'Queen Charlotte A Bridgerton Story' Ending Explained

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for the finale of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Summary

At the end of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Charlotte and George find strength in their love during George's struggles with mental health.
Reynolds and Brimsley's relationship is tested but endures, however, the future plot leaves fate uncertain for Reynolds.
Lady Danbury's past intersects with Violet Bridgerton's, revealing secrets that could impact their friendship.

Dearest reader, the Bridgerton spin-off series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, explores the woman under the crown. As a young woman, played by India Amarteifio, the past illuminates her struggles as a new monarch and finding her voice, adding context to the queen in the present day, played by Golda Rosheuvel, as it pertains to her present fixation on securing her family line. The course of true love never runs smooth, and by the end of the six-episode season, audiences now see how her story with King George III (Corey Mylchreest) is a war she continues to fight whether she’s with him or they are apart. Without further ado, let’s look at where Charlotte and her court end up at the conclusion of the season.

Charlotte and George Hide From the Heavens Together

After intervening and dismissing Dr. Monro (Guy Henry), Charlotte makes it her mission to look out for George’s well-being. Initially, George tries to push her away, but Charlotte fights back because she knows he loves her. When he finally admits that he loves her desperately, the two return back to solid ground, secured by their love. While, at first, George has some good days, like being by Charlotte’s side at the birth of their son, he does fall into some bad ones as well, like when he couldn’t get out of the carriage to address Parliament. Instead of getting frustrated with George, Charlotte meets him where he’s at with compassion. She finds him under his bed, and she goes to lie under the bed with him. George tries to tell her he can’t give her the future she deserves, but she assures him that together they are whole.

Instead of George going to Parliament, Charlotte advises George to bring Parliament to him by throwing a ball at Buckingham House in celebration of their son. George begins to shake as they’re about to walk out, but Charlotte calms him by holding his hand, telling him to keep his eyes on her, and reminding him that it’s just him and her. The ball is a success, to the point that Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley) thanks Charlotte for making her son truly happy. Charlotte is now in control, and Augusta has officially backed down from being George’s caretaker. As the ball ends, Charlotte gives her husband the news that she is pregnant again. Their family is growing once more, as it will eventually include fifteen children. They have each other, and that’s what matters most to them.

I Will Always Love You

Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) Queen Charlotte Episode 6 — Image via Netflix

King George and Queen Charlotte weren't the only couple featured in the spinoff series — we've also followed the relationship between their respective right-hand men, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) and Brimsley (Sam Clemmett). Throughout the first season, they attempted to balance the inconsistencies of when they could spend time with each other with their loyalty to their respective sovereigns. Though their relationship has been shaken a few times due to a lack of trust, Reynolds and Brimsley come back to each other and dream of what it would be like if they could truly be together. During the royal ball, the two sneak up to a hill out of sight and dance together as a string rendition of “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston plays.

The scene transitions to the present, where an older Brimsley (Hugh Sachs) is dancing that same dance, only this time alone. His solo moment is abruptly cut off when it’s announced that a visitor is there for the queen. As he looks off in the distance, audiences are left to wonder what happened to Reynolds. Has he died, or is it due to the queen and king remaining in separate palaces that they’ve remained apart as well? While Reynolds’ fate remains ambiguous for now, we can hold on to his remark from the past that great love can make miracles.

A Friendship On the Rocks?

Ruth Gemmell and Adjoa Andoh in Queen Charlotte Episode 6 — Image via Netflix

Another surprising development over the course of this six-episode season was discovering how much Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and her past have intersected with Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). In the past, Agatha (Arsema Thomas) found companionship and a night of romance with Violet’s father, Lord Ledger (Keir Charles). Through her brief courtship with Charlotte’s brother, Adolphus (Tunji Kasim), Agatha realizes that she won't be able to love another man the way she did Ledger. At the King and Queen’s ball at Buckingham House, she also comes to the realization that she doesn’t want to marry again. Though she wouldn’t have to worry about her position in society again, she’d rather face the unknown and breathe again on her own; Agatha rejects Adolphus. After Charlotte gets word of this, she finds her, and under the guise of pretend chastisement, Charlotte assures Agatha that her title will remain secure and that she can always come to her directly for anything.

