The king and queen at the time Bridgerton is set are King George III and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. However, George III is not the ruling monarch; his son is ruling Great Britain and Ireland as Prince Regent.

Prince Regent is not shown on-screen; Bridgerton instead chooses to place his mother, Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel), at the centre of the drama.

At Queen Charlotte’s court, protocol was everything. This sense of protocol is crucial in Bridgerton, as we see the queen dictate many of the rules of this society.