As Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story debuts, 3 places to follow in footsteps of the real-life queen, starting with Buckingham Palace
- The release of Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story promises to spark interest in the German-born consort of Britain’s King George III
- We look at places in and around London related to the queen’s life that you can tour, from exhibitions to gardens to houses such as the one in which she died
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, streaming on Netflix from May 4, is a fictionalised drama about the wife of King George III going back to when the young princess arrived in Britain, in 1761, to marry the monarch.
The series’ executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, says the prequel to Bridgerton came about as both she and the mother-in-law of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos are “obsessed” with the Queen Charlotte character.
If your interest in the real-life queen consort from the north German duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz has been similarly sparked, here are three places where you can follow in her footsteps.
1. Buckingham Palace, London
A good place to start is the newly opened “Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians” at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace (on every day, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays, until October 8). Queen Charlotte features prominently in this exhibition showing Georgian fashion primarily through portraiture from The Royal Collection.
There are many paintings of the queen, including a life-size portrait in her coronation robe by the king’s principal painter, Allan Ramsay; several depicting Charlotte with her family by one of her favourite artists, Johan Zoffany; and – the star of the exhibition – a rarely displayed full-length portrait by Thomas Gainsborough.
Some of Charlotte’s jewellery and personal artefacts are also on display, including the queen’s psalm book wrapped with elaborate fabric from one of her dresses, a needlework bag which she embroidered herself and a ring bearing a miniature of her husband, given to her on her wedding day.
