Queen Charlotte Timeline Explained: When Does It Take Place in History?

The Queen Charlotte series centers around the relationship between Queen Charlotte and King George III and takes viewers back to the Georgian Era, and whilst the year is never explicitly stated, it is presumably around the same the real Queen Charlotte got married, which was 1761.

At the same time that 'the love story that changed the ton' plays out, many other historical events were taking place that were not highlighted in the show.

Racial segregation

Both the Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte series depict a racially integrated society, envisioned by producer Shonda Rhimes, but the real world in which Queen Charlotte came into power, was very different. People of color made up very little of the population, and many were treated as slaves although slavery had no legal basis in Britain at the time.

Major social and economic shift

One of the most significant historical events was the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain and saw a shift from manual to machine manufacturing, creating an even greater social divide between the lower, middle and upper classes, with many at the lower end of society suffering from rising food prices due to poor harvests, extreme poverty and disease.

American War of Independence

The real King George III was one of the most controversial monarchs, and his reign caused major instability within parliament, and many blame him for prolonging the Revolutionary War that took place from 1775 to 1783, as he refused to withdraw his troops and surrender the colonies.

The American Revolutionary War was caused by the British attempting to impose greater control over other colonies, and America was one of the biggest powers to retaliate.

French Revolution and Napoleon wars

You may have heard the infamous phrase 'Let them eat cake' and the woman who is believed to have said it - Queen Marie Antoinette. Her and her husband King Louis XVI's public execution in 1793 shook the world and struck fear into the hearts of Europe's monarchs.

But what frightened them even more was the bloodshed of the French Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars, which involved every major European power, including the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and even the USA.

From around 1799 to 1815, Britain was involved in the Napoleonic Wars as the French, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, fought to maintain the strength they had built up during the French Revolutionary Wars, but it quickly became a war of conquest. For a short time, Napoleon was considered the master of Europe because of the wars, but France was ultimately defeated by Russian forces in 1812.

Enlightenment Era

George and Charlotte lived during the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that spread throughout Europe. George himself was a big fan of science, natural philosophy and astronomy.

During his reign, the planet Uranus was discovered, the first edition of The Times was published, and the toothbrush and steam engine were invented.

These events are as fascinating as they are historic, and some are downright depressing, so it's no wonder they didn't find a place in a story full of sex, love and drama.