Photo: The Print Collector/Getty Images; Liam Daniel/Netflix
Queen Charlotte is taking center stage in Netflix’s Bridgerton spinoff,Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
She was queen for nearly 60 years and lived a fascinating life until her death in 1818. In addition to beingBritain’s longest-serving queen consort, she made her mark on royal history in many different ways with her contributions to society.
From her upbringing to her relationship with King George, here’s everything to know about the real-life Queen Charlotte.
She was believed to be biracial
Though she was born in Germany, the daughter of a Duke, Queen Charlotte was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, which was the Black branch of the Portuguese Royal House.
Whileher racial background can’t be entirely confirmed, art historians who studied portraits of Charlotte more closely following her death seem tobelieve she was biracial. In that era, artists typically were encouraged to downplay features deemed “undesirable” — which, during that time’s largely prejudiced society, often included those that were considered more traditionally African,according toThe Guardian.
However, one painter Sir Allan Ramsay, who was staunchly against slavery (and was married the niece of Lord Mansfield, a judge who ruled in the first case that eventually led to the end of slavery in the British Empire), painted several portraits of Charlotte, which people believe may be more reflective of her actual appearance.
She was 17 when she married King George III
Charlotte got married when she was 17 and George was 22 years old. In July 1761, George announced his intentions to wed Charlotte. A marriage contract was signed a month later and the two eventually wed in London on Sept. 8, just a few hours after her arrival,per The Royal Household website. Their Coronation took place later that month, on Sept. 22.
She had 15 children
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty, Liam Daniel/Netflix
Less than a year after getting married, Charlotte and George welcomed their first child together in August 1762, the Prince of Wales, who would later become King George IV. In total, they had 15 children together, 13 of whom survived to adulthood.
In addition to being the grandmother ofQueen Victoria, who was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901, she was also the great-great-great-great-grandmother ofQueen ElizabethII.
She and King George III purchased several notable royal homes
Additionally, Charlotte purchasedFrogmore Housein 1792 as a country retreat for her and her unmarried daughters. The home also played a key role in the celebration of King George III’s Golden Jubilee in 1809.
She introduced the Christmas tree to Britain
She founded a number of orphanages
Charlotte had many patronages, and among them were several orphanages she founded. In 1809, she became the patron of the General Lying-in Hospital, a hospital for expectant mothers. It was subsequently renamed as the Queen’s Hospital, but today is known as Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital.
She died a year before King George III
Over a year after her death, King George III died from pneumonia on Jan. 29, 1820, at age 81. Due to his illness, it’s likely that he was not aware of or capable of understanding Charlotte’s death in his final years. He was later buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
source: people.com
