Dear beloved readers, here the male version and cheapo of Lady Whistledown, who writes to you from a modest small townhouse in Rosemont and invites you to a brand new season of rustling balls and royal trickery among English aristocrats at the end of the 18th centurye century.
Make an appointment with the milliner. Tighten your corsets. Stronger, let’s see. Rehearse your pianoforte pieces. And, please, sharpen your embroidery skills, poor commoners!
Because we are once again entering the opulent and worldly universe of the Bridgerton clan, but through a new door, that of Queen Charlotte, the first black sovereign of the British Empire and one of the instigators of racial diversity within this patriarchal society. ultra-rigid. He Ho ! This is an uchronic fiction slightly tinged with reality, so don’t climb into the heavy velvet curtains, which cost a fortune.
Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) appeared often in the first two seasons of The Bridgerton Chronicle with her sculptural hairstyle a la Marge Simpson. The ante-episode Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Chapteronline for a week on Netflix, jumps back a few decades and shows us the rise to the throne of a feisty, hot-headed and determined 17-year-old.
Honestly, I preferred Queen Charlotte to the two official chapters of The Bridgerton Chronicle, which stem from the literary saga of Julia Quinn. It’s less Harlequin, more contemporary, with a stronger political and feminist purpose, not at all boring.
Of course, Queen Charlotte steeped in the flamboyant frivolity and outrageous intrigue of The Bridgerton Chronicle, but draws on deeper and more complex issues like women’s sexuality and colorism. All these layers form a cake that is as nutritious as it is deliciously sweet.
The Netflix miniseries kicks off around 1761, when 17-year-old Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz leaves her native Germany and lands in London to marry King George III (Corey Mylchreest), a complete stranger to the teenager. But now, Charlotte (India Amarteifio) is black – surprise! – and the court has no subjects of color. Princess Dowager Augusta (Michelle Fairley, gorgeous Lady Stark in Game Of Thrones), who orchestrated this arranged marriage, is implementing what she calls her “great experiment”.
The crown then distributes a slew of titles of nobility to non-white citizens. This is how the formidable Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), the eccentric lady in the top hat, climbs the social ladder. And that explains the inclusiveness and diversity portrayed in The Bridgerton Chronicle.
Back at the palace, the fresh union between Charlotte and George starts very badly. George refuses to live with Charlotte and rejects her sexual advances. Princess Dowager Augusta, still without an heir, grows impatient and keeps up the pressure: sleep together, she implores them, using a more elegant vocabulary, of course.
George does not give in and even leaves Buckingham to take refuge in his cursed observatory, from where he scans the starry sky, between two gardening sessions.
Square-jawed, developed intellect, worked muscles and rich to bursting, George ticks all the boxes of the ideal husband. However, he hides a secret, which distances him from his wife. Which ? The first two episodes revolve around this mystery, which is not a huge one, let’s face it.
PHOTO FROM IMDB SITE
The role of King George III is played by Corey Mylchreest.
The fourth episode revisits the young romance between George and Charlotte by changing perspective and it is extremely well done. Another strong point: the miniseries further explores the friendship that unites three influential women of the time, namely Queen Charlotte, her confidante Lady Danbury and their friend Viscountess Violet Bridgerton, one of my favorite characters from the series. What a refined and friendly lady.
In the fifth episode, the secrets between the two widows, Lady Danbury and Viscountess Bridgerton, about their sex life – or their lack of sex life – are both earthy and modern. They also reveal an alluring gossip, which would thrill the sharp pen of Lady Whistledown (still the voice of Julie Andrews, in the original version).
In the manner of The Crown, Queen Charlotte explores the weight of responsibility and the sense of duty incumbent on the members of this golden clan. All against the backdrop of Halo by Beyoncé, covered by a chamber orchestra.
You can view Queen Charlottewhich has been a hit since its release, without having devoured the two seasons of The Bridgerton Chronicle. You’ll miss a few references and nods, but nothing crucial to the overall understanding of the story.
Visually, the episodes remain spectacular with their buffet of cake dresses and their rococo decor to the max. This abundance of expensive fabrics does not prevent the characters, including two from the LGBTQ+ community, from addressing themes of loneliness, feminine desire and emancipation.
To paraphrase Lady Whistledown, a mentor of juicy news, there’s a new diamond this season and it shines in all its facets, serious and trivial.