How ‘Bridgerton’ Author Julia Quinn Teamed With Shonda Rhimes to Go Beyond Series for ‘Queen Charlotte’ Book

[This story contains spoilers from the Queen Charlotte book by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes.]

In Queen Charlotte (Avon Books), out Tuesday, co-author Julia Quinn tells the origin story of Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte and her love story with King George III.

Quinn, who wrote 9 books for her Bridgerton collection, says engaged on this novel was considerably totally different as a result of she had a collaborator in Bridgerton present creator Shonda Rhimes. “The truth that it says ‘By Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes’ nonetheless type of blows my thoughts,” the creator tells The Hollywood Reporter of the novel.

And after studying that there was curiosity in a Queen Charlotte spinoff collection, Quinn admits she “couldn’t imagine it.”

“It was wonderful sufficient that my books had been tailored for tv, after which it was much more wonderful that they did so effectively, however to have a by-product? I was like, ‘Oh my God,’” she remembers.

Whereas on the world premiere of the second season of Bridgerton — which marked the primary time she met Rhimes in particular person given the collection filmed and premiered amid the pandemic — Quinn first expressed an curiosity in writing a novel model of Queen Charlotte. She would later be taught that Rhimes had already “been independently pondering the identical factor.”

“Then just a few months later I heard from her guide agent and it was full steam forward,” the Bridgerton creator tells THR.

Writing the guide required a fast turnaround to coincide with the present’s premiere however resulted in a distinct expertise for the seasoned creator who now had Rhimes’ imaginative and prescient and completed scripts to construct from.

“I had by no means completed any sort of writing the place I had supply materials earlier than and particularly to have supply materials that’s in a really particular construction,” Quinn says. “So what you actually need to do is break down the structure of a tv script after which determine the right way to put the items again collectively as a novel. To someone like me who loves puzzles, it’s actually enjoyable.”

Queen Charlotte is portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel within the Netflix collection, however the character didn’t originate within the Bridgerton books, giving Quinn the prospect to ship a narrative that goes past the collection and — in true Bridgerton style — builds an in-depth romance. The guide additionally dives into the sooner years of Queen Charlotte’s relationship with Girl Agatha Danbury, in addition to the union between Queen Charlotte’s secretary Brimsley and King George’s right-hand man Reynolds.

Although Queen Charlotte the collection alternates between exhibiting Charlotte as each a younger lady and older royal within the Bridgerton-era, the guide takes place solely previously. Utilizing Rhimes’ scripts for the six-episode Netflix collection, Quinn says she was capable of flesh out Charlotte’s early years as a royal, including new dialogue and extra completely discover the inner ideas of the characters. The creator cites Charlotte and George’s marriage ceremony for instance of when she was ready so as to add extra conversations, whereas their meet-cute stays totally from the collection. “It was simply so good. It didn’t want something,” she says.

Given Queen Charlotte and King George are actual individuals, Quinn was additionally capable of incorporate parts from her early analysis of the 2 into the guide, similar to Charlotte’s German background and George’s love of science. As for Charlotte and George’s relationship, Quinn hopes that the guide feels “such as you’re studying a romance novel” one can get misplaced in, whereas providing readers an opportunity to be taught why Charlotte is “keen to take this leap” with George. Particularly as, Quinn notes, “behind her thoughts, she’s anxious about what may occur to him” amid his well being struggles and the brutal, antiquated therapies he turns to in an try to deal with it.

“You’ll be able to simply see the love. It’s totally different for me as a result of once I write a romance novel, it’s at all times like, ‘They’re going to have this fortunately ever after and all the pieces’s going to be nice.’ It’s a bit of bittersweet as a result of everyone knows, not simply from the present however from historical past, what occurs. That is taking a look at a really particular time period, nearly a 12 months or so earlier than issues began falling aside for him health-wise,” she explains.

Whereas Charlotte and George’s relationship might face hurdles, for the creator, their love is pure and eternal. All through the story, Quinn aimed to concurrently seize that “interval of nice love and happiness” and supply an understanding for readers that what drives Queen Charlotte when she’s older is “the best way that she sees her husband and loves him a lot, although he’s actually not there for her anymore.”

