Netflix has released a preview clip from “Queen Charlotte,” the highly anticipated prequel to “Bridgerton.”
The streaming giant unveiled the footage Friday as a precursor to its Tudum virtual fan event this weekend. “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” is a limited series centering on the franchise’s elegant, gossip-obsessed monarch played by Golda Rosheuvel.
In the preview, a young Queen Charlotte (India Ria Amarteifio) first encounters a young King George (Corey Mylchreest) while trying to scale a garden wall to get a glimpse of the ruler — whom she suspects is either “a beast or a troll.”
Asked by George if she is “in need of assistance,” Charlotte replies that she is “quite fine, thank you” and encourages him to “go back inside and wait with all the other gawkers.” When she does eventually relent and request his help climbing the wall, he declines.
“You refuse to help a lady in distress?” she says.
“I refuse when that lady in distress is trying to go over a wall so that she does not have to marry me,” he responds, revealing that he is the beast or troll in question.
Chronicling Charlotte’s rise to power and romance with the king, the period drama will see Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell reprise their “Bridgerton” roles as the queen, Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton, respectively. Rounding out the main cast are Michelle Fairley, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Freddie Dennis, Richard Cunningham, Tunji Kasim, Rob Maloney, Cyril Nri and Hugh Sachs.
The first look at “Queen Charlotte” arrives several months after the sophomore season of “Bridgerton” debuted on Netflix. Written and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, “Queen Charlotte” is set to premiere in 2023.