For lovers of the Netflix-Shondaland smash hit Bridgerton, a lull in the production of season 3 was satiated (if just for one hot minute) by a six-episode prequel series that told the origin story of the indelible Queen Charlotte (portrayed by India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel) and her husband, young King George III of England (Corey Mylchreest and James Fleet).
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, cowritten by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes, was a spectacular success, clocking more than 22 million viewing hours within its first week alone, Netflix reported.
There were jewel-toned gowns, stately mansions, string-quartet covers of 21st-century pop hits, and impassioned speeches that called out all the contradictions of Regency Britain—all Bridgerton signatures at this point. With all its Regencycore delights, we know you’re asking, dear reader, is another spin-off in the cards?
Will There Be Another “Bridgerton” Spin-off?
While a second installment of Queen Charlotte’s story seems unlikely (more on that later), the success of the series shows promise for the development of other spin-offs. And there’s one character’s memorable performance that we simply can’t stop thinking about: Violet Ledger.
As part of the backstory in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, actor Connie Jenkins-Greig walks onto the set as the young Violet Ledger, who would later marry Edmund (Rupert Evans) and become the fiercely protective mother hen Dowager Viscountess (Ruth Gemmell) of the eight titular Bridgerton siblings. The character we know in the original series is one of matriarchal charm and adoring wit, and the younger version of her is similarly likable—though for very different reasons.
bridgerton spinoff
Young Violet Ledger listens in on her parent’s conversation on the other side of the settee before voicing her opinion, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Jenkins-Greig’s performance unveils a fiery, inquisitive teenager who has not yet entered the marriage mart or famously become a Bridgerton.
She has an uneasy relationship with her mother (Lady Vivian Ledger, played by Katie Brayben) and a good relationship with her father (Lord Ledger, played by Keir Charles), who fondly calls her “Brains” and makes hats for her on her birthdays. That tension is further played out in her interactions with her parents.
At one point, she voices that the new queen, the first Black queen of England (and additional members of the ton) are worthy of their king-granted titles. These side moments reveal a character-in-formation with equal parts depth and charm, and whose journey to taking on the Bridgerton name (and through it, finding love) is basically writing itself already.
Violet’s father, Lord Ledger, made hats for his daughter on her birthdays, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
When asked if she plans to expand on other characters in the Bridgerton world, Rhimes told Hello! at the Queen Charlotte London premiere: “There’s no plan to explore anybody in particular. I was just doing this because I was so passionate about the subject.” However, she added, “In writing it I got very interested in Violet’s story. So we’ll see."
In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rhimes admitted: “I am obsessed with Violet too. She’s very interesting as a character and has a lot of layers to her life that we don’t quite know yet. It’s also another complicated love story.”
While Julia Quinn (who authored the eight books the original series is based on) wrote on her blog, “I’m afraid I just don’t see writing her story” because “I don’t think I could come up with anyone good enough for her,” that isn’t to say the author wouldn’t be open to another joint writing venture with Rhimes, which, as Queen Charlotte proved, was a dream-team collaboration.
Violet, now Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton, enjoys tea in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. A potential spin-off about Violet could delve into her inevitable romance with Viscount Edmund Bridgerton, who tragically died while Violet was pregnant with their eighth child, Hyacinth.
Will Queen Charlotte’s Show Get a Second Season?
But of course, we haven’t forgotten about Queen Charlotte’s story, which left viewers wanting more. A potential season 2 of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has not been confirmed since it has been billed as a limited series. “I’m not having conversations about it yet,” series creator Shonda Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly. “I could live with Charlotte and George forever, but we told a very specific, closed-ended story that I think is a complete tale of this complicated, imperfect love.”
Rhimes however added that she’s not “ruling anything out” because she “never knows” how she might feel about continuing the story in the future. After all, Queen Charlotte and King George III had 15 children together in their 57 years of marriage, a length of time that has the potential for plenty of exploration.
At present, however, we wait. In the wise words of Lady Whistledown: “Patience does not always come to those who wait. However, there are some very special joys worth waiting for.”
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