It’s been almost two weeks since Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was released on Netflix, bringing fans of the platform’s glitzy and glamorous Regency romance Bridgerton into the marriage of the ton’s ruler, the titular Queen Charlotte.
In the two seasons of Bridgerton we’ve seen so far, we have gotten used to seeing Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel) tower over the rest of the people of the ton—her stunning wigs definitely lending a hand in that. In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, however, we get to see India Amarteifio play her as a young new bride, who recently arrived in the United Kingdom and is learning how to deal with the pressures of a royal marriage.
This piece contains spoilers for the entirety of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Of course, this is still the Bridgerton universe we’re talking about. Romance has to be front and center, and Queen Charlotte certainly delivers. It does so in the form of Charlotte’s intended and then-husband, young King George III (played by Corey MyIchreest). You know that their story is going to be a good one from their first meeting, when Charlotte tries to climb over a garden wall in the royal palace to avoid marrying him.
The fact that King George also suffers from mental illness—a true historical fact depicted in the show, which has him enduring severe emotional outbursts that leave him incapable of recognizing the world and people around him—serves to make their story bittersweet and incredibly touching. That final declaration, with Charlotte promising that she will stand with George between the Heaven and the Earth and that she will tell him where he is truly left me floored.
Still, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story released all six of its episodes at once, and we all know how quickly six episodes can go by. So now Bridgerton fans everywhere are wondering if there’s more to be said about Charlotte and George, and if the show might be getting a second season anytime soon.
Will there be a second season of Queen Charlotte?
Simply put, there have been no reports so far of any plans to make a second season of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The show was intended as limited series telling a self-contained story, and it’s pretty evident in its finale: We see Charlotte and George finding a balance that works for them in their marriage, one that continues over the years even as George’s illness gets worse and the two eventually end up living separately, with her at Buckingham House and him at Kew Palace.
Of course, you can learn more about the life of the real Queen Charlotte—from her many children who were featured in the show to her eldest son George stepping up once his father’s illness makes it impossible for him to rule the kingdom—in books and articles and Wikipedia pages dedicated to her.
What about other Bridgerton spinoffs?
The fact that this first Bridgerton spinoff was titled Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story certainly leaves the door open to speculations that we might get the chance to see other “Bridgerton stories” in the future.
Shonda Rhimes herself said that she’s not completely opposed to this possibility in an interview with Netflix’s official website Tudum. “When I started doing press for this, my answer was ‘Absolutely not,'” Rhimes said, “but every reporter I talked to was like, ‘Come on!’ I don’t know, I mean, you guys are changing my mind a little bit. I’m thinking about it. I hadn’t entertained it before, but now I am.”
If Rhimes ever decides to actually go for it, there are certainly several characters that come to mind. A story revolving exclusively around Lady Danbury and her newfound freedom, after we’ve seen her refuse a proposal from Queen Charlotte’s brother to live her own life, would definitely be interesting to see. Or maybe a look into how Mary Sheffield, the diamond of her season, decided to go against her parents’ wishes and marry the man she loved.
And if what we want is a beautiful romance with a bittersweet ending, then Lady Violet Ledger and the Viscount Edmund Bridgerton are right there—we’ve heard their love mentioned time and time again throughout the main Bridgerton series, after all, and seeing it actually happen before our eyes would definitely be a treat.
(featured image: Netflix)
