TikTok Is Realizing That King George From Netflix’s “Queen Charlotte” Is Based On the Same King As “Hamilton”

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Netflix’s successful “Bridgerton” series from Shondaland has a new prequel. “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” tells the complex love story of the show’s infamously meddlesome Queen Charlotte and the elusive King George III. As common within the series, Shonda Rhimes is receiving praise for her casting choices with Corey Mylchreest as the King and India Ria Amarteifio as the Queen. The actors’ chemistry and attention to detail craft a love story that introduces a new depth to the franchise, and an exploration of the history of mental health treatment.

Mylchreest is receiving widespread praise for his breakthrough performance, as is Amerteifio. The show juxtaposes their characters as newlyweds and their characters decades later after they have 15 children together. The Shondaland show is also receiving praise for its realistic portrayal of loving someone who lives with a mental illness. In typical “Bridgerton” universe fashion, the series is full of dramatic love confessions, elaborate costumes, and old English humor. Beneath the many layers to the fictionalized Georgian era tale is a true story.

The Real History

The show opens with a warning title card that reminds viewers that the “Queen Charlotte” is fiction, but fans of the show are realizing that it is rooted in a real history. King George III was the King of England during the Georgian period, when the American Revolution began. Historians have also confirmed that George really did suffer from a mistreated mental illness, though it is debated whether it was a result of porphyria or bipolar disorder. He was ultimately gradually poisoned with arsenic, which was believed to have medicinal properties at the time.

The show depicts George struggling with his memory decades later. A fan theory about the the queen wearing outdated fashion styles to assist with the King’s memory functions is widely circulating on TikTok and Twitter.

@whistledownwhisperer

crying in the club ???? #bridgerton #bridgertontok #bridgertontiktok #queencharlotte #queencharlottebridgerton #queencharlotteabridgertonstory #queencharlottetiktok #bridgertonnetflix #justgeorge #farmergeorge #bridgertonedit #queencharlotteandkinggeorge #queencharlotteedit #shondalandbridgerton

♬ right where you left me – bonus track – Taylor Swift

TikTok Reactions

While history buffs and romance lovers are diving into the real life love story of Charlotte and George, others are recalling another famous pop culture depiction of the king. Actor Jonathan Groff portrays the same king in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Groff’s humorous depiction of the ludicrously powerful monarch has long been praised by critics and musical fans alike. The combined portrayals of the King as a handsome romantic, a humorously greedy monarch, and the real history of the American Revolution have social media in a tailspin.

@briabespoke

The more you know #kinggeorge #hamilton #queencharlotte #bridgerton

♬ You’ll Be Back – Jonathan Groff & Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton

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Some are recognizing Shonda Rhimes and her team’s creative abilities to write romantic leads, as the series focuses so much on George’s relationship with Charlotte that it nearly makes viewers forget that he is the same monarch that colonized North America.

@merelymeredith

My ancestors would be disappointed in my love for this show ???? #queencharlotte #queencharlottebridgerton #bridgerton #juliaquinn #netflix #shondaland #janeausten #georgianromance #regencyromance #historicalromance #booktok #farmergeorge #greenscreen

♬ original sound – Service Suite Technologies

@smashleyboyd

#stitch with @It’sTy absolute menace, i love it so much though #fyp #foryou #blackgirltiktok #netflix #bridgerton #queencharlotte #scandal

♬ original sound – smashleyboyd

Additionally, one Twitter user pointed out that the two vastly different King George tales show the importance of strong writing in entertainment. Amid the ongoing WGA strike, the skills are of writers are being applauded more than ever.

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

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