presentation to queen charlotte

Smart News | May 5, 2023

The Real History Behind ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’

The new spinoff follows the royal matriarch as she falls in love with George III and navigates his worsening mental illness

Meilan Solly

Associate Editor, History

When Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz first met George III in 1761, she “threw herself at his feet” in supplication, prompting the English king to raise her up, embrace her and lead her through the garden “up the steps into the palace,” as one observer recounted . Just a few hours later, the German princess married George, becoming England’s newest queen.

In poor health following a rough voyage at sea, Charlotte was so thin she could barely support the weight of her diamond-adorned wedding gown. As art collector and author Horace Walpole wrote in a letter the following day, “Her violet-velvet mantle and ermine [were] so heavy that the spectators knew as much of her upper half as the king himself.”

Despite this somewhat inauspicious start, Charlotte and George enjoyed an affectionate, fruitful partnership that endured until the king’s mental illness violently transformed his personality in the late 1780s. Now, a new spinoff of Netflix’s popular historical drama “ Bridgerton ” is revisiting the royal couple’s love story. Titled “ Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story ,” the six-episode limited series stars India Amarteifio as the young queen and Corey Mylchreest as her husband.

Golda Rosheuvel, who played an older Queen Charlotte in “Bridgerton,” reprises her role in a parallel storyline set in the 1810s. Today, these years are known as the Regency period , named for the window in which Charlotte’s son, the future George IV, ruled as regent in lieu of his father, whom Parliament had deemed mentally unfit .

Black Britons in “Bridgerton”

Like its sister show, “Queen Charlotte” takes substantial liberties with the historical record, portraying Charlotte as a Black woman whose marriage opened doors for people of color in 18th-century England. (In truth, most historians reject the theory that Charlotte was Black.) As Black aristocrat Lady Agatha Danbury says in “Bridgerton,” “We were two separate societies divided by color until a king fell in love with one of us.”

The new series expands on this imagined movement toward racial equality, explaining that George’s mother, Princess Augusta, hastily bestowed titles upon wealthy Black families in order to “remake the nobility in her [new daughter-in-law’s] image,” as Alison Herman writes for Variety . Dubbed the “ Great Experiment ,” the integration attempt isn’t immediately successful. Herman notes, “There’s some resistance from the old guard, though it’s never explicitly racist, again begging some follow-ups about the preexisting status quo.”

Racial relations in Georgian England were far more complicated than “Bridgerton” and “Queen Charlotte” suggest. According to Historic England , around 15,000 Black people lived in the country during the second half of the 18th century. The majority of these individuals worked in the domestic service as either paid or enslaved servants. Though Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807—in no small part due to the efforts of Black abolitionists like Ignatius Sancho and Olaudah Equiano —slavery remained legal in the British colonies until 1833 , and an exploitative practice in which newly freed adults were forced to work as apprentices for years remained in place until 1838.

“Bridgerton” takes place at a time when “diversity as we know what the word means did not exist,” historian Marlene Koenig tells Insider ’s Mikhaila Friel and Ayomikun Adekaiyero. While the show’s producers and stars have framed its inclusion of Black characters as a form of escapism and fantasy , the fact remains that slavery not only exists in the “Bridgerton” world but is also directly responsible for generating much of the wealth on display.

“You can’t say race isn’t of consequence when the world these characters inhabit was created in part through racism,” wrote critic Carolyn Hinds for the Observer in 2021. “Yes, slavery exists in this world, so how could race not matter? Having Black people strolling around in the background doesn’t erase that, and it’s not enough.”

The debate over Charlotte’s Black ancestry

The idea that Charlotte was Black stems from research conducted by historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom. Writing for PBS Frontline in 1997, he argued that Charlotte was “directly descended” from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman who was herself related to the 13th-century ruler Afonso III and his Moorish lover Madragana. Valdes further pointed to “the African characteristics evident in so many of the queen’s portraits ” as proof of his theory, noting that “artists of that period were expected to play down, soften or even obliterate features in a subject’s face, especially a woman’s, that were not considered to meet the standards of beauty for the times.”

Other scholars are skeptical of Valdes’ claims . As historian Lisa Hilton told Insider ’s Yoonji Han last year, the term “Moorish” was used to refer to anyone who lived in the Moorish Empire , regardless of their race. Even if Madragana was a Black woman, Hilton added, “after 500 years, it is extremely unlikely that traces of the genetic makeup would have appeared in the features of an 18th-century princess.” To put it another way, as Stuart Jeffries did for the Guardian in 2009, “[Historians] argue the generational distance between Charlotte and her presumed African forebear is so great as to make the suggestion ridiculous.”

While Charlotte probably wasn’t Black, this doesn’t mean the aristocracy was wholly white. Dido Elizabeth Belle , the mixed-race daughter of an enslaved woman and a Royal Navy captain, is widely considered to be Britain’s first Black aristocrat . Born in 1761, she was raised alongside a white cousin by her father’s uncle, the Earl of Mansfield, at his lavish London estate. By all accounts, Belle was treated as a member of the family, though she didn’t eat with the rest of the household when Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson stopped by for dinner in August 1779. “[She] has been educated by [the earl’s] family,” Hutchinson wrote in his diary. “He calls her Dido, which I suppose is all the name she has. He knows he has been reproached for [showing] a fondness for her.”

A century later, Queen Victoria agreed to serve as the godmother of Sarah Forbes Bonetta , a young girl born into a prominent Yoruba family. In the late 1840s, King Ghezo of Dahomey (most recently portrayed on the silver screen in The Woman King ) defeated Bonetta’s tribe, killed her parents and enslaved her. After a British captain failed to convince Ghezo to abandon his role in the slave trade in 1850, the king gifted Bonetta to him as consolation. Upon the pair’s arrival in England, Victoria agreed to take the girl “under her protection,” paying for her education and looking out for her throughout her life, wrote historian Caroline Bressey in a 2005 journal article .

George and Charlotte’s relationship

Born on May 19, 1744, Charlotte was the youngest daughter of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a territory in what is now northern Germany. When Charlotte was 17, the new king of England, 22-year-old George III, sought her hand in marriage. According to History Extra ’s Catherine Curzon , George “needed a queen—and an heir—as a matter of urgency,” so he chose Charlotte from a “shortlist of eligible and suitable Protestant ladies.” Not a traditional beauty, she nevertheless had a “lively but equable temper,” in the words of one contemporary.

Charlotte landed in England on September 8, 1761, and married George that same night, within six hours of her arrival. Two weeks later, the couple held a joint coronation ; it ran so long that members of the congregation started eating during the sermon. Within a year of her wedding, Charlotte gave birth to the future George IV—the first of the couple’s 15 children , 13 of whom survived to adulthood.

Though they married for political gain rather than love, Charlotte and George held each other in high esteem. In a 1778 letter to her husband, the queen wrote :

You will have the benefit by your voyages to put spirit in every body, to be more known by the world, and if possible more beloved by the people in general. That must be the case, but not equal to the love of her who subscribes herself your very affectionate friend and wife Charlotte.

Both Charlotte and George were heavily involved in their children’s upbringing. While George is most often remembered for his mental illness and role in the Revolutionary War , “he was also a guy who was capable of a great deal of empathy,” historian James P. Ambuske told Smithsonian magazine ’s Sara Georgini in 2016. “He was very concerned, as any parent would be, about the well-being of his children and their education. He was well aware that he was raising potential future sovereigns, but he also wanted them to be good people.”

The king and queen shared a love of music , often playing duets together, with Charlotte on the harpsichord and George on the flute. While both preferred the informal, simple lives they led at home, the court they presided over—as seen in “Bridgerton”—was a fashionable , glittering one.

George suffered his first major bout of mental illness in 1788. The king suffered both physical pain and mental distress, including periods of “ incessant loquacity ” in which he talked until he foamed at the mouth. Unable to sleep, he spoke out of turn, accusing his wife of adultery and making inappropriate advances toward her attendants. On one occasion, George even physically assaulted his oldest son, George, Prince of Wales.

Doctors had few explanations for George’s sudden deterioration in health. (In the 1960s, a pair of historians attributed his behavior to a genetic blood disorder called porphyria, but more recent analyses suggest he had bipolar disorder.) Physician Francis Willis , a central figure in the 1994 film The Madness of King George , treated George with a combination of harsh methods, like coercion and physical restraints, and more humane strategies. “It’s likely that the king recovered in a few months despite, rather than because of, his treatment (which included leeching and cold baths),” notes Historic Royal Palaces on its website .

George’s illness took a toll on his wife and children, too. As novelist and court attendant Fanny Burney recorded in her diary , Charlotte repeatedly asked, “What will become of me?” Her “desponding” words “implied such complicated apprehensions,” Burney wrote . By 1789, Charlotte’s hair had turned white from stress. She clashed with Prince George as he rallied to be appointed regent in his father’s stead and only reconciled with her son in 1791, by which point the king had recovered.

George’s recovery wasn’t permanent. He continued to suffer from periodic bouts of mental illness, and in 1811, his son officially took control of the kingdom, serving as regent for the next nine years. During this Regency period, Charlotte presided over court in place of her son’s estranged wife, Caroline of Brunswick . She cared for the king faithfully but took care to never be alone with him. As Curzon writes, Charlotte “watched him fade away until he no longer recognized her.” The queen died of pneumonia in 1818 at age 74, predeceasing her husband by two years. They are buried near each other in the royal vault at Windsor Castle.

Reflecting on the loss experienced by Charlotte, the wife of Philip Lybbe Poyse, who had watched the couple’s coronation procession in 1761, remarked , “Never was anyone to be more pitied than her majesty, as no couple had ever been happier than they were before this greatest of all misfortunes.”

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Meilan Solly | | READ MORE

Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history.

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• The True Story Behind Netflix’s <i>Queen Charlotte</i>

The True Story Behind Netflix’s Queen Charlotte

T he first episode of the Bridgerton prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, opens with a disclaimer from none other than the notorious Lady Whistledown. In her note, she states that the royal’s story “is not a history lesson,” but instead, “fiction inspired by fact,” where “all liberties taken by the author are quite intentional.” While the show, which released this week on Netflix , definitely takes many liberties while spinning the tale of the epic romance between Queen Charlotte and her beloved husband, King George III of England , the characters were actually inspired by the real-life British monarchs of the same names.

In the series, which jumps between the early years of Charlotte and George’s marriage during the early Georgian period (around the 1760s) and the Regency era (the early 1800s) of Bridgerton , viewers get a glimpse of two different Charlottes: the dynamic and grandiose Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) they know from previous installments of Bridgerton seasons, and the fiercely independent 17-year-old German Princess Charlotte (India Amarteifio), who’s set to wed George III, the King of England (Corey Mylchreest). Both Charlottes face challenges—the older Charlotte, despite having given birth to 13 living heirs, has no legitimate grandchildren to ensure that their bloodline endures, while the younger Charlotte must navigate a new country, the mysteries of marriage with a contrary husband, and perhaps most pressing, the tensions that arise with her interracial marriage, which not only makes her the first Black royal, but also leads to the integration of the “ton,” or British high society.

Read more: From Bridgerton to Sanditon , We Can’t Quit the Regency Era

While Bridgerton , with its colorblind casting, rarely centered racial issues, Queen Charlotte, a true Shonda Rhimes joint , doesn’t shy away from making race an integral part of multiple story lines, addressing everything from colorism to segregation and integration . But while these important themes help to make the show a captivating and thought-provoking watch, there’s definitely a liberal blurring of the lines between history and fantasy in the series.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of what’s fact and what’s fiction in Queen Charlotte.

Was Queen Charlotte really Black?

One of the major storylines of Queen Charlotte is how the protagonist navigates the trials and triumphs of being the first Black queen of England. However, in real life, it’s debatable whether or not the monarch was actually Black. The character of Charlotte is based on Princess Sophie Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a figure whose racial identity has been in question for decades. Initial speculation about Charlotte being Black or of mixed-race descent began in the 1940s, after the Jamaican-American journalist and historian J.A. Rogers theorized in his book Sex and Race: Volume I that because of the facial features she was depicted with in portraits, which he identified as “broad nostrils and heavy lips,” she may have been part Black.

