that George is a capable monarch.
Everyone shows up for the ball as Charlotte tells George to only focus on her and everything will be fine. The ball is successful as George is a picture of stability and regal splendor.
Augusta thanks Charlotte and says that she is good for George and has succeeded in changing the Princess’s mind about her.
Does Queen Charlotte gain an heir?
Charlotte continues to worry about an heir as her children flounder about. Her eldest son and daughter meet with her to express their disapproval of their mother’s behavior.
They tell her that while she has been a great queen, she has never truly been a mother to them and that is why it is unfair for her to put so much pressure to produce an heir.
Charlotte introspects on her children’s words and says that she’s provided them a life of luxury for which they should be more grateful. Brimsley points out that like everyone else in the kingdom, her priority has always been to serve the king, which is why her children feel aggrieved.
Eventually, her son Edward and his wife meet the Queen to give her the good news that they are expecting their first child. Charlotte is overjoyed with the news and visits George to tell him about it.
George seems to be lost in his own world until she beckons him under the bed where he returns to normal and thanks Charlotte for her love and support all this time.
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