Meanwhile, in the present, Violet discovers one of her father’s birthday hats at Lady Danbury’s house. When she tries to initially ask Lady Danbury about the man who made her garden bloom, Lady Danbury is coy at first but then pushed to say that it was Adolphus. While her courtship with the queen’s brother is technically true, she still lies in order to get Violet to back down. Unfortunately for her, Violet is unconvinced and tries a different approach. She invites Lady Danbury over for tea at Bridgerton House and has all of her birthday hats displayed around the room, including ones for her many children throughout the years. Violet claims that it’s time to pack them away, but Lady Danbury tells her to leave the hats out. Lady Danbury knows that Violet has figured out her past with Violet’s father, but Violet hands Lady Danbury tea instead of confronting her, and the two friends sip their tea in silence.

A Happy Ending Fit for a Queen

Golda Rosheuvel and James Fleet in Queen Charlotte — Image via Netflix

In the present day, Queen Charlotte has set her sole focus on her children securing an heir for their family. Throughout the season, her children have tried to push back on their mother’s wishes but have failed to confront her. Finally, Prince George IV (Ryan Gage) and Princess Elizabeth (Sabina Arthur), on behalf of Charlotte’s children, stand up to the queen by expressing how cruel their mother's baby race has been. From the lack of sympathy after George IV’s wife and daughter died to Elizabeth’s multiple miscarriages in her effort to provide an heir, they claim that Charlotte has been more of a queen to them instead of a mother. Charlotte stews over their comments, but thanks to an open conversation with Brimsley, she realizes the validity of their claims. Not long after, her son Prince Edward (Jack Michael Stacey) and his wife, Victoria (Florence Dobson), visit Charlotte to tell her that they’re pregnant, and they’re expecting it to be a girl; this means the future Queen Victoria is in the womb and getting ready to make her debut. In response to the happy news, Charlotte hugs her son in a rare moment of tenderness.

Later, Charlotte goes to Kew to visit her husband to deliver the news to him. She finds George III (James Fleet) in the middle of one of his episodes. She crawls under the bed and tells him to follow her so that they can hide from the heavens together. George follows, and once he’s under the bed, he recognizes his love, and he becomes “just George” again. Charlotte assures him that his line will live on, to which he responds that it’s their line, not just his. They kiss, and George remarks that Charlotte did not go over the wall, and Charlotte lovingly replies that she did not. The season showed the often tumultuous story of their marriage. While many on the outside believe that Charlotte merely tolerates the king, their last moments together reveal that their love has remained strong through it all.

Violet Bridgerton's Garden Might "Bloom" Again During 'Bridgerton'

From the Queen Charlotte finale, we spring forward into the third season of Bridgerton. Unfortunately, very few of the events of Queen Charlotte have made their impact on this new season so far. There’s yet to be an heir to guarantee that Queen Charlotte’s line and legacy of the Great Experiment doesn’t die with her (pregnancies are a multi-month venture). In the finale, Charlotte subtly confirms that Lady Danbury's son would inherit his father's title, setting a precedent, and we know that the Great Experiment has successfully continued on, as evidenced by the elevation of Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) and his family into high society, but it remains fragile. Surely, that would’ve been her priority instead of the social season. However, Queen Charlotte is more invested than ever with the new marriage mart season and her “sparkler” Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) than she is with Victoria’s pregnancy.

Speaking of Francesca, both Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury remain as close as ever as they focus their attention on helping Francesca navigate the marriage mart. Despite the awkwardness between Violet and Lady Danbury at the end of Queen Charlotte, the revelations of their past have little bearing on their present. They appear to be a united front, but the arrival of someone from Lady Danbury’s past could expose the cracks in their friendship.

What has carried on from Queen Charlotte into the new season of Bridgerton is Violet’s revelation that she’s ready to find love again; specifically, she’s been missing the pleasure of having her garden “tended to.” Although Violet is focusing most of her energy this season on Francesca’s first season out on the marriage mart, she has attracted the attention of Lady Danbury’s estranged brother, Marcus (Daniel Francis). Marcus is back in London with the sole intention of finding a love match for his second marriage, something Violet has only had with her late husband, Edmund (Rupert Evans). While the interest between Violet and Marcus is mutual, Lady Danbury doesn’t buy that her brother’s interests are as pure as he claims. Perhaps Lady Danbury interfering with the blossoming intrigue between Violet and Marcus could be what causes a rift between the two friends.

Although the events of the spinoff have little impact on the main series, Queen Charlotte provides perspective on the woman Lady Whistledown, voiced by Julie Andrews, continues to antagonize. Charlotte has faced countless adversities, fighting for the love of her life and the legacy they’ve made together under the heavens. While Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is well on her way to getting her happy ending with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in this season of Bridgerton, it could all be thrown into the balance if she strikes at Charlotte again. If we’ve learned anything from Queen Charlotte, it’s that you should never bet against Charlotte. Penelope, keep your quills sharpened!