While Rogers posited this to confront the problematic belief in a “pure white race,” the theory was revisited by historian historian Mario De Valdes y Cocom in a 1997 piece for PBS Frontline (which was later edited due to outdated and offensive language), where he makes the case that Charlotte was Black because she was a direct descendant of Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a Black branch of the Portuguese royal house through Margarita de Castro e Souza, whom The Guardian reports was “a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman nine generations removed, whose ancestry she traces from the 13th-century ruler Alfonso III and his lover Madragana, whom Valdes takes to have been a Moor and thus a black African.”

However, other historians are doubtful that this proves that Charlotte was Black or of mixed-race descent. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer , academic Ania Loomba said that the assumption that Charlotte was Black because her ancestry included descriptions of “moors” relies on an inaccurate understanding of history.

“The word ‘blackamoor’ in Shakespeare’s time meant Muslim,” Loomba said. “It didn’t mean Black necessarily. Moors could be white from North Africa.”

Did “The Great Experiment” really exist?

In the series, Charlotte’s visibility as the first Black queen of England leads to the crown giving titles to other people of color and inviting them to join the then-segregated court and the “ton,” including a young Lady Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas,) who becomes one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. The reasoning behind this racial integration, which the powers at court dub “the Great Experiment,” is that it showed support for Charlotte and reinforced the power of the crown in setting the tone and practices for its court and subjects.

In reality, however, “the Great Experiment” never happened—in fact, nothing even close to it even existed. While there were many Black and mixed-race people in England during this time, British society was still heavily segregated. Even by the Regency era, this would have been wildly unrealistic; while slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1807, slaves weren’t fully free in the British colonies until 1838 and its repercussions are still felt to this day.

Did Queen Charlotte and King George III really have a loving marriage?

In Queen Charlotte , an arranged marriage between the young German princess and the King of England turns into a tumultuous and then passionate meeting of the minds and a true love match. In real life, the actual Charlotte and George had by all accounts a truly loving marriage despite its having been arranged, one that was certainly viewed as successful at that time because of their many children. The couple was married for 57 years, with Charlotte holding the record for Britain’s longest-serving female consort and the second longest-serving consort in British history (Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is the first). The couple ran into challenges because of George’s mental health issues, which caused him to have episodes of mania, increasingly as he got older. Despite this, Charlotte remained a loving and loyal wife, advocating for the king, until his bouts grew so violent in the early 1800s, that that they were forced to live separate lives for her safety.

What to know about George III’s “madness”

While history may remember George III as the mad king who lost the American colonies, Queen Charlotte depicts him as a complex yet loving man with a deep interest in science and astrology, whose very real struggles with mental health change the scope of his life. In reality, George III’s life paralleled this experience. He was a devoted and loving husband and a ruler known for his interest in and support for culture, science, astronomy, and agriculture. He was responsible for buying what is now known as Buckingham Palace and opened up a library that was free for scholars to use, but his legacy as a king has largely been defined by his mental health struggles.

According to the British Royal Family’s official site , George III had serious episodes of “illness” in 1788-89 and in 1801, before becoming permanently deranged in 1810, rendering him completely mentally unfit to rule in his last decade as the king; during this time, his eldest son, George, acted as the Prince Regent, beginning in 1811. Starting in the 1960s, some medical historians posited that his mental illness may have been caused by a hereditary physical disorder , called porphyria, that mainly affects the skin or nervous system. However, in the years since, other historians and medical researchers have made the case that George III’s behavior is consistent with having bipolar disorder, which can include bouts of mania.

How many children did Queen Charlotte and King George III really have?

In real life, Queen Charlotte and King George III did have a large family. The couple had fifteen children during their six-decade marriage, thirteen of whom lived to adulthood (both Prince Octavius and Prince Alfred died in childhood). Of their children, two went on to rule England—George, The Prince of Wales (later King George IV) and Prince William (later King William IV).

The dilemma of securing a legitimate heir that Queen Charlotte faces later in life in the show was a very real problem in reality for the actual Charlotte. When her granddaughter Princess Charlotte died in childbirth, she was the only legitimate grandchild and heir in the family, despite the many children that George and Charlotte had. Following Princess Charlotte’s death, Queen Charlotte’s sons, who were infamous for fathering illegitimate children with their mistresses, sought suitable matches for royal wives—producing multiple legitimate heirs, including a girl named Victoria, who would eventually become the queen and the second-longest reigning monarch in British history.

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Write to Cady Lang at [email protected]

The Real-Life History Of Queen Charlotte's Ball

Although the most-viewed show on Netflix continues to be " Squid Game " at 571.76 million hours viewed, the second season of " Bridgerton " has clinched the second spot (via Variety ). During the first seven days of streaming, from March 28 through April 3, fans of the show viewed 251.76 million hours of the Regency-era fave. Fast on the heels of season two are the stats for season one of " Bridgerton ," which ranked as the most popular Netflix title in English during the last week of March 2022 at 53 million views.

In other words, there's a massive appetite for formal ballroom events featuring lavish costumes and elegant music. There's also plenty of thirst for romance, sentimentality, and titillating sex scenes. "Bridgerton" provides all of this in spades, along with a diverse and gorgeous cast of actors and enough historical details to inspire all the feels of a historical romance. This winning combo means the show will continue to slay the competition. Of course, the show centers around the court of King George III and Queen Charlotte , and the debutantes who frequent the many balls and events hosted by the crown. 

But what was it really like being a debutante at Queen Charlotte's Ball? Here's everything you need to know about the historical event that inspired "Bridgerton" and why it persists today. 

It all started with King George III

In 1780, King George III launched the first Queen Charlotte's Ball to celebrate his wife's birthday, per The Telegraph . Born in Mirow, situated in northeastern Germany, Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz proved one of the only eligible bachelorettes when King George III searched for a wife, as reported by the Royal Collection Trust . According to Britannica , they married in 1761 after a very brief introduction.

Despite forging a relationship based on political strategy, the couple's relationship evolved into a passionate love match, producing 15 children. So, it makes sense that the King would want to honor his beloved wife publicly. The original event acted as a fundraiser for a cause close to the Queen's heart, the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, one of the United Kingdom's oldest maternity wards, according to the National Health Service.

Two hundred years after the ball launched, presenting debutantes to the Queen came to an abrupt end, spearheaded by the royal family, per Town and Country . The last debutantes came before the Queen in 1958, but Queen Charlotte's Ball continued into the mid-1970s. Nevertheless, rumors abounded that the ball had turned crass, brought low "amid rumours of drug-taking and general 'loucheness'" (via The Telegraph). Not quite what King George III intended. 

Who was Queen Charlotte?

In the streaming series "Bridgerton," Queen Charlotte is played by Golda Rosheuvel to great acclaim, as reported by History Extra . Rosheuvel brings the perfect admixture of gravity, elegance, and strict adherence to detail to her character's portrayal. In reality, we know that Queen Charlotte had a deep love for tradition, which dictated every aspect of the court she kept. For example, her ladies-in-waiting continued to wear 18th-century gowns and hairstyles well after significant changes happened on the fashion front.

This strict adherence to the old-fashioned way of doing things led some to condemn the king and queen as stuffy. But Queen Charlotte also went to great lengths to provide her children with a loving family atmosphere and incredible memories. She had menageries and gardens designed specifically for her children to enjoy, and she transformed her palaces at Kew and Windsor into hearths of domesticity. Instead of dabbling in politics, Queen Charlotte focused on all things familial, and she also placed a premium on loyalty and trust.

While winning a place at her court proved difficult, trusted ladies-in-waiting earned lifetime friendships with the queen. These relationships proved essential supports, as her beloved husband, King George III, descended into madness, per the Royal Collection Trust . By 1811, he was declared insane and entrusted to his wife's custody while their son, George IV, took the throne (via Britannica ).

The party involved cake and curtseys

Traditionally, Queen Charlotte's Ball required strict adherence to the rules, as reported by Town and Country . Not surprising considering the queen's love of formality and age-old customs. Debutantes had to wear formal gowns, complete with trains. Among their accessories, they carried fans, floral bouquets, and three feathers in their hair. At its high point, the Ball culminated in getting presented before the queen, who stood next to a massive birthday cake to receive debutantes. When each debutante came before the sovereign, they curtseyed respectfully.

According to History Extra , curtseying proved no joke. Today's debutantes continue to spend months practicing this unnatural yet elegant move. To execute it, practitioners must place their left knee in a locked position behind the right. Next, they bow deeply while facing the queen (or cake in later years). In other words, this move required plenty of balance.

Soon, the party had developed into the premier debutante ball of the burgeoning season where eligible bachelorettes hoped to snag a prize-worthy husband. They ultimately had a year to complete their mission or risk the spinster label, a fate no woman wanted to have thrust involuntarily upon her. Oddly enough, the cake and the curtseying tradition continues today featuring an audacious and towering confection.

The ball after Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte died in 1818, according to History Extra , but the ball proved such a smashing success that it continued with noble and gentry families relishing the chance to present their daughters before the British royal family, as reported by Time . The heyday of the ball stretched from 1780 to 1914, and although it persisted well after World War I, it lost some of its glitter, prominence, and charm before disintegrating under the weight of royal criticism.

During the height of the ball's influence, Great Britain boasted worldwide reach as a colonial power, according to World Atlas . Referred to as the "empire where the sun never set" this title alluded to English landholdings in various time zones across the planet. All told, Britain boasted ownership of 25 percent of the Earth's landmasses. So, Queen Charlotte's Ball provided an essential networking opportunity for influential families located in the empire's hinterlands. Well-off young bachelorettes went to great lengths for a debut in London, even if it entailed a sea voyage.

As for women who couldn't travel, they found other ways to opt into the debutante fun. While they might not be able to curtsey in London in front of England's monarch, they could attend balls structured around the same concept. There, they curtseyed to mayors or other small-town officials, retaining hints of the original event's idea. Queen Charlotte's dance spawned a cultural phenomenon and rite of passage with global reach (via History Extra ).

Life after presentation at Queen Charlotte's Ball

You may be wondering what happened to debutantes after their presentation at Queen Charlotte's Ball, and this is an excellent question. Although outcomes varied based on each debutante's experiences and success in capturing the attention of a worthy fiancé, most went on to attend a season's worth of events (via History Extra ).

After presentation at Queen Charlotte's Ball, a world of social opportunities greeted debutantes. They included everything from horse races to other formal balls and countless parties. The constant string of social events generally lasted from March through October. And these activities offered numerous chances to network, forge new friendships with women of similar backgrounds and education levels, and, of course, opportunities to cement their marriage prospects.

But the London season didn't prove the be-all, end-all when it came to the debutante experience. After this scene ended for the year, Scotland hosted more debutante activities, and various parties at country estates also attracted debs. In some cases, debutantes proved unable to complete an entire season. For example, women who lived overseas might only have the funds to stay for the presentation to the monarch before returning home. And some debutantes, like Nicolette Harrison, received marriage proposals so early in the season that they eschewed the remaining activities in favor of wedding planning, per Fiona MacCarthy's " Last Curtsey: The End of the Debutantes ."

Queen Charlotte's Ball meant the pressure was on

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Queen Charlotte's Ball ushered in a debutante season filled with plenty of social obligations and pressure, as reported by Town and Country . By pressure, we're referring to the debutante's need to find and secure an eligible bachelor before the season ended.

Women unlucky enough to get through an entire season (or two) without a proposal ended up shelved. For many, this ushered in lifelong spinsterhood. Considering that most women couldn't work outside of the home, this left them at the mercy of their male relatives, who might or might not agree to support them. If this sounds like a familiar theme, you've likely had brushes with Jane Austen's work. Her romances place a primary focus on the financial disparities existing between men and women, especially those necessitating a fortuitous match (via Pursuit ).

According to Kensington Books , spinsters referred to unmarried women past the prime marriage age. For individuals living during England's Regency period, spinsterhood could begin as early as 24 years old, and by the age of 29, many assumed all hope was lost. Unmarried women forged challenging existences because they weren't permitted to make a living without getting shunned by society. When opportunity allowed, they became caretakers for sick relatives or worked as governesses to secure places to live.

