'Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte Spinoff Adds Two Key Roles

The Bridgerton universe began as a TV show adapted by an American producer, Shonda Rhimes, from a series of novels by an American writer, Julia Quinn. But the result was as British as teatime, thanks to some brilliant casting. It also made one more smart alteration, adding in royal couple Queen Charlotte and King George III. The first official spinoff, focusing on Queen Charlotte's early years, is doing something completely separate from the books, digging into actual British history of a real-life Queen — though most likely with fictional results. And the new cast members have fans hopeful that some of Quinn's stories will be part of the show.

Fans of Quinn's novels know there is also a set of prequels to the Bridgerton series, known as The Rokesby Series. None of them feature Queen Charlotte; they center around the previous generation of Bridgertons—just not Edmund and Violet, who are cameo characters in romances focused on Edmund's sisters and their friends, the Rokesby family. But with a TV series that is focused on Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and her inner circle, which includes Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell), and their younger counterparts, fans have been hoping to see some Rokesby action.

That seems likely with the most recent casting announcement. Deadline confirmed that the as-yet-untitled Queen Charlotte spinoff would include British actors Katie Brayben (King Charles III) and Keir Charles (Flesh and Blood) will play recurring characters Vivian Ledger and Lord Ledger. Bridgerton viewers won't necessarily recognize those names, but Rokesby fans will: Edmund married Violet Ledger when he was 20 years old, and she was 17 after a six-month courtship. Violet was the only child of the Ledger family, and her parents were wary, but as she and Edmund had known each other since childhood, they allowed it.