Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes
Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn and television pioneer Shonda Rhimes comes a powerful and romantic novel of Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte and King George III’s great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, inspired by the original series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, created by Shondaland for Netflix.
“We are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his…”
In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.
Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.
Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court… all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny… as Queen.
My Review
I will begin by saying that I have not watched the Netflix series because I won’t pay for a streaming service. (Yes, I’m cheap.) But I will admit that I am a long-time fan of Julia Quinn, having read almost everything she’s written. Thus, I expected a wonderful story in Queen Charlotte. I wasn’t prepared for it to be a great story.
When Charlotte arrives in England, she is almost ready to run away from the impending marriage to the king. And she does just that. She flees out of the cathedral and into a garden where she tries to climb a wall. Sadly she can’t do it. But an ally appears: a tender young man who talks of stars and planets and farming. They bond in a unique way until she learns that he is the king, her intended, who feels the same way about the marriage as she does. For that moment they become Just George and Just Charlotte. It is this moment when the reader is given a glimpse of the true person behind the royal persona. They marry, but their union is fraught with problems. Their story is tender and passionate at the same time; in essence, a coming-of-age story for Charlotte who must grow up in a hurry when faced with her husband’s secret of mental illness. In quiet moments her love for George grows until, with her support, he faces down those who would manage him and takes control of his own life.
The story is full of detailed descriptions of medical ‘treatments’ that are barbaric but were quite commonplace when treating illnesses of the mind during that era. They are not for the faint of heart.
I enjoyed Lady Danbury, Charlotte’s Lady-In-Waiting, chosen not because of her title or her husband’s support of the royal family, but because of the color of her skin – the Queen Mother wanting dark-skinned Charlotte to have someone of ‘her own kind’ near her. Through Lady Danbury we are exposed to the rampant racism running through the courts and beyond.
Cleverly written, I now feel no need to watch the series.
Rating: 5 stars
Moonlight Musings 