The debutante's profile and requirements

While debutantes came from noble and gentry families, lineage alone didn't secure them a place at Queen Charlotte's Ball, according to Town and Country . Traditionally, debutantes needed to fall between 16 and 18 years old, although some allowances were made for debs in their early twenties (via History Extra ). They had to be unmarried virgins (ideally), and divorced women couldn't participate, even when the whole shebang ended in 1958. Such requirements showed just how far behind the times the British monarchy lagged.

Debutantes also required appropriate wardrobes for the events they needed to attend. Frequently, pieces came from high-end department stores such as Harrods. They also needed to invest in a custom-made white gown for the Queen Charlotte's Ball and presentation before the monarch. Debs also needed evening gowns in other colors for some of the more renowned London balls.

As for the rest of their wardrobe, they required suitable pieces in chiffon and silk for events like the Fourth of June at Eton, Henley, and Ascot. By the 1950s, shorter dresses worked for country parties. Matching accessories, from hats to gloves and handbags, rounded out a carefully crafted debutante's wardrobe. Besides looking the part, debs also took etiquette and dance classes to guarantee they'd make a noble splash during their season out.

The role of the debutante's chaperone

Besides the fancy wardrobes and classes for etiquette and dance, debutantes needed chaperones to present them, per Town and Country . Each chaperone, in turn, had to have a history as a debutante, which ensured a limited pool of participants. This chaperone tended to be a family member or friend of the family.

By the 20 th century, the demand for chaperones devolved into a money-making scheme for some, with titled chaperones low on dough going to the highest bidder. At this point, you may be wondering what the chaperone got paid to do. Ultimately, she fulfilled a variety of jobs depending on the needs of individual clients. Paid chaperones proved especially helpful to American heiresses big on money but devoid of noble ties.

Chaperone responsibilities included writing to the Lord Chamberlain to apply for an invitation. Invitations not only got girls into the ball but came with two cards permitting the debutantes to enter the Ball Supper Room and approach the Queen for their curtsey. Chaperones also assisted girls with unfamiliar activities and protocols, thereby increasing their chances of successfully navigating some of the world's elitist waters and snagging a hubby along the way.

Why the debutante tradition came to an end

By the 1950s, Queen Charlotte's Ball had been called into question by a surprising faction: the British royal family (via Town and Country ). As the centuries had passed and England had transformed from Great Britain to the United Kingdom in the wake of two world wars, the tradition looked increasingly snobbish and stifling.

It also appeared out of step with societal changes caused by the two world wars, such as the introduction of women into the workforce, and it felt largely irrelevant to many British nobles who felt more concerned about budgeting and finding ways to keep their country estates than doling out thousands of dollars for their daughters to party in formal wear. Coupled with the fact marriages of convenience had fallen out of favor, the whole thing lacked practicality.

Perhaps the Duke of Edinburgh said it best when he declared it "bloody daft." As for Princess Margaret, she reportedly lashed out against the practice of hiring chaperones: "They're letting every tart in London in" (via Town and Country). Formal presentation before the Queen ended officially in 1958, and Queen Charlotte's Ball halted in 1976, according to History Extra . Families hoping to introduce their daughters to eligible bachelors turned to garden parties and other social events to fill the gap.

Queen Elizabeth modernized the monarchy

Besides the harsh comments about Queen Charlotte's Ball and the debutante tradition, some also argue that Queen Elizabeth II responded to changes within society when she brought the event to an end, as reported by  Town and Country . Getting rid of a tradition that many felt subjugated women and presented them meat-market style (via  Town and Country ), looked more like common sense than iconoclastic social upheaval.

Queen Elizabeth II represented the first monarch whose coronation got televised to the world, and this came with responsibilities different than those of her predecessors. Many of her subjects believed the monarch needed to modernize the ancient ruling class she now headed up. By no means an easy task, one thing proved evident: Queen Charlotte's Ball had to go.

But even if Queen Elizabeth II hadn't ended the ball in 1958, the writing was on the social wall. As Britain sat poised at the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, mid-century debutantes soon ushered in the Age of Aquarius. With this came the sexual revolution and second-wave feminism, which put marriage at the bottom of the priority list. Many felt the debutante scene reeked of inequality and repression. In other words, societal shifts helped take down the event.

Queen Charlotte's Ball continues today

When Queen Charlotte's Ball folded in the 1970s, Peter Townend, The Tatler's social editor, kept it on life support by covering garden parties, dances, and fashion shows (via the Independent ). He tried to resuscitate Queen Charlotte's Ball, too, although it completely fizzled by 1997.

But Townend's friend, Jenny Hallam-Pell, revived it in the 21 st century. A former debutante and attorney in Knightsbridge, she remains dedicated to restoring the debutante season that once existed. She sees value in the tradition, which gives young and influential women the chance to enter high society properly. But that doesn't mean Hallam-Pell wants to bring every aspect of the original event back to life. Instead, she's pushing an updated version that has replaced husband hunting with business networking and etiquette.

Hallam-Pell has also gotten creative when it comes to presenting debs to royalty. Instead of British nobles, she's turned to members of royal blood from the world over. For example, in 2009, this included European blue bloods like Princess Olga Romanov of Russia, Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, and the Duke of Anjou and Cadiz, Don Alfonso di Borbon y Franco. Hallam-Pell argues, "People want to re-instate some of the proud institutions that defined Britain's identity, and I believe debutantes are very much part of that." Considering the current popularity of "Bridgerton," Hallam-Pell's picked the ideal moment for this venture. However, creating an event on a par with its historical predecessor remains unlikely, per Town and Country .

What You Need to Know Before the ‘Queen Charlotte’ Premiere

We’ve laid out the cast, their characters, and the plot and rounded up all the information, photos, clips, and trailers that we’ve been given so far to make sure that you’re totally prepared for the “Bridgerton” spin-off.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Shondaland editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

As we gain momentum on one of the most anticipated Netflix shows from Shondaland since Bridgerton premiered on Christmas Day, 2020, we’ve dropped a trove of Queen Charlotte treats over these last few months, so we thought it pertinent to do a little refresh of everything we know thus far about Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story .

The plot, the cast, photos, videos — we’ve got them all and more as we head into a new era of the ton and this gorgeous rendition of the little-known story of Queen Charlotte.

The Plot of Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a limited series premiering all six episodes on Thursday, May 4, on Netflix. The story follows Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (played by India Amarteifio) as she’s thrust out of her aristocratic home in Germany and into the arms of King George III (Corey Mylchreest) — and the tricky courts of England — whether she likes it or not. To the relief of all involved, including both Charlotte and George, they actually kind of dig each other. And through some very low lows and wonderfully romantic highs, the newlyweds’ union not only sparks a great love story, but it also sparks a pivotal moment for English aristocratic culture, one that eventually creates a world where Bridgerton can exist.

Queen Charlotte is fashioned as a tale told through flashbacks, jumping from the Regency era to the Georgian era ( we've got an explainer for that, too! ), a generation before our beloved Bridgerton siblings come onto the scene. The new narrative shows Queen Charlotte — with her trusted queen’s man, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs, in an expanded role), at her side — trying to secure the throne by whipping her loving but slightly slovenly and spoiled adult children into shape as the next-in-line regals they should be. We’re also given more insight into her relationship with George, something that has only been teased in Bridgerton . For as kind and handsome as young King George is, he wrestles with personal ailments that threaten the couple’s new union.

There are also the queen’s besties, Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), both of whom find themselves at a crossroads on their own journeys as women of a certain age.

In the flashbacks, which make up the bulk of the new show, along with young Queen Charlotte, there are many recognizable characters from the Bridgerton series, albeit with a few years shaved off. In Georgian London, we’re introduced to young Violet (Connie Jenkins-Greig), young Agatha (Arsema Thomas), and young Brimsley (Sam Clemmett), along with new faces and new stories: the king’s mother, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley); Keir Charles as Lord Ledger, Violet’s father and friend to Lady Danbury; Tunji Kasim as the queen’s brother, Adolphus; Cyril Nri as Lord Danbury; and Freddie Dennis as the king’s man, Reynolds.

The series is created and written by showrunner Shonda Rhimes and executive produced by Rhimes, Betsy Beers, and series director Tom Verica.

The New Cast and Characters of Queen Charlotte

India amarteifio as young queen charlotte.

Charlotte enters her arranged marriage to the king of England, but she quickly realizes she’s marrying far more than just a man. London’s royal court proves daunting, especially to a young woman who is something entirely different than what the British royals expected. But Charlotte is a quick study, and her cunning and wit soon see her navigating the palace, her unpredictable husband, and British high society with panache.

Amarteifio began her career as a child, acting in West End theater productions like The Lion King as a young Nala and as part of the original cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Among her first television roles were roles in 2015 on The Interceptor and Doctor Who . She played Thandie Newton’s daughter in Line of Duty and had a role in the film Military Wives .

Corey Mylchreest as young King George III

While he is handsome and charismatic, young George also faces his own inner demons as he battles outer pressure from his mother, Princess Augusta, to marry and secure the royal line. The arrival of his new queen, with whom he now must share his bed, space, and life, means that he’ll have to confront those demons quickly if he’s to be able to both show her the love he wants to show her and rule his kingdom effectively.

This is Mylchreest’s first major role out of drama school. He had a small part in Netflix’s The Sandman and acted in the short film Mars , but the young Brit is taking on the challenge of this emotional role with immediate confidence.

Arsema Thomas as young Lady Danbury

We currently know Lady Danbury to be a wealthy, independent, and entirely self-sufficient woman of the ton, but in her younger years, Agatha found herself under the thumb of a much older husband and itching to carve out her position in society. Thankfully, Queen Charlotte’s arrival is the door that opened that opportunity. Agatha soon finds herself to be a trustworthy guiding light for the sometimes-naive queen, as well as a woman who is finding her own power and presence among London’s elite.

Making their TV debut in the role, Thomas (who prefers they/them pronouns) was born in Atlanta but grew up on the road with their parents, who were Nigerian and Ethiopian diplomats. They speak five languages and graduated from Yale with a master’s in public health. A change of heart turned them toward acting, and they starred in their first role, in the feature film Redeeming Love , in South Africa before signing on to play Lady D.

Michelle Fairley as Princess Augusta

Determined to maintain her family’s power amidst a changing Britain, the dowager princess does what it takes to secure her son’s place as monarch and her family’s power.

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll certainly recognize Fairley from her turn as Lady Catelyn Stark, but the veteran Northern Irish actress has also been in Suits , 24: Live Another Day , and Gangs of London .

Sam Clemmett as young Brimsley

As the queen’s man, Brimsley at first suffocates her by always being there, five steps behind and doting on her every need. But Brimsley eventually becomes a bright spot of loyalty, companionship, and discretion for the young queen.

Clemmett, who’s been acting on British TV for the last decade and has recently broken out in the films Cherry and The War Below , is best known for his role as Albus Potter in the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child .

Freddie Dennis as Reynolds

As the king’s man, Reynolds has been at George’s side for many years, and thus not only serves him with complete loyalty but also feels compelled to protect the king’s secret at all costs. And he’s happy to go head-to-head with anyone who feels otherwise.

After one episode of HBO’s The Nevers , this is Dennis’ first major TV role since graduating from the Oxford School of Drama in 2021.

Following the Red Carpet to Queen Charlotte

It feels as though it was just yesterday that we revealed our new young Queen Charlotte, played by Amarteifio. Her grace, poise, and loyalty give us goosebumps, and it’s only a matter of days before we get to see all that she has to offer us.

“She’s super-strong in times of complete downfall when there’s nothing to even hope for and it’s all bleak,” Amarteifio told Shondaland about her character. “Yet she still finds the power and the strength from somewhere. It’s a testament to her character.”

That same month, Netflix held court with its second annual global fan event, Tudum , which was chock-full of exclusive news, never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks, as well as interviews with Netflix’s biggest stars and creators.

