Queen Charlotte Episode 4: King George's Illness, Explained
The unfortunate king grapples with major health issues in the show, and so did his historical counterpart.
Netflix's Bridgerton, an alternate history series based on Julia Quinn's romantic novels set in a fictional Regency England, incorporates quite a few real historical facts into its narrative. Some characters, such as Queen Charlotte and King George, not only existed in reality but also closely resembled their fictional versions portrayed on the show.
The spinoff, Queen Charlotte, specifically mentions in its fourth episode a medical condition that the historical King George suffered from in real life.
In that episode, fans were surprised to learn that the young king struggled with some form of neurological disability, the nature of which is never revealed in the show. The fact is only noted once and is never mentioned again. Fans, naturally, got curious about what the medical condition was that King George was actually afflicted by, and historical records can help us find the answer to that.
While the exact nature of the king's medical condition remains unconfirmed, historians agree that George likely suffered from either porphyria or bipolar disorder or possibly both.
People empathise with the pain that the young man had to endure during a time when medical treatment was virtually nonexistent, and they wonder how much suffering George and Charlotte went through.
‘I feel bad for him to suffer like that with no treatment or relief for it!’ one fan said.
However, the king's illness may prove to be a valuable theme to explore in the potential future seasons of Queen Charlotte. Having watched the spinoff in its entirety, fans are already calling for Netflix to renew the show for a second season, arguing that Charlotte and George's story is far from over and deserves to be continued with utmost urgency.
While the prospect of seeing George struggle even more with his illness in possible future seasons is distressing to fans, it will certainly make the show feel more complex and realistic. That is something that fans, who have already described the first season of Queen Charlotte as the perfect adult version of Bridgerton, will undoubtedly appreciate.
Source: Reddit.