One other relationship explored within the guide is between Brimsley and Reynolds, each the constants for Queen Charlotte and King George, respectively. It’s a romance Quinn describes as “new and enjoyable” for her to delve into.

“Despite the fact that I hadn’t written a homosexual romance earlier than, I’ve written romances the place for some purpose it’s not accepted by society,” Quinn says. “I feel it’s the same sense of longing, of eager to be with an individual that society says you may’t be with in that method. In the long run, yeah perhaps they’re two males, however they’re two individuals they usually’re in love. It was simply pretty to jot down them form of discovering one another and likewise to indicate all of the methods in that it’s completely the identical as the rest.”

Each the story and collection supply not solely an intimate portrait of Charlotte as she navigates her new position as queen whereas caring for her husband, but additionally the expertise of a younger lady of coloration who spearheads a societal shift, incessantly known as the “nice experiment.”

To go in-depth on the significance of Charlotte’s race and gender throughout this time, Quinn explains how she leaned into Rhimes’ storytelling and tone: “I actually was following her lead there. One other factor to recollect, too, about Charlotte — and this was Shonda’s concept — is that when Charlotte will get there, she doesn’t even notice that there’s one thing revolutionary about that. … It’s actually simply making an attempt to get that sense of discovering your home in a society that has not been traditionally made room for you.”

The Netflix collection adaptation of Bridgerton displays a way more numerous illustration of the time interval — and one which can also be not current in Quinn’s unique books. When requested how writing Queen Charlotte may have an effect on the tales she pens transferring ahead, the creator says she isn’t certain however reiterates she’ll proceed to amplify voices wherever she will be able to.

“On my Fb web page, I like to recommend a historic romance as soon as every week. They’re not all by ladies of coloration, however I’m very purposeful in searching for out books by ladies of coloration the place I can as a result of I feel they’re not getting the highlight that they deserve. Romances written by white ladies like me, we haven’t had any drawback getting the shelf house. You’ll discover them within the bookstore. However the books written by ladies of coloration have traditionally been actually minimize off on the knees by each publishing and the bookstores. I’ve been actually making an attempt to showcase that wherever I can.”

The Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Netflix collection, which premiered on Could 4, stars India Ria Amarteifio within the titular position with Corey Mylchrees starring as King George. Although an growth of Bridgerton universe, a 3rd season of Bridgerton can also be underway with the story set to give attention to Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). It’s a departure from the guide’s order, which — had it been adopted within the collection — would have seen Benedict’s love story subsequent.

“A whole lot of readers had been actually upset about it,” Quinn says. “Somebody acquired mad at me for permitting it. I’m like, ‘OK, I don’t know the way a lot energy you assume I’ve.’”

However after asking the present’s workforce in the event that they had been certain about switching the order, particularly given “readers actually love Benedict,” Quinn says their rationalization “made sense.”

“I’m like, ‘Go for it!’” she notes of her personal shift in enthusiastic about the choice. “I attempt to remind individuals as soon as these characters have their season, you see lots much less of them. So, in the event you love Benedict, the truth that he acquired moved again means we simply get to see extra of him.”

Now, as Quinn prepares for Queen Charlotte to hit cabinets, she admits that regardless of seeing her works come to life already by means of the collection, engaged on this guide helped her acquire a newfound appreciation for the method of taking a guide to the display. She additionally hints that when it comes to future spinoff books, she’s up for it, citing Girl and Lord Featherington as examples of characters that could possibly be enjoyable to discover. “I had a reasonably wholesome respect for the variation course of earlier than,” she tells THR. “Now I’ve much more respect, having needed to go backwards.”

Quinn additionally hopes that by means of this course of everybody sees “how advanced these characters’ lives are. And perhaps see how we by no means know what’s happening in someone’s personal life.”

“You see the Queen — Shonda calls her the Beyoncé of the Bridgerton world — and he or she’s acquired all the pieces. Nicely now you see she’s acquired all the pieces, however she’s acquired this heartbreak, too. I hope [readers] will take away this type of expanded understanding of all the pieces and simply get a richer, full multimedia expertise.”

Queen Charlotte is on the market at bookstores now. And the Netflix collection Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is now streaming.