Queen Charlotte: Bridgerton spin-off opens with tongue-in-cheek ‘fiction’ disclaimer

‘All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional,’ episode opening reads

Netflix’s new Bridgerton spin-off series has arrived – and the series opens with a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer for viewers.

Released on Thursday (4 April), Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story focuses on the titular queen from Bridgerton (Golda Rosheuvel).

The series takes place in two timelines, following both the adult Charlotte as she attemps to marry off her children. It also shows the young queen (played by India Amarteifio) as she arrives in England to marry King George III (Corey Mylchreest).

The six-part show opens with a disclaimer, read by the mysterious Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews).

“Dearest Gentle Reader,” it reads.

“This is the story of Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton. It is not a history lesson. It is fiction inspired by fact. All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional.”

Queen Charlotte, who is a character in both the Bridgerton series and Julia Quinn’s romance novels of the same name, was a real member of the British royal family.

The disclaimer can be seen as a sarcastic nod to calls last year for Netflix to add a disclaimer to the fifth season of royal drama The Crown.

(NICK WALL/NETFLIX)

The most recent series of the show, which followed the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage, was accused of “crude sensationalism” by Judi Dench before it was released.

“No one is a greater believer in artistic freedom than I, but this cannot go unchallenged,” she said.

A number of politicians also backed her calls, as well as The Crown star Helena Bonham Carter. However, while a disclaimer featured in a trailer for the series, it was not added to the actual show.

In response, Netflix said: “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events. Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family – one that has already been scrutinised and well documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is on Netflix now.