It was there that Shondaland treated fans to a panel dedicated to all things Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte , full of sneak-peek photos and videos . Bridgerton stars Claudia Jessie and Luke Newton revealed their artistic sides in a friendly — and revealing — round of “Bridgerton Sibling Portraits,” hosted by Nicola Coughlan, who also unveiled a sneak peek at Lady Whistledown’s first newsletter of season three.

We were enticed even further when Shonda herself surprised everyone with an appearance in which she talked about how the Queen Charlotte spin-off came to be, gave praise and thanks to Bridgerton fans, and introduced an exclusive clip of her latest creation.

That exclusive first-look clip of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story teased us with a sweet scenario, revealing the moment when Charlotte (India Amarteifio) rather unexpectedly meets her husband-to-be, King George (Corey Mylchreest), just as she’s possibly, maybe, kinda trying to escape her own wedding.

As a 2023 New Year’s Day treat, the first image of Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) was revealed. Because while we get to see the origin story of our beloved Queen Charlotte, we also get that of Agatha Danbury too — that stoic, savvy, stand-up citizen of the ton who always seems to know what’s going on before everyone else. These two women form a bond very early on in Queen Charlotte’s reign, and as the image shows, there’s a lot at stake.

“I wish I could be my character!” Thomas told Shondaland. “She’s taught me so much. I’m much more reactive, and she is somebody who really thinks about what she’s going to do and what she wants, and how to achieve that. She’s so strategic. She reminds me a lot of my own mother, which I drew on, and someone who I aspire to be [like].”

Because we clearly love dropping bombs on holidays, this past Valentine’s Day, we also finally got a premiere date (again, Thursday, May 4!) for Queen Charlotte . There were also other big announcements revealed at Netflix’s exclusive fan event in which Rhimes, along with cast members India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, Arsema Thomas, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, and Ruth Gemmell, served up a veritable trove of Queen Charlotte goodies. Like: the next Ball!

After successful runs around the globe, the opulent extravaganza that is The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience finally landed in New York City on April 27. If you need a little modern musical inspo to keep you in the Bridgerton mood in the meantime, check out this Spotify playlist dedicated to Lady Agatha Danbury, courtesy of Arsema Thomas, who plays the young Lady D in Queen Charlotte .

And as if all that wasn't enough, a parting gift from the exclusive fan event was a brand-new video teaser. In the minute-long video below, we were given a much broader look into the world of Queen Charlotte and King George. There’s some steaminess, there’s some scheming, and there’s some damn fine jewelry.

Last but not least, we learned that Julia Quinn and Rhimes had teamed up to write the Queen Charlotte book . Inspired by the series, the book will be on sale on Tuesday, May 9 (but you can pre-order your copy now! ), cementing the young royal’s place in the literary world of Bridgerton .

Having never actually appeared in Quinn’s original books, Queen Charlotte was created to build out Shondaland’s on-screen world of Bridgerton . In the first two seasons of the series, the queen has seen fabulous growth, becoming a fan favorite for her fashion, her glorious hairstyles, and her unwavering ability to hold down the throne while facing adversities, both personal and public. And now, in the new Queen Charlotte series and book, we can go deeper into her backstory, reveling in the early romance between young Queen Charlotte and young King George, as well as learn how this woman helped change the very institution that she was beholden to.

With so much build up to Queen Charlotte , what else was there to do but celebrate the new prequel series with, naturally, a red carpet! On April 21, 2023 in London, fans were treated to a bevy of regal treats and talent turnout to usher in the new series. There were cakes, there was a harp player, there were statues come to life — the UK came to slay!

Naturally, our fearless leader, Shonda Rhimes, showed up in her own finery to fête the evening:

And it was all just the start! On April 26th, Queen Charlotte arrived stateside for the Los Angeles premiere that brought a pomp-and-circumstance culmination to our long, lushes road to the May 4 premiere of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

From here, all that's left, dear readers, is to watch the debut season of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on May 4 on Netflix!

As you watch (and rewatch) the series, be sure to check back here for Queen Charlotte cast interviews and show features before, during, and after the premiere. To pass the time until then, catch up on everything we know about Bridgerton season three , listen and subscribe to Bridgerton: The Official Podcast , available on Apple , iHeart , and read Julia Quinn's original Bridgerton book series.

Valentina Valentini is a London-based entertainment, travel, and food writer and is also a senior contributor to Shondaland. Elsewhere, she has written for Vanity Fair , Vulture , Variety , Thrillist , Heated , and The Washington Post . Her personal essays can be read in the Los Angeles Times and Longreads , and her tangents and general complaints can be seen on Instagram at @ByValentinaV .

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Queen Charlotte Wins Big at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards

"I'm so grateful for this show," India Amarteifio said in her acceptance speech. "It has made me feel so grounded in what it means to be a Black person and a Black woman."

In her acceptance speech during the televised ceremony on Saturday, Amarteifio said, "I'm so grateful for this show. It has made me feel so grounded in what it means to be a Black person and a Black woman." She also thanked the other actresses in her category (Angela Bassett, Octavia Spencer, Queen Latifah, and Zoe Saldaña), saying, "The women in my category, you have set the absolute standard of what it means to lead a show. Without you, this wouldn't exist."

While Amarteifio accepted her award, the Hollywood Reporter reports that Golda Rosheuvel (who plays the older Queen Charlotte in the Bridgerton universe) shouted from the audience, "I support!" Other Queen Charlotte stars in attendance at the NAACP Image Awards included Adjoa Andoh and Arsema Thomas (who both play Lady Danbury).

Two days earlier, Rosheuvel, Andoh, and Thomas were at the NAACP Image Awards Dinner, the non-televised portion of the event, where they accepted the award for Best Drama Series.

The three women all looked regal for the awards dinner:

The annual NAACP Image Awards differs from other awards shows. "Unlike other award shows, we are a nonprofit that has an awards show, versus an awards show that has a nonprofit," Robin Harrison, VP of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, tells Variety . "So our focus and our work is slightly different in that we can utilize the Image Awards to honor people who typically may not have been honored. That goes hand-in-hand with the advocacy work that we do in the industry."

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Queen Charlotte Stars Talk Representation & Diversity in the World of Bridgerton

Out got the chance to speak with Queen Charlotte 's Golda Rosheuvel and Corey Mylchreest at the series' Los Angeles premiere.

Netflix is taking us back to the Regency era once again, but this time around, we get to see life in the Bridgerton universe through the eyes of the one and only Queen Charlotte .

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Bouncing back between the early days of her marriage to King George III and the struggle of trying to get her many adult children to produce an heir to the throne in the later years of her life, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is the highly-anticipated prequel spin-off series that expands the Bridgerton universe in many different ways, including continuing to provide people of color the much-need representation they've always wanted in fun, sexy period pieces, as well as giving LGBTQ + fans the kinds of characters they've been dying for in this increasingly popular media franchise.

Out got the chance to talk to some of the cast of the new Netflix series at the Los Angeles premiere.

"I think moving forward, especially in our industry, that's what we need to do," lesbian actress and 2022 Out100 honoree Golda Rosheuvel , who plays the more mature version of Queen Charlotte in both the flagship Bridgerton series and the Queen Charlotte spin-off, told Out when asked about being a part of show where queer characters and characters of color don't have to always justify their existence, they get to just be. "We have to tell those stories. The stories are out there, but I don't know that there is an explanation that we need to give. Just have them on screen. Just have us there being beautiful and angry and sexy and wearing amazing clothes."

"It's just an absolute joy," Corey Mylchreest, who plays the Young King George III, also said when asked. "I think it's probably what, alongside doing all the lovely work and trying to make everything truthful and persuasive and powerful and poignant, just being part of an ensemble that is doing representation justice, is probably the thing that I'm most proud about."

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is now streaming on Netflix .

• Sam Clemmett & Freddie Dennis Talk Bringing Gay Representation to 'Queen Charlotte' ›

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The Bridgerton Prequel’s 2 Timelines Shed New Light On Queen Charlotte

India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel portray the royal in different decades.

Though actor India Amarteifio takes center stage as the titular young monarch in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story , Golda Rosheuvel hasn’t totally abdicated her throne. The actor who originated the Queen Charlotte role in Bridgerton , appears throughout the prequel, which is set in two timelines. Beginning when Charlotte is 17 years old, the Netflix prequel follows the young German royal’s rise to prominence and power after marrying King George (Corey Mylchreest). The real Queen Charlotte got married in 1761, but the new series never explicitly states the year.

Meanwhile, the future timeline seems to take place shortly after most of the events of Bridgerton Season 2 , which was set in 1814. That seems apparent when Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) mentions to Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) that Anthony and Kate are away on their honeymoon. Fans might recall that the final scenes of Bridgerton Season 2 finale revealed that the newlyweds had already traveled together for six months after their wedding.

Rosheuvel previously teased that Queen Charlotte would interweave flash-forwards and flashbacks . “So where in Bridgerton I might have been at the Presentation Ball and then leave the room, in Queen Charlotte I walk straight into a scene that’s in the spin-off," she explained to Radio Times in April. The actor also shared how creator Shonda Rhimes incorporated Bridgerton into the prequel, in which Julie Andrews also gives voice to Lady Whistledown.

“Shonda has been really clever in connecting the worlds, connecting the two series together,” Rosheuvel added. “Lady Whistledown is there, the young and older Danbury are there. The universe sort of swirls round within itself, so it will be fascinating to see whether the fans notice little nuances and Easter eggs that we’ve put in both productions. It’s a fascinating way of telling the story.”

In a Harper’s Bazaar interview published on May 4, Rosheuvel elaborated that she had an emotional-research technique for bridging her and Amarteifio’s iterations of Queen Charlotte. “I’d walk into the room that India had been shooting in, and think, as Charlotte, ‘My younger self was here. How do I feel about that? What am I keeping, and what have I said goodbye to?’” she told the magazine. “The through line connecting India’s Charlotte to mine is her feistiness. The damn determination to make it work, for her and George. Even in vulnerable moments, she’s sure of herself.”

Amarteifio also drew inspiration from the OG actor. “[Charlotte] has to change her brain and see herself as a different kind of person but retain her sense of self, which I’d seen in Golda’s Charlotte when I watched Bridgerton ,” she said in the same joint interview. “All around her, people are grappling with one another, romantically, politically, and at the eye of the storm is this vital, poised woman who knows who she is. I’d wanted to know, how is she so sturdy in a society that is frivolous and crumbling?”

By rewinding to the past, the answer became much clearer.

This article was originally published on May 4, 2023

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Why ‘Queen Charlotte’ Says Yes to a Very Specific Wedding Dress

Sarah shachat, associate craft editor.

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One of the visual pleasures of Netflix ‘s “ Bridgerton ” has been the series’ enthusiasm for bolder colors and costumes inspired — but never limited — by the styles of the Regency era. Clothing is how the show makes clear not just who has the social upper hand but each character’s approach to social climbing and self-confidence.

“Laura and I are very conscious of being very respectful of the world that [Season 1 costume designer] Ellen Mirojnick created. It’s quite a wonderful world. But our story is an origin story,” Paolo said. “So we started with research, and then after reading Shonda’s version of ‘Queen Charlotte,’ we pitched that we wanted young Charlotte to feel more modern. Like you could wear these gowns to a Met Ball. It was more of a red carpet look than it was a period-correct look.”

That red carpet ethos is perhaps why Charlotte ultimately packs suck a punch when she dresses to make a statement: Her dresses are self-consciously designed to guide the conversation of the British upper class through fashion. But it was essential to the “Queen Charlotte” costume designers to create the right amount of contrast building up to that look, so we could visually catch the moment that Charlotte finds her voice in this new court she will, one day, preside over. That meant making both the dress she arrives in and the English wedding dress foisted upon her by the Queen Mother (Michelle Fairley) into Met Ball misses.

