Was Queen Charlotte black? Netflix’s Bridgerton star insists she ‘was a woman of colour’ | –

For generations, historians and genealogists have debated an unusual question in British royal history: Could Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of King George III, be of African descent? This debate, previously largely confined to academic circles, has resurfaced in popular culture with the Netflix drama “Bridgerton,” whose reimagining of the royal court places Charlotte at its center as a black queen.

But the idea did not originate with the series. It is based on an old historical argument that has been in circulation for decades, has intrigued some scholars, been rejected by others, and remains unresolved.

A modern TV drama that revives an ancient historical argument

The final spark came during a panel discussion at SCAD TV Fest, where Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the Netflix regency-era drama, appeared alongside Golda Rosheuvel, the actress who plays Queen Charlotte.

Speaking about the series’ depiction of a black queen in Georgian Britain, Andoh insisted that the idea was rooted in historical claims and not just a creative choice, telling the audience that Queen Charlotte “was a woman of colour.

” “Queen Charlotte was not portrayed as a woman of colour; she was a woman of colour. You just have to do your historical research.” She said.She also pointed to descriptions that she said appeared in historical accounts of the young queen’s arrival at the English court.

“They complained when she came to the English court. They complained about her ugly, thick lips, her ugly, broad nose, and her mulatto skin, and they powdered her when they painted her.”Adjoa Andoh argues that casting has importance beyond the series. Although Bridgerton is fictional, she suggests that it allows the audience to imagine history in new ways.“What you’re seeing is a version of history that’s a more realistic version of history, even though it’s fictional, not a documentary, and it gives us a chance to play these stature characters, and it gives the audience…an opportunity for us to see ourselves in historical drama in a different way.”Her comments brought renewed attention to the long-running debate over the real Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the German-born princess who became queen of Great Britain and Ireland after marrying King George III in the 18th century.

The debate was already circulating before Bridgerton

The theory itself predates the TV series. Long before Bridgerton was introduced into mainstream popular culture, some historians and genealogists had already speculated about Queen Charlotte’s possible African ancestry. The discussion resurfaced in 2023, when Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes addressed the idea while speaking about the Netflix prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Rhimes said she found the reaction to the possibility itself revealing. She told the audience that some historians had raised questions about the queen’s ancestry after the show portrayed her as black, adding that she was curious to what extent some people rejected that idea. “I found it very interesting how hard people work to make sure it can’t be brown.” Rhimes then posed a broader question to the audience: “Why does it matter? Think about it.”

Who is the real Queen Charlotte?

The historic Charlotte was born in 1744 in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a small German duchy located in what is now northern Germany.

Her upbringing was largely ordinary by royal standards. The area was considered relatively small among the aristocratic states of Europe. Her life changed suddenly in 1760, when the young George III became king after the death of his grandfather, George II. The new king was in desperate need of a Protestant wife to produce an heir. Charlotte was chosen partly because she did not have strong political alliances that might complicate British diplomacy.

As one account notes, the advisors believed that she “would have no idea of ​​interfering in public affairs.”

The match was quickly arranged. Charlotte arrived in Britain in 1761, having never met George and speaking no English. The couple married just hours after her arrival in London, and she became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland on the same day. The marriage lasted for decades, and Charlotte eventually had 15 children.

Despite her royal status, contemporary descriptions of Charlotte’s appearance were often unflattering. In the opening of Charles Dickens’ novel A tale of two citiesShe was simply dismissed as a “queen with a plain face.” Historian John H. Plumb later described it as “ordinary and undesirable.” Baron Christian Friedrich Stockmar, a physician who later served the royal family, even referred to the elderly queen as “little and crooked, with a real mulatto face.” It is statements such as these that fueled subsequent speculation about her ancestry.

Where does the theory of African descent come from?

