Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
A JUICY, IRRESISTIBLE ROYAL
Two royal dramas this week, two coronations, two very different takes. The first, Queen Charlotte, a spin-off from the hugely successful, wildly over-the-top and fabulously bonkers Bridgerton; the second a more sombre and in some places slightly melancholy overview of the life of King Charles (see below).
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story focuses on the early life of arguably the show’s two most intriguing characters, the fearsome and often capricious queen, played by Golda Rosheuvel in a succession
The original show made little mention of race. Here it’s central to the story
of increasingly precipitous wigs, and the redoubtable, sharp-tongued Lady Danbury, played by Adjoa Andoh.
The origin of these two women’s friendship has always remained unclear. Lady Danbury always seemed to have some sort of mysterious hold over the queen, and was always fearless in the face of her frequent displeasure. Here we find out how and why they grew so close, and it’s every bit as juicy and irresistible as you would expect from a show that deftly combines all the elements of classical period drama with a modern Instagram aesthetic.
One of the stand-out elements of the original series (together with classical renditions of famous pop songs and the sumptuous sets and costumes) was the colour-blind casting, which infuriated some, who pointed out the historical inaccuracy of it. But Bridgerton never had any ambition other than to entertain – it was a fabulous fantasy, pure lacetrimmed escapism. Why shouldn’t the queen of England be a black woman – especially since Rosheuvel was so magnificent in the role.
But there’s a point of difference here, which is that while the original made little mention of race, here it’s central to the story. When the young queen – played adorably by India Amarteifio – arrives at court to marry the young King George (a dashing Corey Mylchreest) his mother, the Dowager Princess, runs a finger across her cheek to see if the colour will come off. It’s an uncomfortable but authentic moment that signals a more serious undertone.
Don’t worry though, this is not some dry civil rights lecture. The awkwardness is handled with wit and humour, and both women – the 17-year-old queen and the young Lady Danbury, married to a much older man – are far from helpless victims of circumstance.
They are both architects of their
own success, strong women making the best of the hand fate has dealt them. Lady Danbury takes on the infamous ‘Ton’, the cream of society, at their own game, while the queen fights tooth and nail to earn her place by the king’s side. He, meanwhile, is facing his own demons with the assistrompance
of a sinister medic in small round glasses whose methods are decidedly dubious.
All the while, it’s tremendous fun. There’s a saucy sub-plot involving two gay courtiers (and some equally saucy sex scenes), the queen’s wigs get ever more outrageous (they seem to act as a kind of barometer to her general mood), there’s a superb cast of over-powdered and overpowering snobs, the original Lady Bridgerton makes an appearance as the young Violet, and the sets and costumes are, of course, beyond spectacular.