India Amarteifio breaks down the moment Queen Charlotte falls for George
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Warning: This story contains spoilers about the limited series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
We're used to love stories that lead to marriage, not ones that bloom in the throes of it.
But that's precisely the type of romance at the heart of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, a new limited series that offers viewers a glimpse at the marriage that changed the ton forever. When Charlotte (India Amarteifio) is brought from Germany to marry King George (Corey Mylchreest) sight unseen, she's not exactly thrilled. But even more surprising is the fact that she finds herself falling for her new husband.
What is it that makes Charlotte move from reluctant bride to devoted lover? "There's intrigue and possibly a very small spark of love from when she realizes that he's 'just George,'" muses Amarteifio. "He apologizes and says he's 'Just George.' Maybe the third time she's like, 'Okay, right. This is a type of person I've not met before. And they're willing to still want to get to know me after I've shown them [as little of myself as possible] and given them so little interest. They're still wanting to get to know me and know who I am.'"
For viewers looking to clock the moment her affection first starts to grow, it's also when Charlotte first steps into her own power and agency in this arrangement. "The moment that she switches is when she changes into her wedding dress, the one that she wants to wear, and she lets her hair loose into her natural texture," she adds. "He still accepts her wholeheartedly and sees her as beautiful. That's the moment she starts to really fall."
The Netflix series finds the young monarch adjusting to life in England as she becomes an unwitting figurehead in a moment of great societal change and must discern the vagaries of her husband's mental health challenge. We called up Amarteifio to get her royal declaration on all things Queen Charlotte, including the advice she got from the elder queen, Golda Rosheuvel, and how she navigated Charlotte's journey of finding her way to herself.
Liam Daniel/Netflix India Amarteifio as Young Queen Charlotte, Corey Mylchreest as Young King George
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How much was Golda Rosheuvel's previous work as Charlotte on Bridgerton a starting point for you?
INDIA AMARTEIFIO: The start and the end, basically. My team were very adamant about not replicating any of her performances. I had her as a mood board, and then I kind of ran with my own ideas.
In terms of your relationship with Golda, did you get to speak to her a lot about her take on Charlotte? Were there any tips or advice that helped you figure out your own approach to it?
We met up for coffee and we had a lovely chat about our own personal lives and her vision of Charlotte and where she placed her younger self. She said, "Have fun and really enjoy it." And to take the role as my own, which was lovely. That gave me more confidence to see myself as this character and not to feel like I'm treading on any toes or trying to steal someone's role. Even though they are the same person, they're two different people and two different timelines.
Did she have any advice on self-care for your neck after wearing those enormous wigs all day long on set?
She didn't. I wish she had because, my God, they were a lot. But nothing compared to hers. I mean, she had a house practically on her head.
Liam Daniel/Netflix George (Corey Mylchreest) meets Charlotte in the gardens
How upsetting and devastating is it to Charlotte the first night that she sees the signs of George's illness?
Awful. It would've been better if he was a troll or a beast. But the fact that he's lovely and they have this moment together and they have this beautiful wedding and dance, and she then allows herself to fall and believe that this is the rest of her life. Then it gets taken away from her. It was almost like, 'Oh... I should have listened to, like, instincts. I should have gone over the wall.' That fall is harder than what it would've been if she had allowed herself to remember that it was going to be awful from the beginning.
How much strength does it take for her to ultimately confront the doctor and remove George from that room?
There's no strength. It's just love. It's desperation and protectiveness. What overtakes her is wanting to grab that person and hold that person and take them out of that situation. I got to actually see Corey be strapped up and go through all of that stuff. He'd been filming loads of scenes that week that had tired him out. A bit of me was like, "Corey, I just wanna give you a hug. Are you okay?" That's also fueled by Charlotte loving her husband and wanting to make sure he's okay. That's why the scene was so palpable — it's a lot of love from myself and also from Charlotte wanting to protect her person.
How did you navigate Charlotte's relationship with Brimsley (Sam Clemmett)? We see in the future that she never really takes the time to know him as a person.
It's about her seeing him as a vessel for her to do things. That's his duty. He is there to serve the queen, and she sees him as someone that can do things for her. But she also knows that he's a lot smarter than her. So, she can trust him completely and has every faith in him. I would like to think that they do get to know each other at some point, but it's still quite professional. A lot of it's unspoken, through looks and gestures.
Liam Daniel/Netflix A young Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) is unsure about what she sees.
Does Charlotte trust Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) or does she suspect her as a spy for the Dowager?
She definitely trusts her. Lady Danbury doesn't give her any reason not to. She recognizes Lady Danbury as another woman who doesn't fit into this crazy society. She's almost desperate to find someone who will be that person for her. But toward the end, she realizes that actually, she has a lot more power than Danbury and she wants to use that and take that and reaffirms herself as, "We're friends, but you need to remember who I am in this society."
Does Charlotte have any real friends in this world?
She has Danbury. Brimsley's not a friend, but she knows she's got someone that will always have her back. And then George being her best friend, the person that understands her the most. Thoose three probably are the strongest in her world.
We see in the older Queen's timeline that her children feel similarly to the way George does about his mother. What happens? Is the royal machine too powerful?
I think that is to do with the mechanics of royal duty. But also the fact that the kids would remind her of her husband and of a relationship that she so desperately wants and knows is so strong but can't have because her husband is not in the right frame of mind. That creates a distance between them.
We see her starting to become the version of Charlotte we know, but maybe not as cold or removed as she is in the Bridgerton timeline. What do you think it is that makes her that way? Is it loneliness? Enduring George's illness for so long?
It's loneliness. People will never look at her as an equal. She will always be the queen for as long as as she lives. That marginalizes her from the rest of of society, which maybe people think she wants, but actually is quite a lonely position to be in when no one considers you an equal. Lady Danbury is probably the only person who sees her along those lines, but even then she has to curtsy to her and there are certain things that they wouldn't discuss.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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