The dress in which Charlotte arrives at court is a surfeit of finery. “The carriage gown, which is actually a skirt and bodice with a Caraco jacket , was very well drawn-out in Shonda’s script,” Paolo said. “All of those descriptions — ‘I’m sitting here in this gown with this lace and these jewels’ — all of that was in the script. The only difference for us was we asked Shonda if we could change the dialogue to sapphires because we’d found this company while we were in London called Larkspur and Hawk who recreate Georgian jewelry and had asked them if they could create tiny little jewels that we could then stitch into the costume.”

Every single one of those tiny sapphires trembles as the carriage trundles along, betraying any sense of control that Charlotte would like to have over her life. It’s perfect for the moment when she confronts her brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim) about the marriage and realizes that neither of them feels particularly in control over their futures. Indeed they aren’t, as Charlotte is almost immediately pressed into a wedding dress that states the (extremely limited) use Queen Augusta would like her to serve.

The wedding gown may all but scream, “ It’s Coming Home ,” but it visually pairs Charlotte and George when they meet for the first time. George is the more boldly dressed, the more confident, at an even keel even as he catches Charlotte attempting to run away. The English gown represents a version of their relationship where Charlotte succumbs to George’s charm. But that isn’t who this young queen is, and so that isn’t the wedding dress she wears. Instead, she dons the very current (very French) gown she brought.

The resulting triumphant gown is a classic “Bridgerton” marriage of period-intricate stitch-work and modern shapes and colors, here taken from designer Charles James’ work. “There was a Met Ball done 10 years ago or so based on Charles James’ designs. So that really helped to inform us and, and guide us,” Frecon said.

But Charlotte’s statement of royal intent had to be designed with an awareness of her eventual style as the queen who lords over “Bridgerton” proper. “I relate [that gown] to the scene in ‘Elizabeth’ with Cate Blanchett, where she becomes the Virgin Queen,” Paolo said. “We have to follow [our version of the character] to answer the question of how did she end up being [the older] version of Queen Charlotte [Golda Rosheuvel].”

Even though “Queen Charlotte” sees Rosheuvel’s monarch in mourning blacks, her dresses have the same strong lines and intricacy of design as her younger self. “She’s a vision in black, with all that jet jewelry and the veiling and the embroidery on the veiling,” Paolo said. “The hand-beading, the hand-stitching, the embroidery and the jet jewelry that our team of artisans helped us create, they’re quite remarkable pieces of costume manufacturing.”

All these rich embellishments are designed to command the eyes of any room Charlotte walks into — even those full of her dissolute offspring. One only has to watch Rosheuvel in motion to see how successfully she pulls it off and how the light glints off the details of her gowns like armor. The tragedy of both the younger and the older Queen Charlotte is that the armor fits her just a little too well.

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'Queen Charlotte' costumer says queen's outfits have a heartbreaking backstory

The character Queen Charlotte evolves over the course of her titular show, the first "Bridgerton" spinoff — but thing remains the same through the decades: Charlotte's fabulous outfits. Played by India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel , Queen Charlotte has a penchant for elaborate hairstyles and ornate gowns (though one could argue her signature accessory is her unimpressed gaze).

Charlotte's reign begins at the peak of Georgian fashion, which in "Bridgerton"-verse translates to the more formal attire worn by Amarteifio, defined by big ruffles and elaborate underpinnings, including the hooped cages that women wore underneath their petticoats to give their dresses a cylindrical shape.

But by the time period of "Bridgerton," the characters have moved onto the simple column gowns of the Regency period — except for the queen.

Lyn Paolo, the costume designer for "Queen Charlotte," explains why to TODAY.com.

"Queen Charlotte was stuck in a moment in time, as some women do in life," Paolo tell TODAY.com. "Whatever the fashion of their youth was, they stay there."

'Under a glass dome'

"Queen Charlotte," while a love story, is a complicated one. Over the course of the show's six episodes, as she falls more in love with King George III , played by Corey Mylchreest, she slowly understands the severity of his mental illness , which at times, prevents him from even recognizing her.

In one scene set in the "Bridgerton" present, Brimsley, the queen's right-hand man, gives his frank thoughts after Charlotte laments that her children are failing to marry and produce heirs.

"You are still his queen, forever frozen, forever waiting. Your daughters could not leave you here, trapped in time," he says.

Charlotte's costumes physically show just how "stuck" she is in her position as queen, Paolo says.

"I felt like she was sort of under a glass dome," she says. "And she wasn't able to change for many reasons. That was the happiest time in her life, that was how she felt comfortable."

TikTokers theorize that her costumes are an attempt for Charlotte to help her husband remember her amid his memory loss.

Paolo notes that while the styles of younger and older Charlotte are the same, there is a distinct evolution in the level of regalia, as she took on the full "mantle" of the throne in her husband's absence.

"In the end, she's evolved into the epitome of what the queen should be, what the royal family should be," she says. "And so her gowns get more and more regal as time passes because she has to embody the whole of the royal family because her husband is gone."

Instead of viewing Charlotte's life in the "glass dome" as tragic, Paolo describes it as a testament to enduring love.

"Marriage is tricky, and and it doesn't end on the wedding day," he says. "I mean, it's such a beautiful story that these two people have endured through all of the trials and tribulations of their lives. And at the end, you still see that they're still there. They're still together. She didn't go over the wall."

"I think it resonates with people, the idea that these people have endured," she adds.

Giving 'Queen Charlotte' a distinct lookWhen Paolo stepped up the plate to design the costumes for the "Bridgerton" spinoff, she knew she wanted to continue the fashion tradition established by Ellen Mirojnick, who created the outfits of Seasons One and Two.

"She did this remarkable thing of making the show look so beautiful and so appealing to a modern audience," Paolo says. "But she was also true to the shape and silhouette of the Regency era."

But Paolo also wanted to put her "own touch to that world." One source of inspiration for Paolo was the Met Gala .

Part of her pitch to creator Shonda Rhimes was that gowns would represent a historically accurate silhouette while being glam — so much so that they wouldn't look out of place on a red carpet today.

"I really kind of want to create like a music video, slash, Met Ball vibe, where you could take the gowns or take the men's costumes and dress a musician," she says. "Dress Harry Styles in this and you would think, 'Oh, yeah, that's fine. Harry could pull it off.'"

For the men's costumes, Paolo says they slightly altered the shape of the suit sleeves to be "less pirate like and more Prince."

"We literally use Prince as our archetype for the men's costumes," she adds.

As for differentiating "Queen Charlotte" from "Bridgerton," Paolo describes the fashion contrast between the two periods as "stark."

The formal wear of the Georgian period, embodied by Charlotte, was gradually replaced by the Grecian silhouette of the simple column gown, which originated with the court of Marie Antoinette of France, she explains.

"It just shows how much influence the French court had on fashion at the time," she says.

The signature white muslin gown, often seen in screen adaptations of Jane Austen novels, like 1996's "Emma," was considered especially "risqué" for the time period, Paolo says.

"In the sunlight, you could see through it," she says.

But even "Queen Charlotte" contains influences from the splendor of Marie Antoinette's fashion, especially through the jewelry. Paolo, a self-proclaimed lover of "all things sparkly," describes the pieces as part of her unique footprint.

"A lot of the jewels on the show are literally copies of pieces from the period," she says. "There's a bracelet is that is a copy of the bracelets that Marie Antoinette wore that were a gift from her husband."

"Although it doesn't relate to George and Charlotte, it just shows the decadence of the period," she adds.

Maddie Ellis is a weekend editor at TODAY Digital.

Marriages between the upper echelon families of England were transacted much as mergers and acquisitions are in today’s business environment. Each Season, the latest crop of prospects were introduced to the marriage market, with their respective inducements, and the negotiations began.

Young Regency women entering society were not presented at court en masse, as seen in the highly-organized débutante rituals of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. When the 1800s began, it was customary for girls had their ‘come-out’ when their mothers decided they were of marriageable age, usually at 17-18 years. Families of the first stare aimed to present their marriageable daughters at court, but opportunities to do so were haphazard. Girls had to wait for one the Queen’s so-called “Drawing Room” courts held at St. James Palace.

It would have been convenient for 21st century Regency novel writers if these events were held according to a predictable schedule. However, the only Court date firmly fixed on the Regency calendar was Queen’s Birthday on January 18th, and débutantes were not presented there, unless by personal invitation – for example, Lady Nelson was permitted to present her daughter to the queen at her birthday Drawing Room in 1807. Most hopefuls had to wait for an afternoon Drawing Room, usually held in March or April, expressly to enable newcomer presentations (they were not known as ‘debutantes’ until the 1830s).  When a Drawing Room date was settled, the Lord Chamberlain would contact those wait-listed for the occasion.

Planning a young woman’s first London Season began long before she arrived in town. To obtain a court presentation, her  mother, or the female relative had to file a request with the Earl of Morton, Queen Charlotte’s Lord Chamberlain. It would read something like this: “Lady Whomever desires the Their Majesties’ gracious permission to attend one of the Courts and present her daughter.” The cut-off date for this formal request was January 1st, and not just anyone could apply. To keep out nouveau riche pretenders, requests were accepted only from matrons who had been presented at Court.

A few weeks before the designated Court, a Summons card would arrive stating that the Lord Chamberlain “…has been commanded by Their Majesties to summon the Countess of Yaddyadda to the Court on whatever-date.” This was an order, not a discussion. The Court proceeded even during times of full mourning.

La Belle Assemblée, July 1, 1807. Re-tinted by Beatrice Knight.

The Big Dress

While the royal princesses were seen at court in lavish gowns such as the one (left) worn by Princess Charlotte to the Queen’s Birthday in January, 1807,  unmarried and newly married young women wore white gowns and simple jewelry (usually pearls and diamonds) for their first court date. By the time the coveted summons arrived, the presentee and her sponsor would be having the final adjustments made to their pricey, elaborate court dresses.

Some Georgian customs were updated during the Regency; the infamous hopped court dress was not among them. Not a woman at the cutting edge of new trends, Queen Charlotte followed the traditions long-established before her husband was crowned. These dictated skirts with hoops and trains, plume head-wear, lappets, gloves, and fans. Plumes featured ostrich feathers (always white for débutantes ), usually secured by a diamond bandeau and attached to the mandatory lace lappets which fell past the shoulders.

Regency women “modernized” the look of court dresses by shortening the waist in a nod to the Empire silhouette. The result was a hooped monstrosity that made the wearer look rather like a small lid perched atop a large teapot. Court dresses did not come cheaply and could not easily be adapted for any other purpose – they were far too unfashionable to be worn to the opera or a ball. But perhaps they were not without their advantages. Some have joked that with so much standing about in the Court and a dearth of retiring rooms, a woman could find a dim corner and slip a bourdaloue under her massive skirt, if nature called. Others jested that a lover could be smuggled into Court beneath the skirt and help his lady pass the time more pleasantly.

La Belle Assemblee. August, 1820. Recolored by Beatrice Knight

When the Prince Regent became King George IV, court fashions finally left the 18th century behind. “By order of the King,” big hoops became passé overnight. Lady Worsley Holmes wore the gown (right) to the new king’s first Drawing Room, and the silhouette of the day found reflection in court dresses, moving forward.

The Big Day 1800-1813

Decked out in their finery, newbies would arrive for the queen’s Drawing Room at the “old palace” of St. James by about 11.00am and spend the next few hours in ante-rooms milling about while they awaited the queen. In the  meantime, Her Majesty and whichever of the princesses would attend the court that day, would head from the Queen’s Palace to the Duke of Cumberland’s apartments at St. James Palace a little after 12.30 pm. After eating a luncheon of cold collations, they would don their court dresses and embark on a stately progress through the gallery, ballroom, and state-rooms to the Council Chamber, escorted by the Duke of Kent or another male relative, along with the Lord Chamberlain and the usual suspects.

At 2pm, the queen and the princesses would take their places in the Drawing Room. King George III and his entourage also attended the queen’s Drawing Room in the earliest years of the 1800s, but as his illness advanced, the king was rarely seen at court. During his reign, a newbie, so long as she was originally invited to court under the sponsorship of an approved lady, could make her curtsey alone, introduced by the Lord-in-Waiting. Most, however, attended with their sponsor, and on hearing their names announced, Lady Whomever and the young lady would approach the ‘Royal Presence.” The young lady would step forward, make a deep curtsey, and answer if spoken to. Then, walking backwards, she and Lady Whomever would make their exit, having received the requisite stamp of approval.

