Episode 1 of Queen Charlotte series was all about George sweeping Charlotte off her feet. She was in for a rude awakening because George decided to live separately from Charlotte. Charlotte’s residence is Buckingham House, and George’s residence is the Palace at Kew. She had no way of convincing him to stay back with her because the King had already made up his mind. Meanwhile, the young Lady Agatha Danbury and her very old husband, Lord Herman Danbury, are excited to be invited to the wedding, and Lady Danbury is going to be Queen Charlotte’s ladies-in-waiting. The older Queen Charlotte has given all her 15 children an ultimatum to marry someone from a respectable family and give her a grandchild who would be the heir to their throne.
Spoilers Ahead
Charlotte Is In The Honeymoon Phase
Charlotte wakes up the next day of her wedding to see herself all alone in Buckingham House, surrounded by countless helpers who serve her, dress her, and pluck oranges for her. They do everything for her so that Charlotte will not have to move her hands or legs. She reads, has her meals, and tries to spend as much time with herself as possible. This becomes a routine for her, and soon her life in Buckingham House becomes a rut. She is not allowed to step out or attend any engagement because she and the King are in a supposed honeymoon period, and they should stay indoors as much as they can. Days go by, but the King does not come to Buckingham House. Brimsley and Reynolds, the King and Queen’s right-hand men are also puzzled to see no connection between the couple. The duo lies to the Dowager Princess, George’s mother, about the relationship being cordial. The only concern for George’s mother right now is wanting an heir to the throne.
Charlotte, on the other hand, is having the toughest of times maneuvering alone like a ghost inside Buckingham House. She finds herself trapped in a marriage where she can’t move or do anything without anyone stopping her or accosting her. She wants to meet people, but she is not allowed to. From the outside, it would seem she is the Queen of a country that has many colonies, while Charlotte does not have the freedom to do anything inside the home that is meant for her. Charlotte is already showing signs of tiredness and anger, as she feels she has been given no respect so far as the Queen of England.
Lady Danbury And Her Friendship With Queen Charlotte
Lady Danbury is tired of having an intimate relationship with her old husband, Lord Danbury. She seeks no pleasure from the man, and she only believes her purpose is to get pregnant and give the Lord more heirs to take their line forward. Lady Danbury is also keen to see her husband invited to local games and hunting trips that the white men regularly take. She knows it is the color of the skin that is making the white population of the elite shun her husband and many people of color. Lady Danbury intends to see some changes around here, and she is hoping to find a solution to her problem. She wants her husband to be accepted because her husband, just like the others in England, comes from royal lineage, and they cannot be treated any other way.
The Older Lady Danbury, in Queen Charlotte’s court, also agrees with the Queen when she says that children these days are seeking love too, which is preposterous in their opinion. Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury believe the only purpose of marriage is to conceive kids and nothing else. Meanwhile, Violet Bridgerton believes she was always in love with her husband, and she encourages her daughters and son to pursue love when it comes to finding a partner. Both Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte seem to be on different tangents as they have grown older. Whatever they said when they were younger seems to have been forgotten completely. But Violet Bridgerton stands her ground on the fact that love sustains marriage.
Is King George III Suffering From Some Illness?
Reynolds and Brimsley present the idea of gifting something to Queen Charlotte that would keep her company. She receives a Pomeranian from the King, but she cannot accept it because no pet would fill the void he has left in her after abandoning her in this palace. The Queen is frustrated beyond words. She ends up discreetly calling Lady Danbury, one of her ladies-in-waiting, just to have a conversation with her. Once in private with the lady queen, she confesses to not knowing the physical act of love that happens between men and women. Lady Danbury becomes an unexpected friend of Charlotte, and she is glad she met her. Lady Danbury comes across as very helpful and educational when it comes to understanding physical intimacy between couples. Charlotte is a young girl of mere seventeen; she finds it hard to understand things she will have to do, like to make sure there is an heir in her belly for the future of the kingdom. The pressure is there, but Charlotte is not letting it get to her.
George’s mother, Princess Dowager Augusta, learns of Lady Danbury having met Charlotte and is keen to know what the conversation was about. Lady Danbury uses this as a chance to put forward a proposal that would help George’s mother as well. Lady Danbury proposed wanting to have an estate, land, and income, as well as an invitation to the ton as well as hunting games. Lady Danbury gets whatever she asks for, and in return, she provides whatever information she has about Charlotte from Buckingham House.
Frustrated to not see her husband at all, she heads to Kew unannounced, and she is shocked to see King spending most of his time in the observatory. Charlotte is happy to see the King has a deep interest in science and astronomy, but she is also livid about the fact that he did not think about her at all. George tries to make her understand, but it does not come out the right way. Charlotte is too angry to comprehend whatever her husband is saying to justify his actions. She walks away from whatever pet project he is indulging in because she again finds it humiliating to see her husband spending time on some inane subjects when he could have tried to make her understand what he likes and not lie so that it would be easier for her to adjust accordingly. But George attempted to do nothing. He has a tough time expressing what he likes because he has been raised in such a way that nothing other than kingship is entertained.
A while later, King George joins Charlotte for dinner. The Queen initially refuses to have a meal with him, but he apologizes for having been away and convinces her to have dinner with her, and maybe they can spend time conversing for a while. As they finish the dinner, the King hints at the idea of spending the night together and possibly consummating their marriage. King George and Charlotte are attracted to one another, but they are having a tough time communicating their feelings. Maybe the consummation night will help them open up as spouses and friends. They consummate their marriage, and they feel deeply connected to one another. The couple finally finds themselves in sync with things. And Charlotte can only hope things will be different from here on for both.
The very next day, Charlotte overhears George talking about doing his duties as King, and consummating the marriage was one of them. He also mentions that he is tired of doing his duties, and at times he also wants to follow his passion. George, since his younger days, had been told that he would be the King one day. But no one understands the truckload of responsibility and expectation that comes with being a king. Charlotte walks away from the conversation because she thinks whatever he is doing in the name of spending time with her is nothing more than a part of his duty. She goes back to having her meals on her own. Charlotte was hoping after the previous night that things would finally be okay for her and George, but it looks like they have a long way to go. The ending scene of the second episode of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has George having a panic attack or a severe anxiety attack as he is trying to comprehend things that are happening around him and doesn’t get the kind of pressure he is under. George might be patient of these psychological conditions that start affecting him physically as well. At such a young age, the man is under tremendous pressure that it becomes difficult for him to get a grip on his life. He is not even sure if Charlotte will accept him. He informs Reynolds not to let Charlotte know about his current condition.
