‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story‘, the prequel to the popular ‘Bridgerton‘ franchise hit the screens recently. The show explores the life and love of the young Queen Charlotte, who married King George III of England in 1761. The show has a diverse cast of characters and a captivating plot that blends historical facts with fictional twists.
One of the most intriguing, as well as controversial aspects of the show, is the concept of the Great Experiment, which is mentioned several times throughout the series. At the very core of the show is the Great Experiment, which begins when young Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) arrives in England to marry young King George (Corey Mylchreest). So, what is the Great Experiment and did it really happen?
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What Does The Great Experiment Mean?
The Great Experiment refers to the attempt to introduce more diversity and inclusion into the British aristocracy. This is done by inviting people of color, especially those with African ancestry, to her court and granting them titles and lands. Thus, changing the lives of Black socialites like young Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas) forever. This is essentially an attempt to save face on the part of the British monarchy.
Before the marriage of young King George to a young Queen Charlotte, the entire aristocracy was white. The tension that the Great Experiment is seen in the very first episode. In the premiere episode, we see King George’s mother Dowager Princess Augusta is shocked and disapproving of her son’s marriage to a “very brown” woman. This is why the House of Lords come up with a plan to bring the ton together by granting titles to colored members of the aristocracy like Agatha Danbury. In short, the Great Experiment is nothing but an integrated nobility.
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Did The Great Experiment Happen In Reality?
No, the Great Experiment didn’t actually happen in England. Rhimes explained to Netflix “This is not a history lesson. This is fiction inspired by fact. It’s very important to me that people understand that.” She went on to add: “I’m telling the story of Queen Charlotte of Bridgerton, not of Queen Charlotte of England.” However, the Great Experiment is not just made up. It’s inspired by real history. Queen Charlotte’s director Tom Verica had a blast researching the historical facts behind the show.
He told Netflix: “Many historians believe that Queen Charlotte was of mixed cultural heritage. We wanted to take that in a different direction than what the history books have said happened — which was basically to bury that and not deal with it.”
In reality, Queen Charlotte and King George didn’t really have a mixed-race romance that changed the world, but people did wonder about Charlotte’s looks. Some pictures and stories of her made her look white and “European”, others made her look brown and “African”. Even though Queen Charlotte’s haters said she was ugly, there’s not much evidence of anyone saying that Charlotte, who came from a royal family in Germany, had any Black family members or ancestors.
You might also like to read: Who Was Queen Charlotte? Was She Really The First Black Queen Of Great Britain?
