Queen Charlotte's Rule of Succession Explained: Why Her Children Are Not Next in Line for the Throne?
Anyone confused about the significance of the Rule of Succession throughout the Bridgerton prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, is certainly not alone.
The semi-factual spin-off is loosely based on the real-life figures of King George III of Great Britain and his wife, Queen Charlotte.
However, understanding the history of the real woman herself certainly helps explain the backstory of what is really happening throughout the show.
How the Queen Charlotte prequel aligns with Bridgerton
The spin-off series focuses on two parallel storylines overlapping separate periods. One in 1761, when Charlotte first meets George and they begin their courtship. The other is during 1817, intertwining with the main Bridgeton show's timeline and events. Both centre around the Queen, but much of the plot is also connected to her children and the family legacy. Right from the first episode, she learns of her only legitimate grandchild's death, Princess Charlotte. This immediately creates tension within the show, as she realises her line is now without a direct heir.
Why was Charlotte so concerned about who was next in line to the throne?
By the time of Princess Charlotte's death, the King and Queen Charlotte already had 13 children together, so they were certainly not without any immediate heirs. However, because they no longer had any legitimate grandchildren, this was highly problematic for the continuation of the Hanover line. Furthermore, many of their children were even starting to reach the later years of their lives themselves, so time was very much running out.
Although the official backstory around the rule of succession is never clearly mentioned in the series, signs of friction are often shown from Charlotte's perspective. For instance, in Bridgerton, her consistently asking whether her husband had died yet, is a reference to his deteriorating health and her concerns for their family's future.
How the fans view Charlotte's attitudes in both series
Many of the shows' fans have found the backstory of the real Charlotte fascinating, including a few who have presented their own thoughts on Reddit. As one Redditor explains, although Charlotte was Queen Consort, she was born in a small north-German duchy. Therefore, much of her life had been an effort to continue her family line, and she likely feared for her children's and her own security.
Other fans also wondered if the nation's bloody history under similar circumstances added to her discomfort. After all, she often appears stern in the show, maybe reflecting the nature she had to adopt to present a strong and secure position for the monarchy.
Fortunately for Charlotte and the rest of her family, her two sons would go on to create legitimate heirs to the throne; of which her granddaughter Victoria will eventually be crowned Queen. Although that's still quite a way off from the series. The backstory around the events of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte is primarily fictional, but its basis in reality is what makes it all the more interesting once you understand it fully.
Source: Reddit.