A main storyline throughout Queen CharlotteHis race was at the intersection of race and politics in the monarchy when Charlotte was introduced as the first Black to marry into the royal family. To this day, experts still debate Charlotte’s racial origins, with historian Mario de Valdes and Coco believe that she is a direct descendant of the king of Portugal Alfonso III and his mistress, ours, a black Moor. However, many scholars have countered that there is no genealogical evidence to support this claim.
Regardless of the questions surrounding Charlotte’s real-life ancestry, it’s important for the showrunners to identify her as a Black woman. “Many historians believe Queen Charlotte is of mixed cultural heritage,” director Tom Verica told Netflix. “We wanted to take it in a different direction from what the history books have said – essentially burying that and not addressing it.”
IN An exclusive interview with E! News, Tunji Kasimwho plays Adolphus, Charlotte’s brother, explains the importance of subject exploration in the show.
“It’s great to have a conversation about that,” Tunji said. “This is especially relevant in the past few months due to Prince [Harry] And [Meghan Markle] what is happening in the UK. Navigating such an organization — one that is predominantly white, and proud to be — Queen Charlotte has to navigate a lot front and center in this story.
