‘Bridgerton’ Stirs Up Debate With Having A Black Queen Charlotte

Netflix’s original series created by Shonda Rhimes, “Bridgerton,” is the hottest show at the moment, and it’s been giving a few history lessons, too.

The show follows the lives of those in the highest socialite class in Britain, which includes white and black members. The lives of eight siblings are shown throughout the series as they search to find love in this romantic period piece. Some have called it the modern-day "Gossip Girl."

It’s based on the novels created by Julia Quinn.

Queen Charlotte is a large part of the show, and she’s played by a black actress, which is more diverse than who these types of shows usually cast. She’s caused some debate, with some wondering why she is played by Golda Rosheuvel.

Quinn, the author of the books, talked to the Times about this decision, since she has a diverse cast in her novels as well.

"Many historians believe she had some African background," she said. "It's a highly debated point and we can't DNA test her so I don't think there'll ever be a definitive answer."

A historian, Mario de Valdes y Cocom, did an investigation on the real Queen Charlotte’s background to get the real information. He found that her lineage goes back to Margarita de Castro e Souza whose lineage connects to a woman named Madragana. She was a mistress of King Afonso III of Portugal who’s said to have been of Northern African descent, according to Marie Claire.

Many viewers have praised the show for having a more diverse cast, whether it’s accurate or not.

I think Bridgerton is the first Netflix show where the Black cast member gains more instagram followers than the white ones. The thirst is real. 😭
— Maria (@nablag) December 30, 2020