Written by Safeeyah Kazi, Collider
Nothing quite distinguishes a period drama from other shows like a reel of impeccable wardrobe choices. Beyond glorious gowns and regal robes, they often tell a story of class, wealth, status and value all in their own way. In fact, this was something that was heavily praised about Shonda Rhimes' book-to-series imagining of the Bridgerton universe. This is set to become even more prevalent in the latest extension of the Bridgerton-verse through prequel tale Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, according to show star India Amarteifio.
The actress, who plays the young version of the monarch in the new series, opened up about the special hidden details incorporated into Queen Charlotte's wardrobe with choices even being centered around the internal mood of her character. “Lyn Paolo created the costumes and they’re incredible," she told British Vogue. "I know a lot of Bridgerton fans are eagle-eyed about characters wearing different colors and how that reflects their emotions, and we considered that for Queen Charlotte too. Charlotte is really fun to play because she’s quite expressive – she’ll say what’s on her mind, but she’ll also show you. The details are amazing as well." Perhaps even more significantly, the wardrobe also intertwines the special relationships in the monarch's life. "For instance, King George was really interested in astronomy and, as the series progresses, you can spot little stars and astrological signs in Charlotte’s looks," the actress added. "It’s a visual representation of her connection to him, and those motifs are often literally close to her heart. I thought that was beautiful.”
Details - both big and small - are widely considered a core aspect of romance arcs and even more so in the wondrous regency era where a mere look is enough to send a person into a bane-of-my-existence type frenzy. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is no exception with the story set to chronicle Charlotte's rise to power and her stunning - but rocky - romance with King George (Corey Mylchreet). As if going into a ruling family itself wasn't a big enough ordeal, Charlotte is also set to face a reel of obstacles including a societal shift in the ton upon her marriage to George, painful secrecy and the reality of what it means to command power and bring about change.
As tidbits of information are shared about the show, it's becoming more apparent that there are countless layers to Charlotte's complex character. As well as her immense strength and vigor, which audiences have witnessed in the main series, there also seems to be this guarded person who has been through a lot. On this note, star Amarteifio said her counterpart's emotional scenes were amongst the most difficult to film as she was able to really feel the depth of Charlotte's struggles. "I’m quite an empathetic person and there are a lot of scenes where Charlotte is really distraught, and with good reason," she explained. "Having to access that was difficult."
Alongside Queen Charlotte's release on Netflix, the royal drama is also being released as a book which was created by Rhimes and Bridgerton author Julia Quinn. As is often the best part about novels, the story is set to explore Charlotte's story in glittering detail with a newly teased excerpt giving some early insight into young Princess Charlotte's personality, all of which later go on to make her a great ruler.
