Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel has revealed her preparation for playing Queen Charlotte and how Queen Elizabeth II could inspire the character in the upcoming third season.
Rosheuvel's character has wowed audiences worldwide in the hit Netflix series, based on the novels by Julia Quinn.
Queen Charlotte loves nothing more than revelling in the scandalous gossip published in Lady Whistledown's society papers and she serves as the matriarch of the marriage market in London's ton society.
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In the hotly anticipated second season, which dropped on Friday, fans see the Queen choose which lucky lady will be bestowed with the title of being the "diamond" of the new debutante season after Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) was the diamond last season.
Speaking at the world premiere in London this week, Rosheuvel, who wore a bejewelled green cloak, revealed how she gets into character and teased what could be in store for Queen Charlotte in the future.
When discussing if she has drawn any inspiration from real-life royals for her character, Rosheuvel said she hasn't but recently she has been thinking about Queen Elizabeth getting older, the passing of Prince Philip and whether the Queen is looking back on her life.
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"I've been thinking about dynasty and what that word means to us as human beings and what it means to the Queen and the loss of Philip for her, so there's a lot of that stuff going on for me at the moment.
"I'm kinda just sitting here and contemplating that and I think that will work for season three when we come to it. I think I would want to hold on to all of that in season three."
In a recent interview with Tatler magazine, Rosheuvel was asked if her role has helped her identify with the royal family. "I like to see the royals as human beings, trying to live a life, and I think we often miss that," she explained.
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"They're set at a height of perceived unattainability, but to me they're just guys and gals trying to live their lives in the best way they can."
Bridgerton quickly became Netflix's most watched English language series, with an estimated 82 million households viewing the Regency romp after it dropped on Christmas Day in 2020.
In April last year, the Shondaland period drama was renewed for third and fourth season. A spin-off series based on Queen Charlotte's early years is currently in development however further details are being kept under lock and key.
Fans may be aware that Queen Charlotte does not exist in the Bridgerton books, suggesting there is even greater opportunity to use Queen Elizabeth as inspiration for the next batch of episodes.
When it comes to preparation involved in playing a queen, Rosheuvel says knowing her lines inside out and having the opportunity to "play" with the character is key. "Between action and cut is the most magical place for storytelling and I'm very, very lucky that the directors let me come up with ideas and to play.
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"If there's anything specific that they want me to then they'll ask and I'll do that, but it's all about play, play, play with any character".
A huge part of Queen Charlotte's character are her towering, expertly crafted wigs and glamorous gowns, but which one is Rosheuvel's ultimate pick? "They're like my children. My favourite one is in season one, there's a picture of the queen holding a Pomeranian. That costume and that wig was really cute. It wasn't heavy, it was actually one of the lighter ones.
She adds: "I actually did weigh myself with the wig on and the costume and jewellery and I put on two stones. That's why I have to keep fit and keep my body strong because that's what I'm carrying around!"
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Bridgerton season 2 is available on Netflix now.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix/AlamyTopics: bridgerton, TV and Film, Netflix