Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes are teaming up to write a Bridgerton prequel novel based on the spinoff series on Netflix. The book is set to be released around the same time as the show will premiere on Netflix.
The character of Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton was created by Chris Van Dusen. Her marriage to King George sparked a societal shift, which created the much-loved world of the Ton.
“Queen Charlotte has been such a moving character to write, and now having the opportunity to work with Julia to adapt this story into a book is such an exciting opportunity,” Shonda Rhimes said in a statement. “I can’t wait for fans of this universe to read the story of a character that has resonated so deeply with our audience.”
“Taking Bridgerton from book to screen was fascinating for me to watch, and it’s such an exciting challenge for me to take it in the other direction, this time crafting Shonda’s brilliant vision into a novel,” Julia Quinn added. “I’m especially thrilled to have the opportunity to write about Queen Charlotte, who was not in the original novels. Her character —and Golda Rosheuvel’s brilliant portrayal of her— was a tour de force, and I think readers will love getting a chance to know her more deeply.”
Unlike her fictional namesake, the real Queen Charlotte was not black, though she was rumoured to have had a distant ancestor named Madragana (born circa 1230), who was a mistress of King Afonso III of Portugal. She was described as either Moorish1 or Mozarab2, which was then taken to mean black. Read more about Charlotte’s ancestry here.
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