Girls of the very highest rank were sometimes given a kiss or handshake by the queen

The next few months would be a giddy whirl of balls, parties, hopefully culminating in at least one serious suitor made of the ‘right stuff.’

A new debutante presentation format emerges in the 1820s

In the later years of King George III’s reign, illness put a damper on his court appearances. In those days, most young women entered society without making a curtsey at one of the queen’s Drawing Rooms, anyway, but being presented to royalty still conferred a coveted social cachet.

When Prince George became Regency, he was estranged from his wife, so drawing rooms were held by his mother, Queen Charlotte. The most notable of these was held in 1816 to receive congratulations on the marriage of young Princess Charlotte (the Prince Regent’s only daughter and heir to the throne) to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg. There was such a huge throng, only a select few young ladies were presented, all of them in white gowns. Queen Charlotte held drawing rooms through the Regency and continued to do so until her health failed in 1818.

When the Prince Regent came to the throne in 1820, change swept through the court. Hoops were swept into the dustbin of history, although the customary trains, ostrich feathers, and lace lappets would remain a fixture: in fact, the new king liked ostrich feathers so much, instructions handed down ahead of each Drawing Room mandated more of them for plumes. The new king promised Drawing Rooms would become a regular event, and in a major break from tradition gazetted in May 1821, ‘by Order of the King,’ debutantes would be presented henceforth at King’s Birthday courts. The king subsequently designated 23 April (St George’s Day) as his official birthday.

In practice, this marked the the beginning of mass presentation of debutantes at the British court. In 1822, the King’s Birthday court reflected the changes in a massive, glittering affair that included, in addition to the customary presentations of newly married society women, notables returned from abroad, and military men receiving recognition, well over 100 debutantes. Despite the king’s intention to make these presentations an annual milestone, illness saw courts postponed on multiple occasions in the years that followed. In 1823, the disappointment of junior branches of the nobility was reported ( British Press, 24 April) as “ extreme ” among those “ who were to have been presented to His Majesty preparatory to their appearing in public parties. ”

The 1824 Drawing Room finally took place on 20 May, after postponements for weather and illness. With it came another significant change of rules. The Lord Chamberlain gave notice, a few days ahead, that presentations would no longer be made by the Lord-in-Waiting (the stand-in if a young lady came to court by invitation, but without her sponsor). The new ruling formalized the process for presenting a debutante – from 1824 onward, she must be presented by her sponsor or another woman who, herself, had been presented previously. This format would remain until

Drawing Room courts return to St. James Palace

After several postponements, the Drawing Room was finally held on 20 May, 1824 at St. James Palace, marking the first time in a decade that a court was held there, the former king and queen having long ago discontinued their regular king and queen’s birthday courts at the “old palace.” King George IV had since overseen extensive improvements. Instead of getting out of their carriages in the rain and damaging court dresses, waiting outdoors, there were now covered colonnades. The indoor rooms were almost unrecognizable, with walls removed, beautiful new lighting and décor, and paintings no one had seen before on all the walls.

Excited to see the renovations, the fashionable world turned out in huge numbers, waiting in a procession of carriages for hours before reaching the palace. Newspapers reported one of the largest throngs ever to cram the court. Two years had passed since the last presentation and pent-up demand saw over 220 young women make their first curtsey.

Sporadic Drawing Rooms

1825 was marked by postponements of the King’s Birthday court yet again. He held a levee at Carlton House for his birthday in April and postponed the Drawing Room a couple of times before eventually cancelling it. 1826 was another disappointment, with the king holding his only levee for the year on November 27, and in the custom for levees, the only presentees were gentlemen. In 1827, the election of a new prime minister (Mr. Canning) and parliamentary shuffle accompanying the change of government seemed to pre-occupy the court. Deprived of the anticipated Drawing Room courts, young women could at least use the fashionable court dresses for balls .

Finally in 1828,  on 23 April, the king held a Drawing Room. Because such a long time had elapsed since the last one, it was heavily attended, with hundreds of young women finally getting their long awaited presentation. On 30 April, 1829 the king held one of the most attended Drawing Rooms ever, with over 1000 women attending, of whom at least 300 were new to the court. It would be his last. A year later, the court planned for 23 April, 1830 was postponed to 7 May, then cancelled because of the kings illness. He died soon after, on  26 June, 1830.

There would not be another Drawing Room until King William IV came to the throne. Happily married rather late in life to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen he and the queen held a Drawing Room in February 1831 to celebrate Queen’s Birthday, which also marked the first public appearance of Princess Victoria, then just 11 years old. Fashion magazines were packed with court dresses in 1831, which is not surprising for Queen Adelaide had already held her sixth Drawing Room in May. She continued to be diligent in holding courts, and established for young women the regular presentation system Queen Victoria would formalize on a larger scale when she came to the throne in 1837.

In Victoria’s reign, Drawing Rooms featuring mass presentation of debutantes were held four times yearly, twice before Easter and twice after, at Buckingham Palace. The traditions she maintained remained almost unchanged until the 20th Century. The last time traditional ladies court dress, with plume and lappets, was worn was in 1939, on the eve of World War II.

Having been postponed during the war, so called “presentation parties” resumed at Buckingham Palace in 1947, however with most of the population living on rations and trying to rebuild in the post-war era, the idea of a small elite holding fancy balls and spending fortunes on big dresses was tone-deaf at best. The Buckingham Palace events had also become broader in scope, making vetting a more time-consuming process and the debutantes “less select” than in the past. Finally the court announced that presentation parties would end in 1958. Princess Margaret later remarked: “We had to put a stop to it. Every tart in London was getting in.”

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Beatrice Knight  is an author and researcher specializing in the Regency era and the War of 1812 (between the United States and Great Britain). She is a lifelong fan of Jane Austen in whose honor she writes the All Things Regency blog.

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Court Dresses, Overview

When ladies (and gentlemen) appeared at Court on formal occasions they were required to wear Court Dress, which was a very formal, very specific type of garment that was not worn anywhere else.

Figure 1 – February 1804

Rules of Court Dress were rigid and dictated by the current monarch or his Queen. During the Regency, those rules produced a type of female garment that appears perfectly ridiculous to modern eyes, but which was taken quite seriously by those who wore them and by the designers who made them.

The rules of Court directed that ladies should wear skirts with hoops and trains, and that white ostrich feathers be worn in the hair, attached to lappets which hung below the shoulders. These rules had been in place long before George III took the throne. In his predecessor’s day the skirts were enhanced with panniers that stood out very wide on either side, but leaving the front and back flat. The intent of such odd-looking dresses was to display a broad swath of beautifully embroidered fabric, some of which had pictorial or floral scenes that used the entire front of the skirt as a canvas. Side panniers had been replaced by normal round hoops by the time George III came to the throne in 1760. In the last decade of the 18th century, the fashion for wide skirts began to evolve into the slim, vertical line associated with Regency dress. Queen Charlotte, however, held firm on the rules of Court Dress, and ladies were forced to adapt those rules to the current style, which produced a very odd-looking garment with the high-waist under the bosom and a full hoped skirt.

Figure 2 – March 1806

Who wore these silly (to my eye) concoctions?

Wives and daughters of peers, members of parliament, or the landed gentry were allowed to be formally presented at Court on only three specific occasions: as a young woman making her debut in Society (she was later to be called a debutante), upon her marriage, and on the occasion of her husband having an honor conferred upon him.

For daughters, the presentation at court marked them as suitable bridal candidates in the marriage market. For wives, it marked them as respectable members of the upper classes of Society and sometimes opened doors for them that had formerly been closed. The woman being presented was always sponsored by another woman who had already been presented. This was usually her mother or mother-in-law or another female relation. If she had no relative to present her, there were certain high-ranking ladies who would do so for a fee.

Figure 3 – February 1808

The presentations took place at St. James’s Palace at events called Drawing Rooms, where the monarch and/or his Queen received those attending Court. Presentation Drawing Rooms were held two or three times a week during the Season. Based on letters and diaries of the time, it was so stressful an experience that it was regarded more as a duty than a pleasure. The young woman to be presented stood sometimes for hours (one never sat in the presence of the Queen) waiting for her name to be announced by the Lord Chamberlain. She then walked to where the Queen sat and made a deep curtsy — which had been practiced and practiced while wearing the hooped skirt. A few pleasantries were exchanged, the young woman answering any question the Queen put to her, but no more. When the Queen indicated she was dismissed, the young woman made one more deep curtsey, and then had to walk backwards out of the royal presence (one never turned one’s back on the Queen) all the while dealing with the obstacle of her train so as not to trip over it. Stressful indeed!

Figure 4 – September 1816

Other formal occasions requiring Court Dress were the Drawing Rooms held to commemorate the Queen’s birthday (January) and the King’s birthday (June). These were invitation-only events involving only the highest-ranking members of Society. Unlike the young women being presented at court for the first time, whose dresses were primarily white or pale pastel shades, the ladies of the nobility were allowed more freedom of color in their court costumes. Many of the magazines of the period listed all the important women who attended the Drawing Rooms and described what they wore. For example, in January 1809, the Lady’s Magazine reported that the Countess of Carlisle wore: “A most superb dress of ruby velvet and white satin; the draperies in every part trimmed with a rich imperial gold border, and a profusion of splendid gold tassels, rope, &c.; robe trimmed with point lace. Head-dress, ruby turban, jewels, and feathers.” Figure 2 shows a dress worn by the Marchioness of Townshend at the Queen’s Drawing Room in 1806, and Figure 6 shows what Lady Worsley Holmes wore to the King’s Drawing Room in 1820.

Figure 5 – April 1817

The Queen’s unyielding insistence that women attend court in unfashionable hoops continued even after the King no longer appeared in public, and Drawing Rooms were hosted by the Prince Regent. The ever astute Mrs. Bell (the shameless self-promoter who designed most of the dresses illustrated in La Belle Assemblée ) at last came to the rescue with a more flexible hoop in 1817 (see Figure 5 – click on the image to read more about the new hoop), but it must still have been something of an aggravation to deal with such an unwieldy and heavy costume while standing, never sitting, at court. Such out-of-date dress had long been discarded at the French court, where no hoops were worn, but where long trains, white plumes, and court lappets echoed the English court style. (See Figure 4 .) After the Bourbons reclaimed the French throne upon Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815, fashion magazines in England began to include prints of French court dress.  It is tempting to believe they did so to encourage the Prince Regent to adopt a more current style of court dress by showing the more fashionably attired ladies of the French court. These prints, including the one from   La Belle Assemblée in Figure 4 , were often exact copies of fashion prints that had previously appeared in the popular French publication, Le Journal des Dames et Des Modes.

Figure 6 – July 1820

The Prince, however, did not relax the rules until he came to the throne as George IV in 1820. Finally, ladies could abandon their hoops. (Ironically, they came back into fashion within another 15 years.) The rules regarding white plumes in the hair still held fast (and did so well into the 20th century), and in looking at the fashion prints of the early 1820s, it appears that the extravagance of skirt that was given up with the hoop was transferred to the head. Plumes became ridiculously large and numerous. Figure 6 , which shows one of the first non-hooped Court Dresses from 1820, also exemplifies the new extravagance for plumes. Fortunately, ostrich feathers weigh very little, else the lady would surely have been unable to lift her head.

If it is any consolation to the ladies, the rules of gentlemen’s court dress were much more strict, and became even more so during Victoria’s reign.

For more information on court dress, see these sources:

• Nigel Arch and Joanna Marschner, Court Dress Collection , Kensington Palace, 1984.
• Sharon Laudermilk and Teresa L. Hamlin, The Regency Companion , Garland Publishing, Inc., 1989.
• Philip Mansel, Dressed to Rule , Yale University Press, 2005.
• Kay Standiland, In Royal Fashion , Museum of London, 1997.

