Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Was Queen Charlotte England’s first black royal? For decades there have been rumours, fuelled by the writings of an apparently self-proclaimed historian called Mario de Valdes y Cocum, that Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of Great Britain (often remembered as Mad King George) looked either black or biracial as a result of being descended from ‘Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House’ through at least six lines and being so heavily inbred that she retained the appearance of a black or mixed race individual. These rumours have received even greater attention in recent years due to the marriage of Prince Harry with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex in 2018 and the popularity of the TV show, Bridgerton, in which Charlotte is portrayed by black actress Golda Rosheuvel and is one of the only real historical figures in the show.
This English royal history documentary from History Calling puts the theory that Queen Charlotte was black or biracial to the test, looking at portraits of this Hanoverian Queen consort by Sir Allan Ramsay alongside other images of her and descriptions of her appearance written by those who saw her, including Horace Walpole, Baron Stockmar and Lady Mary Coke. It also points out the many flaws in the research used to support this idea and ultimately provides an evidence-based answer to the question, was Queen Charlotte black?
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YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
The Real Queen Charlotte
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What Bridgerton gets right and wrong about history
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How Historical Fiction Is Misleading Millions | The Truth Behind TV, Books & Period Dramas
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LEARN MORE:
[FREE] ‘The blurred racial lines of famous families’ by Mario de Valdes y Cocom. Originally published in 1997, but this version was updated in 2021.
pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
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Open Street Map copyright information
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Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#CharlotteOfMecklenburgStrelitz #QueenCharlotte #Bridgerton #QueenCharlotteBlack
Was Queen Charlotte England’s first black royal? For decades there have been rumours, fuelled by the writings of an apparently self-proclaimed historian called Mario de Valdes y Cocum, that Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of Great Britain (often remembered as Mad King George) looked either black or biracial as a result of being descended from ‘Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House’ through at least six lines and being so heavily inbred that she retained the appearance of a black or mixed race individual. These rumours have received even greater attention in recent years due to the marriage of Prince Harry with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex in 2018 and the popularity of the TV show, Bridgerton, in which Charlotte is portrayed by black actress Golda Rosheuvel and is one of the only real historical figures in the show.
This English royal history documentary from History Calling puts the theory that Queen Charlotte was black or biracial to the test, looking at portraits of this Hanoverian Queen consort by Sir Allan Ramsay alongside other images of her and descriptions of her appearance written by those who saw her, including Horace Walpole, Baron Stockmar and Lady Mary Coke. It also points out the many flaws in the research used to support this idea and ultimately provides an evidence-based answer to the question, was Queen Charlotte black?
🔔 Subscribe for more YouTube history documentaries that reveal what really happened in the past.
Please note that my videos represent my opinions only.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
The Real Queen Charlotte
youtu.be/ZIORImLJ3gg
What Bridgerton gets right and wrong about history
youtu.be/eLi4J3BBzWk
How Historical Fiction Is Misleading Millions | The Truth Behind TV, Books & Period Dramas
youtu.be/i_bRhXQY4Zs
The real Pocahontas
youtu.be/TbR5aTLCQgs
LEARN MORE:
[FREE] ‘The blurred racial lines of famous families’ by Mario de Valdes y Cocom. Originally published in 1997, but this version was updated in 2021.
pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#CharlotteOfMecklenburgStrelitz #QueenCharlotte #Bridgerton #QueenCharlotteBlack
