‘Queen Charlotte’: 5 Shows to Watch If You’re Obsessed With the ‘Bridgerton’ Prequel
Bridgerton’s imperious Queen Charlotte gets her origin story in Netflix’s prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The six-episode drama follows a young Charlotte (India Amarteifio), a German noblewoman who is married off to King George III (Corey Mylchreest). Her arrival in the U.K. sparks the “Great Experiment” – the racial integration of the country’s aristocracy. As characters such as a young Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) navigate a new social reality, Charlotte must adjust to life in a strange country while also dealing with her husband’s secret illness.
Queen Charlotte will surely help sate Bridgerton fanatics as they wait for the show’s third season. In the meantime, if you’re craving more royal romance, here are five shows to binge after you’ve watched the Bridgerton prequel.
‘The Great’
A young German woman finds herself at sea in a strange foreign court and married to a royal husband who is nothing like what she expected. The setup for Hulu’s The Great isn’t unlike that of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Both shows even take place at roughly the same time – the mid-18th century – and each plays loose with historical facts.
Like Charlotte, Elle Fanning’s Catherine must learn to fend for herself in a world where women’s voices are often silenced. She must also navigate a complicated relationship with her spouse, Emperor Peter of Russia (Nicholas Hoult, to whom Queen Charlotte’s Mylchreest bears a passing resemblance). To be fair, Catherine and Peter’s marriage is less of a romance and more of a battle of wills, with the occasional coup and assassination attempt thrown in for good measure. But this wickedly funny story of a young woman coming into her own power is a must-watch.
The Great Seasons 1-2 are currently streaming on Hulu. Season 3 drops Friday, May 12.
‘Marie Antoinette’
Looking for another story of a young woman who ends up in an arranged marriage to a foreign king? PBS’s Marie Antoinette (which aired earlier in 2023) is a fresh take on the oft-told story of France’s doomed last queen. Emilia Schüle plays the title character, the daughter of the Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa. The teenage Marie arrives at the court of Versailles as a bride for Louis, the dauphin of France (Louis Cunningham). But it’s not exactly love at first sight for the new royal couple. And Marie faces additional challenges learning her way around the royal court, with its strict protocol and ruthless nobles.
Marie Antoinette Season 1 is streaming on PBS Passport and the Masterpiece PBS channel on Prime Video. French producer Canal+ has renewed the show for season 2.
‘The Empress’
Inspired by the life of the real-life Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, Netflix’s The Empress is perfect for anyone who prefers their historical dramas with a mix of romance and political intrigue. Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau) – aka Sisi – falls for her cousin, the Emperor Franz Joseph (Philip Froissant). The catch? He’s supposed to marry her sister. Things get even more complicated after Sisi and Franz get married. The young couple has their own ideas for how the country should be run. However, those put them in conflict with relatives and political rivals, including the Emperor’s ambitious brother.
The Empress Season 1 is streaming on Netflix. The show has been renewed for a second season.
‘The Spanish Princess’
Starz has churned out several adaptations of best-selling author Philippa Gregory’s novels based on the lives of English queens. First came The White Queen, which focuses on Edward IV’s wife Elizabeth Woodville. That was followed by The White Princess, which centers on Edward and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII. The Spanish Princess explores the story of Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope), the first of Henry VIII’s (Ruairí O’Connor) six wives. Unlike many on-screen depictions of Catherine, The Spanish Princess focuses on Catherine’s early years in England, including her brief marriage to Henry’s older brother Arthur and her romance with Henry.
The Spanish Princess Seasons 1-2 are streaming on Starz.
‘Reign’
Reign is heavy on soapy drama and low on historical accuracy. But that doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable (if at times ridiculous) binge. Adelaide Kane stars as a young Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who arrives at the French court ahead of her marriage to Francis (Tony Regbo), the future king of France. But she and her ladies-in-waiting soon discover that life in the palace is more complicated than they could have imagined, thanks to Mary’s scheming future mother-in-law Catherine de’ Medici (Megan Follows), Francis’ lustful father Henry II (Alan Van Sprang), and Henry’s illegitimate son Bash (Torrance Coombs).
Reign Seasons 1-4 are streaming on Prime Video.
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