As we continue on with the Bridgerton and extended universe as a whole and I follow along on social media, I am reminded that few people watching the show know the royals at the heart of the court and society. And that is a shame, because they were far more dramatic and scandalous than any of the Bridgerton siblings could hope to be. And helpfully, they all live together now at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Let’s get into the real life royals of Bridgerton and who they were!
The Real Life Royals of Bridgerton
Fittingly, the later Georgian royals are grouped together in the NPG in a gallery titled “The Crown in Crisis”. And a crisis it was. You would think with George and Charlotte having thirteen children survive into adulthood would definitely secure the line of succession. However, you would be wrong. We’ve got many mistresses, a boatload of illegitimate children, and a tenuous line of succession. While there was a lack of royal heirs, there was no lack of scandals…
Queen Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz
If you’ve seen Bridgerton, you will be familiar with the Queen. The real life Charlotte was similar to the Charlotte on screen, but also different. Soon after their meeting, George warned Charlotte that she should not meddle in his affairs as king and for the most part, she followed this advice.
We don’t get to see much of him in the Bridgerton universe, but Charlotte and her eldest son, the Prince Regent and future George IV, did not get along. When the King’s episodes first started, Charlotte believed that her son would have him declared insane so that he would be named Prince Regent. While he would eventually be named Regent, Charlotte remained guardian of the King and any minor children.
Debate: Charlotte’s possible African heritage has been debated, and the debate has been renewed with Bridgerton. I personally think it seems somewhat unlikely, solely because it is based on an ancestor from the thirteenth century possibly having African heritage herself- that is five hundred years of generations.
King George III
You have also met King George III in Bridgerton, though you probably know him best from Queen Charlotte.
George was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and August, Princess of Wales. (Augusta also features in Queen Charlotte.) Frederick died in 1751, when George was only thirteen years old- he then became Prince of Wales and was first in line for the throne after his grandfather, King George II.
He took the throne upon his grandfather’s death in October 1760, and therefore needed a queen. Princess Charlotte arrived on 8 September 1761 and they married that evening; their joint coronation was held less than a month later.
George is known for two major things- the King who lost the Thirteen Colonies and for his madness. Historians argue about the medical reason behind his madness, but it is unlikely we will ever know. (I am not a huge fan of diagnosing people in the past, so I don’t have an opinion on what he may have suffered from.)
The Prince Regent, later King George IV
Sadly, the Prince Regent, aka Prinny, is only briefly in Queen Charlotte when he is mourning his daughter’s death (more below). He was the height of scandal and excess and the Regency period is named for the Prince Regent- we are missing out on some solid gossip and drama in the background.
George and his brothers had mistresses, most of them having several. And with mistresses, you have illegitimate children- it is thought that they had roughly 15 between the brothers. George “married” Maria Fitzherbert, a Catholic widow, in 1785, but as he did not have his father’s consent (I wonder why………), the marriage was not legal.
The Prince Regent lived the high life and with that came a wild amount of debt. In order to get funds from parliament to pay his debts, he agreed to marry Princess Caroline of Brunswick. The pair hated each other from the very start and miraculously had one child, Princess Charlotte of Wales.
He became King George IV in 1820 following his father’s death and was deeply unpopular.
(later Queen) Caroline of Brunswick
Onto Caroline! The counterpoint to her husband, Caroline was exceptionally popular with the public. Although she was mostly kept away from her daughter following her separation from George, she had a solid relationship with their daughter. However, Caroline ended up leaving and going to the Continent where she spent time traveling before living in Italy for a period.
George barred her from attending… their… 1821 coronation at Westminster Abbey. Caroline was physically turned away at the doors, despite her technically being queen as the legal wife of George.
The perpetual thorn in George’s side, I think she would have been a great, real-life addition to Bridgerton. (Let the married couples move on as they do in the books and then give us a hit of royal drama.)
Princess Charlotte of Wales
Another Queen Charlotte appearance! It is Charlotte’s death at the beginning of the show that prompts the baby race announced at the end of the first episode. Charlotte was second in line to the throne and was incredibly popular. Crowds often cheered for her when she was out, and after she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld* in 1816, the couple continued to receive cheers.
Charlotte, however, met a tragic end. In November 1817, she gave birth to a stillborn baby. She was quiet following the birth, as I think anyone would be after delivering a baby boy that they will never know. Her husband and doctor left her to rest, and within hours, she would be dead from post-birth complications. The nation plunged into mourning and her uncles were forced to put aside their mistresses for royal wives to create an heir. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, would marry Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Leopold’s sister) and their daughter would be the future Queen Victoria.
*Leopold would become King Leopold I of the Belgians.
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Want more Bridgerton? I’ve got my fiction and non-fiction book recs for anyone who loves Bridgerton!
Were you familiar with the real life royals of Bridgerton?
Cheers,
The Historian
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