 For more information on fashion prints, see these sources:

• Alison Adburgham, Women in Print: Writing Women and Women’s Magazine from the Restoration to the Accession of Victoria , George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1972.
• Irene Dancyger, A World of Women: An Illustrated History of Women’s Magazines 1700-1970 , Gill and Macmillan, 1978.
• Jody Gayle, Fashions in the Era of Jane Austen , Publications of the Past, 2012.
• Madeleine Ginsburg, An Introduction to Fashion Illustration , Victoria & Albert Museum, 1980.
• Vyvyan Holland, Hand Coloured Fashion Plates 1770-1899 , Batsford, 1955.
• Doris Langley Moore, Fashion Through Fashion Plates 1771-1970 , Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1971.
• Sacheverell Sitwell and Doris Langley Moore, Gallery of Fashion 1790-1822 , Batsford, 1949.
• Cynthia L. White, Women’s Magazines 1693-1968 , Michael Joseph, 1970.

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Donna Hatch

Immerse yourself in Historical Romance

During the Regency era, few ladies received an invitation to be presented to the queen.  Such an honor typically belonged only to wives and sometimes daughters of peers, and it was a one-time event.  Oddly enough, the presentation did not occur in the throne room, but in fact, happened in the Queen’s Drawing-room. The event itself came to be known as “the Queen’s Drawing-room.”

During my research, I stumbled upon some fun facts. Today there are three queen’s drawing rooms in Buckingham palace; a blue drawing-room, a white drawing-room, and a red drawing-room. Each is breathtakingly magnificent and still retains the flavor of bygone eras.  Apparently, the blue drawing-room was originally intended to be a ballroom, but another took its place. The blue wallpaper adorning the walls has been in place since the reign of Queen Mary. It was in this room, originally called the South Drawing Room, where ladies were presented to the queen during the Regency.

Keep in mind that I’m a gawky, middle-class American, so I find the pictures of these drawing rooms jaw-dropping and overwhelming. Both times I visited London, Buckingham Palace was closed to visitors, so I have yet to have the honor of viewing them in person, but if I ever did, I’m quite certain it would rob me of all speech.

I devoted a couple of blog posts regarding the details of what a court presentation actually entailed in the Queen’s Drawing-room  here  and  here , but for this post, I’m concentrating on the rooms themselves.

Since I enjoy almost everything more when I share it with someone, I wanted to share a virtual tour of the Queen’s Drawing-rooms, which still retain the grandeur of the  Georgian Era. The virtual tour is, putting it mildly, awesome–not the overused term for anything from “that’s cool” to “that’s great”–but literally, awesome, as in, it inspires awe.

Click here for your virtual tour of the queen’s drawing-room . I hope you enjoy it.

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  the stranger she married  , an excerpt by donna hatch, regency romance author  .

Available on Amazon

Mrs. Hancock beamed as Alicia reached her side, put an arm around Alicia, and brought her into their circle. “Miss Alicia Palmer, allow me to introduce Lord Amesbury.”  

Even more devastating up close, Lord Amesbury turned to her. His piercing blue eyes threatened the strength in her knees. Though taller than most ladies, Alicia still had to look up to meet his gaze. No other color existed in those eyes; no green or gray, only deep, dark blue, like the fathomless depths of the ocean.  

All the other men she had met lately, namely those her uncle insisted she consider for a husband, had taken careful note of her figure. But this gentleman only looked into her eyes. Very deeply.  

Lord Amesbury inclined his head. “Miss Palmer.” His resonant, bass voice touched her very soul.  

Alicia met his frank gaze and a sensation she did not quite understand stirred within her until breathing became a conscious effort. Mrs. Hancock discreetly coughed, and Alicia realized she’d been locked in eye contact with the Viscount much longer than appropriate.  

Unable to pull her eyes away, Alicia sank into a curtsey. “My lord.”  

No longer merely polite, his smile broadened, warmed, transforming an already handsome face into a perfectly stunning visage. Sensuality radiated off him, not in a manner that left her feeling threatened, but in a way that left her breathless for more. More of what, she did not know. But she wanted to find out.  

“Miss Palmer,” Lord Amesbury said, “May I have the next dance?”  

Alicia blinked. She looked back at Elizabeth who smiled encouragingly. Mrs. Hancock also smiled and nodded, but a touch of disappointment tainted her approval, reminding Alicia the dear lady had hoped her own daughter would attract the attention of the very eligible Lord Amesbury. That he’d singled out Alicia seemed a dream.  

She squelched all hope that she might hold his interest. Surely only politeness motivated him to dance with the plainest girl first. He’d soon turn his attention to the beautiful ladies.  

Finding her voice, Alicia replied, “I would be delighted, my lord.”  

As the final notes of the current dance ended and the next began, Lord Amesbury offered his arm. She took it, an unfamiliar quiver beginning in her stomach. The art of dancing, she found as the set began, had not abandoned her as completely as her wits. The handsome viscount danced with athletic grace, his attention focused upon her. The warmth of his hand seeped through their kidskin gloves. He held her gently, firmly.  

A playful glint touched his sapphire eyes. “I must warn you. Now that we’ve danced, my aunt will take it upon herself to ask you your opinion of me. She will most certainly interrogate me regarding you.”  

She met those probing eyes and her mouth curved. “Oh? Has your aunt become your self-proclaimed matchmaker?”  

A wry smile touched his lips. “Of course. I’m thirty and not yet married. She feels it her duty to ensure I produce an heir before I’m too old. Despite my efforts to delay that obligation, she persists.”  

Alicia nodded, her smile deepening at his indelicate statement. “That is a dilemma.”  

“Since you and I have only just met, it will be difficult to offer a fair assessment of your character. And if I say anything positive about you, she’ll plan the wedding.” His smile brightened, lighting up his stunning face.  

Alicia missed her step. Even while dancing with the very handsome Duke of Suttenberg two Seasons ago, such a keen attraction for a man had never overcome her as it did tonight. Yet she was nearly twenty, for heaven’s sake, not a missish schoolgirl!  

“Your aunt is a strong woman and a kind lady, my lord. I am sure you can reason with her.”  

“I suppose she possesses a good heart deep, deep down inside, but be truthful; she’s sharp-tongued and outspoken.”  

She laughed and then clapped her hand over her mouth. “My lord! She might hear you.”  

He chuckled. “Fear not. We needle each other as frequently as possible. I say worse things to her face. I enjoy watching her squirm and plot a counter- attack.”  

That reminded her of the playful banter she shared with her cousin Robert. “I don’t recall her ever mentioning you, my lord.”  

His smile turned self-deprecating. “I’m one of those relations no one mentions.”  

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Wednesday 27 october 2021, drawing room presentations - a regency history guide.

Just after two o’clock, the centre door was thrown open and Her Majesty Queen Charlotte entered, followed by the princesses and a whole bevy of servants. Although the Queen looked magnificent in dark green velvet and gold embroidery, Castleford could not help thinking, with an inner chuckle, that the Duchess of Wessex looked more regal. 1

Was it just young ladies who were presented?

A common misconception is that only young ladies coming out into society for the first time were presented to the Queen. Both men and women were presented at court, at different times, for different reasons.

Lamb wrote in A book explaining the ranks and dignities of British Society (1809):

People are presented on different occasions: on first coming into the world, (which young ladies usually do about seventeen or eighteen); on their marriage, or any change of name; on going abroad, or to Ireland; or to an appointment to any situation about their majesties or the royal family. Gentlemen are also presented on obtaining a commission in the army; promotion in the army or navy; a place under government; or any high situation in the church or law. 2

A newspaper report of the Queen’s Drawing room held on 8 March 1810 stated:

Yesterday her Majesty held a Drawing-room, at which the following were presented: Lady George Beresford, by the Countess of Arran. Miss Harriet Thornton, by her mother, Mrs S Thornton. Lady Charlotte Graham, by her mother, the Duchess of Montrose. Mr Roust Broughton, on his coming of age, by his father. Lady Mary Sackville, by her mother, the Duchess of Dorset. The two Misses Wellesley Pole, by their mother, Mrs W Pole. Mr Villiers, upon his return from Portugal. Mr Yorke, upon his being appointed a Teller of the Exchequer. Major-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, on his return from Portugal, and on coming to his title. 3

Presentation of gentlemen

Gentlemen are all presented first to his majesty at the levee, and to her majesty at the following drawing room: they are generally presented by their nearest relation, who gives a card with their name, and the occasion of their being presented written upon it, to the lord of the bed-chamber in waiting. He names them to the king when they get up to him in the circle, on which they kneel down on one knee and kiss his hand. To her majesty, the ceremony for gentlemen is the same, only that the card is given to her lord chamberlain. 4

Presentation of ladies

Lamb wrote:

Ladies were presented to the king at the same drawing-room, but before they were presented to her majesty; but since the king has gone so much seldomer to court, they have been presented first to the queen at a common drawing-room, and to the king at the birth-day following; and those invited by her majesty to the entertainments at Windsor, have been presented to his majesty there: in that case, they are not in court dresses, but the ceremony is the same. On their being named to the king, by the lord of the bed-chamber, they make a low courtesy, and he salutes them; but their right-hand glove should be off, as if they intended to take his hand to kiss. To her majesty, the ceremony of presentation for ladies is different according to their rank: all under the rank of right honourable kiss the queen’s hand, making so low a courtesy as to have almost the appearance of kneeling; she salutes those who have that rank, though they equally have their glove off. 5

What did gentlemen wear to court?

The court dress for gentlemen is what is commonly called a full dressed coat, without collar or lappels, made of silk, velvet, or cloth, and often richly embroidered in gold, silver, or coloured silks. Any naval or military uniform is reckoned a full dress, though many regimentals have, properly speaking, no full dressed uniform; those that have, cannot appear at court in the undressed uniform. People are allowed to go to court in private mourning, except on the birth-days. Their uniforms, with a piece of black crape tied round the arm, are reckoned sufficient for officers in the deepest mourning. Gentlemen not in uniform, wear what are called weepers in deep mourning, which are merely cambric cuffs, with broad hems turned back upon the sleeves. 6

What did ladies wear to court?

The court-dress for ladies is now distinguished only by the hoop, lappets, and full ruffles; for the mantua is now made exactly like any other open gown, and differently in shape before, according to the fashion of the year: the petticoat also is plain or trimmed, according to the fancy of the wearer. The most general form is the one followed in the plate; of late, it has been more the fashion to have the petticoat, both the drapery and the under part, of the same colour as the gown; but a coloured drapery over a white petticoat prevailed for many years, and the drapery was even often of a different colour from the gown. Velvet, sattin, silk, crape, and gause, are the only materials allowed for ladies’ court dresses; the lappets are sometimes of black lace, but oftener the same as the ruffles of fine lace or blonde. Court dresses are trimmed, and often embroidered with gold and silver; and artificial flowers are much used in ornamenting the petticoat. Feathers are not reckoned a necessary part of a court dress; but young ladies very seldom go without them, and they are supposed to be under dressed if they do. In deep mourning, ladies wear a black hood, put on as it is represented in the plate. Court mournings are worn by every body, according to the degree of relationship in which the person mourned for stood to his majesty. 7

La Belle Assemblée recorded the dresses worn by two young ladies being presented at the Queen’s birthday drawing room in January 1810:

Two Miss Ruffos – Presented by their mother, the Princess Castelcicala, wore white crape dresses, elegantly trimmed with white satin ribbon and bunches of pink roses; robes, white satin, trimmed to correspond with the dresses. 8

Lots of others are described in the same report. I thought the Duchess Dowager of Leeds’s outfit sounded particularly impressive:

A superb petticoat of white crape richly embroidered in real silver, with a border embroidered on crimson velvet, in a style perfectly unique, and beautiful, draperies richly embroidered and tastefully festooned with bunches of silver laurel and brilliant tassels; body and train of crimson velvet trimmed with silver point; head-dress, Caledonian cap of crimson velvet, diamonds, and ostrich feathers. 9

What happens at a drawing room?

