Book Review: Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes

‘Queen Charlotte’ is a novel set in the ‘Bridgerton’ universe, following the life of King George III and his wife, Queen Charlotte. The book was released in 2023 in the wake of the successful spin-off season of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’, with the same name.

King George III was a monarch I was vaguely familiar with, before starting the book. As a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton: An American Musical’. I, therefore knew a handful of things about him before starting the book. In ‘Hamilton’, King George is shown to be a merciless ruler, who, while he was in power, managed to lose both the American colonies and the French to war and revolution. The musical also posed the idea that having lost the war for independence in America, George was still perplexed and fascinated by how his people would rule in the monarchy’s absence, with a sense of superiority and self-assuredness that the American colony would come running back with its theoretical tail between its legs, begging to be subjugated by the monarchy. Due to ‘Hamilton’ blending fact and fiction to tell an interesting, evocative story, I was mindful that this might not all be the case in Quinn and Rhimes’ depiction of King George. But, before starting the book, I was grateful for a vague timeline of the American revolution in mind, lest it be important for Quinn and Rhimes’ depiction of the couple.

I reviewed the ‘Bridgerton’ series in November 2023, where I praised Quinn’s storytelling, and sense of humour. This book was no different. Alongside powerful, emotional moments, depicting Charlotte and George in their most vulnerable states, the book had a lot of sweet moments of tenderness. It is clear from the beginning of the novel that Charlotte and George were not paired together in a love-match to begin with, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t fall in love during their marriage.

I liked reading ‘Queen Charlotte’, but for completely different reasons from which I enjoyed Quinn’s ‘Bridgerton’ novels. While those books were primarily love stories, told in that perfect romantic tunnel-vision, where being swept away in a whirlwind romance was all that seemed to occupy the character’s minds, ‘Queen Charlotte’ is much more.

I loved how political ‘Queen Charlotte’ was, on both an upfront reference to Britain’s racism but also in the pressures of being a monarch. The way the dowager princess, Augusta was so forceful in ensuring that George and Charlotte had connsumated their marriage and were attempting to conceive an heir, and looms over Charlotte like a bad omen was incredibly interesting, and it makes you wonder about the current monarchy and the pressures that may still remain for the current royal children.

As a fan of one Agatha Danbury, I was elated to hear about how she became the wisened old widow that I know and loved in the ‘Bridgerton’ series. Furthermore, I enjoyed the insight into how the old ton and new ton interacted, and subsequently merged. Throughout, we hear names fans of Quinn’s original series would be familiar with, such as the Bassets, AKA Simon’s relatives, or the Smythe-Smiths, who host that dreadful musicale. I also loved the nod to how Lady Danbury hosts the first ball of the Season, something Simon acknowledged as a fact in ‘The Duke and I’. The intertextual references were very fun to uncover as I was reading.

If you are going into ‘Queen Charlotte’ expecting the steamy romance you got from books like ‘When He Was Wicked’, you will likely be disappointed. Together Quinn and Rhimes have made something incredibly nuanced and rich to read. But, if you go in with the hopes of seeing the wider world of the ton, you will have wide platter of things to uncover. Glimpses into the torture that early psychiatrists inflicted on their patients, for example, was rather distressing to read.

I enjoyed ‘Queen Charlotte’. I would have loved for it to be longer, offer more insight into the friction in their relationship, as I know the Netflix series has offered nods to George’s illness, and the toll it took on Charlotte. But, I’m a glutton for characters suffering hardship and coming together stronger and united, with a sense of understanding far greater than they had before. It was a good read, nonetheless.