Modern discussion is largely due to the work of Mario de Valdés y Cocom, a historian and genealogist specializing in the African diaspora. In a 1997 PBS Frontline documentary, Valdés argued that Queen Charlotte may have had African ancestry through a distant Portuguese lineage. According to his research, Charlotte is descended from Margarita de Castro e Sousa, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman whose family tree goes back to King Alfonso III of Portugal and his mistress Madragana. Madragana is sometimes described in historical sources as a Moor, a term used in medieval Europe for Muslim peoples from North Africa who ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula for centuries. The Moors, a mix of Berber and Muslim Arab populations, had conquered large parts of modern-day Spain and Portugal in 711 AD, and ruled parts of the region for nearly 800 years before the final Christian invasions in 1492. Valdés argued that this lineage meant that Charlotte inherited African ancestry through a line of descendants extending over the centuries. It has also been suggested that Charlotte’s origin can be traced back through Inés de Valladares, wife of Martim Afonso Chicoro, illegitimate son of Alfonso III and Madragana. Through these genealogical links, Valdés claimed that the Queen possessed “African-Islamic ancestry.” According to his calculations, there are hundreds of lines of descent linking Charlotte to this noble Portuguese family.

Selfies and controversy over appearance

Supporters of the theory often point to portraits of the Queen painted by Sir Alan Ramsay, the Scottish artist who produced many official royal portraits during the reign of George III. Valdés argued that Ramsay’s paintings emphasize what he described as “clearly African” features. books: “Artists of the period were expected to reduce, soften or even obscure undesirable features of a person’s face. But Sir Alan Ramsay was the artist responsible for the majority of the Queen’s paintings, and his representations of her were certainly the most African of all her portraits.” Some historians have also speculated that Ramsay’s anti-slavery sympathies may have influenced the way he depicted the queen.

It was Ramsay Related by marriage to Lord Mansfield, the British judge whose 1772 ruling in the Somerset Case was a landmark decision against slavery in England. The Mansfield household also included Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race relative whose life has been extensively studied by historians.

Because of these social connections, some scholars suggest that Ramsay may have been sympathetic to emphasizing any African ancestry.One of the more curious references often cited in discussions of Charlotte’s appearance comes from a poem written on the occasion of her marriage to King George III and the coronation celebrations that followed. The verses, composed as part of the celebrations surrounding the royal union, have sometimes been interpreted by contemporary commentators as containing references to southern or African images.Descended from the warrior Vandal race,She still keeps this title on her face.Their victories shone on the plain of Numidia,The Aleutian fields retain their name;But they subjugated the southern world with weapons,And she still triumphs with her victorious magic,Hey! Born to rule, – to his victorious browThe greatest king in the north must bow.Some contemporary commentators have read Boswell’s references to the “Plain of Numidia” and the idea of ​​the Queen of the South as a reference to Africa or to the biblical figure of the Queen of Sheba, although interpretations of the poem have varied and historians have cautioned against reading too much into the poetic language written for the ceremonial celebration.

Why are many historians still skeptical?

Despite the interesting genealogy, most mainstream historians remain cautious. One reason is the enormous distance between Charlotte and the ancestor identified in the theory.

If the link goes through a 13th-century Madragana, it places the presumed African ancestor roughly 500 years earlier, or about 15 generations, before Charlotte’s birth. Critics argue that even if Madragana were of African origin, the genetic contribution after many generations would be very small. Another complication lies in the meaning of the word “Moor”. In medieval Europe, it could broadly refer to Muslim populations from North Africa or Iberia, many of whom were Berbers or Arabs, not necessarily from sub-Saharan Africa. Art historians have also questioned whether Charlotte’s portraits actually display African features. Desmond Shaw Taylor, curator of the royal collection, said he examined the paintings closely without seeing such characteristics. “I look at her a lot and it never occurred to me that she had African features of any kind.” Shawe Taylor added that the caricatures of Charlotte held at the British Museum do not depict her as African either, something critics of the theory say would likely have happened had these features been more widely recognized at the time.

A debate that may never be settled

The question of Charlotte’s origin ultimately remains unresolved. Physical evidence is limited, and interpretations of images and genealogy vary widely among scholars. But the debate continues to fascinate historians, partly because of its broader implications. Historian Kate Williams has noted that if Charlotte were considered to be of African descent, even if distant, the genealogical consequences would be notable. “If we classify Charlotte as black, that means it Queen Victoria And our entire royal family, [down] to Prince HarryThey are also black…which is a very interesting concept. For now, the theory lies somewhere between genealogy, interpretation and cultural debate, a historical mystery brought to life by a TV series but rooted in questions historians have been exploring for years.As Julie Andrews, who voices unseen narrator Lady Whistledown, reminds viewers at the beginning of Bridgerton: “It’s fiction inspired by fact.”