The drawing-room generally begins about two o’clock, when their majesties come in; the king first, preceded and followed by his attendants; and the queen, led by her lord chamberlain, (or vice-chamberlain in his absence); her train led by a page of honour, and followed by the princesses, each led by one of her majesties gentleman ushers, or equerries: the ladies of the bed-chamber in waiting to the queen and princesses follow; then the maids of honour; and last, the bed-chamber woman in waiting on the queen. On birth-days, the mistress of the robes, all the ladies of the bed-chamber, and the bed-chamber women, follow in the train, those in waiting going first; the mistress of the robes usually takes her waiting on the birth-days, as the groom of the stole does his upon his majesty. At the entrance of the drawing-room, the page resigns the queen’s train to the lady of the bed-chamber, who hangs it over her arm, and keeps it there during the whole of the drawing-room; of course, she must then follow before the princesses. The queen courteseys to the king on entering the drawing room, which she then goes round to the left, while he is doing so to the right; and their majesties speak to every person as they get up to them. The page, gentleman usher, and bed-chamber women, do not follow the queen into the inner drawing-room, nor the ladies of the bed-chamber not in waiting; and the maids of honour do not go round it with her, but stand altogether at one end till the drawing-room is over, when they follow her out, and fall into the train in their places in the outward drawing-room. Their majesties come and go through the levee-rooms. Since there have been drawing-rooms so much seldomer, (only on every other Thursday) and that, of course, they have been more crouded, their majesties, instead of going round the room, have stood each with their back to a table between the windows, and the company have gone up to them. Any of the royal family coming to court, go in at the middle door, the company at one of the two side doors; and since their majesties have stood still, they should go in at the door next the windows, and out at the other. 10

This seems to agree with the account of the Queen’s birthday drawing room on Thursday 18 January 1810 as reported in the Gentleman’s Magazine :

This day being appointed for keeping the birthday of her Majesty, soon after nine, their Majesties, the Princesses, the Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, Cumberland, Cambridge, Sussex, and Gloucester, and Princess Charlotte of Wales, breakfasted together at the Queen's Palace. At half past twelve, her Majesty, attended by the Princesses, proceeded to the Duke of Cumberland’s apartments in St James's Palace, to dress. The Royal Party then proceeded to the Grand Council Chamber, conducted by the Earl of Morton and Col Desbrow. Her Majesty’s approach being announced, the centre door was thrown open; her Majesty entered about ten minutes past two o’clock, and took her station between the second and third window, leaning against a marble slab table. Her Majesty, as usual, it being the celebration of her own birthday, was dressed very plain. The Princesses arranged themselves on her Majesty's left hand, according to their ages. Their attendants stood nearly under the throne. The Royal Dukes stood near their Royal Sisters—Her Majesty having taken her station to receive the congratulations of the company and the presentations, the Lord Chamberlain waved his wand to Sir W Parsons, who was attending in an anti-room behind the throne, with his Majesty's band, to perform the Ode for the New Year. The presentations were very numerous; and the illuminations in the evening very general. 11

How to conduct yourself in the presence of royalty

Fanny Burney recorded in her diary:

Not even the Princesses, ever speak in the presence of the King and Queen, but to answer what is immediately said by themselves. There are, indeed, occasions in which this is set aside, from particular encouragement given at the moment; but it is not less a rule, and it is one very rarely infringed. 12

However, Fanny’s friend, Mrs Delany told her:

When the queen or the king speak to you, not to answer with mere monosyllables. The queen often complains to me of the difficulty with which she can get any conversation as she not only always has to start the subjects, but, commonly, entirely to support them: and she says there is nothing she so much loves as conversation, and nothing she finds so hard to get. 13

No coughing, sneezing or fidgeting whilst in the presence of their Majesties was allowed. Fanny wrote:

In the first place, you must not cough. If you find a cough tickling in your throat you must arrest it from making any sound; if you find yourself choking with the forbearance, you must choke – but not cough. In the second place, you must not sneeze. If you have a vehement cold, you must take no notice of it; if your nose membranes feel a great irritation, you must hold your breath; if a sneeze still insists upon making its way, you must oppose it, by keeping your teeth grinding together; if the violence of the repulse breaks some blood-vessel, you must break the blood-vessel – but not sneeze. In the third place, you must not, upon any account, stir either hand or foot. If, by chance, a black pin runs into your head, you must not take it out. If the pain is very great, you must be sure to bear it without wincing; if it brings the tears into your eyes, you must not wipe them off; if they give you a tingling by running down your cheeks, you must look as if nothing was the matter. 14

Public viewing

Apparently, it was possible to watch the drawing room from a viewing gallery:

There are three rooms in which those desirous of seeing the company go to court may stand, by obtaining tickets from the lord chamberlain: the guard-chamber, the royal presence-chamber, and the privy-chamber; in the last only, they also see the king, queen, and royal family pass, as it is between the levee-rooms and the outer drawing-room. 15

If you have enjoyed this blog and want to encourage me and help me to keep making my research freely available, please buy me a virtual cup of coffee by clicking the button below.

• Rachel Knowles,  A Reason for Romance (2021).
• Lamb, Charles, A book explaining the ranks and dignities of British Society (1809).
• The Times online archive, 9 March 1810.
• Lamb op cit.
• La Belle Assemblée (January 1810).
• Gentleman’s Magazine (January 1810).
• Burney, Fanny, Diary and letters of Madame D'Arblay , edited by her niece, Charlotte Barrett Volume III (1842).

Sources used include: 

Burney, Fanny, Diary and letters of Madame D'Arblay , edited by her niece, Charlotte Barrett Volume III (1842) 

Gentleman’s Magazine (1810) Lamb, Charles, A book explaining the ranks and dignities of British Society (1809) 

La Belle Assemblée (January 1810)

The Times online archive

4 comments:

What was the difference between these drawing room presentations and Queen Charlotte's ball? I was under the impression that Queen Charlotte's ball was where debutatnes were first introduced to the Queen.

Ladies were presented to the Queen at drawing rooms as I've described above. These were often mentioned in the newspapers and magazines. These were court affairs with lots of standing around whereas a ball would involve dancing. I guess ladies might be re-introduced to the Queen at such an event, but this would not have been their presentation. I don't think ladies could dance in their court dresses!

What was the order in which the young ladies were presented? I read somewhere that it’s in order of rank, but is it ascending or descending order? Great write-up, btw. Very informative.

Still working on this. The reports of presentations that I've looked at so far don't seem to suggest any particular order.

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Miles Bridges Speaks on Future with Hornets

The veteran forward intends to stay in the Queen City.

• Author: Schuyler Callihan

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After missing the entire 2022-23 season, many were curious if Miles Bridges would ever be the same player again. It didn’t take long for him to prove that he could not only be productive, but be the leader a young team ravaged by injuries needed to keep things together throughout the course of a long 82-game season.

When asked what he felt he proved this year he replied, “That I could still play basketball. Not too many people can be out of the league for a year and come back and average the same numbers that they did.”

Bridges played at a high level consistently, but maybe the most surprising stat is that he finished fourth in the NBA in minutes played (37.4). Pretty impressive for someone who went an entire season without playing. 

Now, the focus shifts to getting a new contract worked out. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but remains committed to being a part of what the Hornets are trying to build.

“It’s still the same,” Bridges responded when asked about his upcoming free agency. “I would love to be here. It’s my plan to be here. I love the city of Charlotte. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I grew up here. I’ve been here since I was 20. I’ve been through a lot here and the Hornets stayed down on me when they didn’t have to. It’s like a family to me here. My mom loves it here, my family loves it here. It’s home to me.

“You don’t see too many people finishing their careers (where they started). Steph (Curry) he’s kind of been that model player for this generation. A lot of people be moving teams and moving around. I don’t want to do that. I want to be like Step, Kobe, and Dirk in that type of way - staying with a team and winning with a team.”

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Bank of America Reports First-Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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Charlotte Flair and 4 other WWE Superstars who should be 2024 Queen of the Ring

I n 1985 WWE established the original King of the Ring Tournament, with the first person to be crowned being Hall of Famer Don Muraco. Fans loved this concept and its popularity led to an annual pay-per-view being held for its namesake.

Throughout the years, many iconic superstars have won King of the Ring, such as Macho Man Randy Savage and Harley Race. The last person to be crowned as King was Xavier Woods in 2021.

While fans are still celebrating Cody Rhodes and his victory over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, the company recently dropped some other big news.

During 'Mania Weekend, company officials revealed that they are bringing back a King of the Ring-themed event in May. The newly restructured event will also feature a Queen of the Ring as well.

Here is our list of five WWE Superstars who should be the 2024 Queen of the Ring.

#5. 2017 Miss Money in the Bank Carmella

Before signing with in 2013, Carmella was a pro cheerleader. She had stints in the NFL and NBA. Mella has a long history of being an elite athlete, way before ever jumping into the squared circle.

After signing in 2013 Carmella worked on the NXT roster and eventually aligned herself with the fan-favorite duo of Enzo and Big Cass. As a group, they made the jump to the main roster and the WWE Universe fell in love with them.

Carmella began competing against some of the best female stars in the company en route to winning the SmackDown Women's Title in 2016. Mella has not seen much action lately as she's been focused on taking care of her newborn whom she welcomed into the world last November.

#4. 2021 WWE Queens Crown Winner Zelina Vega

There is one person on our list who has had moments of royalty as a WWE Superstar and that is Zelina Vega. In 2021, Vega captured the inaugural Queen's Crown after defeating Doudrop at the Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Zelina has had other moments of greatness, one being a Women's Tag Title run with Carmella.

Before signing with the company in 2017, Zelina was a great Luchador in Mexico with CMLL as "Rosita." She also enjoyed success with TNA as well. It's worth noting that Vega has a strong social media presence, often streaming on Twitch and she uploads content to YouTube, with her husband, AEW star Malakai Black.

#3. Valhalla

If you were a fan of the independent scene in the mid-2000s, you probably remember a young star who wrestled under the alias "Crazy Mary." She was a regular on JCW, ICW, and ROH to name a few.

As Crazy Mary, she often competed in intergender matches and mixed-tag bouts. Eventually, the wrestling world, including WWE, began to notice something special about this young lady.

The WWE Universe was officially introduced to "Sarah Logan" in 2017. While she started her journey with NXT, it wouldn't take long before The Riott Squad was established and Sarah became the muscle behind this women's faction.

During her career in the Stamford-based company, Sarah began a relationship with fellow WWE Superstar Erik of The Viking Raiders. The couple married in 2018 and welcomed their firstborn in 2021.

Valhalla is currently not featured in any storyline or competing on weekly television and winning Queen of the Ring could give her a new direction in the company and could lead up to her winning the Women's World Championship now that Rhea Ripley has vacated her title.

#2. Former AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill

Every once in a while someone comes along in the professional wrestling world who simply stands apart from the rest. Jade Cargill is that someone. She has the presence, the attitude, and a physique that should be studied for science. Needless to say, Jade has the total package.

At WrestleMania 40, fans witnessed Cargill's first of what should be many 'Mania moments. Alongside Naomi and Bianca Belair, Jade defeated Damage CTRL in a rare Six-Woman Tag Team Match. While it was a great moment for the former TBS Champion and crew, her path to superstardom wasn't too easy.

Before signing with WWE, Jade spent some time with AEW and became the company's first TBS Champion. While she had an incredible run of over 500 days, many feel she still wasn't given the chance to display her full potential. Hopefully, her time with WWE will include a better opportunity to showcase her skills .

#1. 14-time WWE Women's Champion Charlotte Flair

When it comes to wrestling royalty, very few names are comparable to the Flair legacy.

The Nature Boy Ric Flair set the standard that is still, to this day, unobtainable by most mortal Superstars and while his days in the spotlight are behind us, he left behind a "Queen," in her own right, Charlotte Flair.

When Charlotte came onto the scene, she was one of several ladies from NXT and the main roster who began what Stephanie McMahon declared the Women's Revolution.

Since then, Charlotte has become arguably, the best women's star in the world. She is currently recovering from an injury she sustained late last year and from recent reports, she appears to be ahead of schedule in her rehab. The King and Queen of the Ring event would be the ideal platform for The Queen to kick off her triumphant return.