When I mentioned that past Bridgerton seasons have yet to tackle race head on, Andoh brought up a moment in its first season: “We had a little nod to it in season 1 when I was talking to Simon,” she reminded me. That scene she’s referring to between Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) and Lady Danbury is notable because it’s the only overt reference to the racial division in the BCU. The two talk about why they’re the only Black royals. Lady Danbury says, “Look at our Queen, look at our King. Look at their marriage, look at everything it is doing for us, what it is allowing us to become. We were two separate societies, divided by color until a king fell in love with one of us.” It’s a scene that gave us a tease of Queen Charlotte’s backstory, but it was disappointedly brief and left us wanting more. The scene felt like quick plot exposition to brush over the characters’ identities instead of giving us a deeper look into their cultural standing and their history. Andoh promises more nuance in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
