Last episode, last review! Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” cements Charlotte and George’s love to make it unbreakable through time and space. Ready?
Here we go!
“You and Me” in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” George and Charlotte cement their love and work as a team, but it is not easy for them. At first, George tries to push Charlotte away again. He can’t be with her, he can’t condemn her to live with someone who can’t quite distinguish the real world. In his head, the stars and the earth collide and George is not sure what is real or not. He can’t tell them apart.
The difference is that Charlotte won’t let George get away from her. It’s she who has to decide if she wants to be by George’s side or not, not him, and she chose him. She will be by his side at every step, she will be between the earth and the stars to bring him back to reality, to her. But she’s not willing to if he doesn’t love her. She does, she loves him with all her heart. She chose to love him the moment she decided to marry him.
But if George doesn’t love her, Charlotte confesses to him in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” that she is willing to do whatever he wants. She loves him so much that she only cares about his happiness and she won’t force her presence on him if he doesn’t want. She can live somewhere else, she can have her baby on her own, and she can do it all by herself. But only if he tells her that he doesn’t love her. Because if he does, if George loves her, she’ll fight for him, even against George himself.
Love is a Choice
And George can’t lie to her, not even to get her away. He loves her, he loves her since he saw her. But that’s the reason why he can’t condemn her to be by his side, he loves her too much to do so. But for Charlotte, it’s not a sentence, no matter what happens to him, she loves him. It’s her and him. Nothing else. And that for George, for someone who has always felt like a half-man, is so important that it makes me cry.
So in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” George decides to believe in Charlotte, in them. They are a team, no matter what. Charlotte’s love and daily routine work for George for a while. They are happy together, they have their son in their arms and George is surrounded by love and family. That prevents him from getting more attacks.
But all good things have an end. Real problems start knocking on their door. After speaking with Augusta in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” Charlotte realizes that if they want to preserve everything they hold dear, George has to go back to being the king. She trusts him. George can do it. And so she, together with him, with their hands joined, face the challenge of having George give a speech at the Parliament.
Being a Team is the Key in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
Everything seems to be going well at first, but the anxiety of doing something wrong ends up leading to a new attack by George. After this, he feels like a failure, and useless, and the old demons return. Charlotte will be better off without him. He can’t even give a blissful speech at the Parliament. But Charlotte doesn’t let him walk away and keeps him together. They’re a team and when George falls, she’s there to help him up. Always.
George couldn’t give that speech at the Parliament in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” but maybe is not necessary. They just need to check that George is okay. So he can make an appearance in his palace. Being in his home will help George feel more comfortable and less anxious, which will prevent him from having another attack.
And, if they had not shown it before, here they show that Charlotte and George make the perfect team. The ball is a success, and though George wasn’t confident he could pull it off, holding Charlotte’s hand and looking into her eyes gave him the strength he needed. George knows that she will never let go. And so, the kings of the United Kingdom show the world their strength as a royal couple.
“You, Me, and Them”
But the surprises don’t end for George in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” He is the happiest when he finds out that Charlotte is pregnant again. It’s the two of them… and their children. Their legacy. Their family. The symbol of their union, of their love, of how they chose each other.
And that legacy lives on in the present during Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” Charlotte goes to meet George, even though he hasn’t been by her side for a long time. However, the news of their first grandchild brings him back, only Charlotte can do it.
George recognizes her in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” He always has. Looking into her eyes was always the way to find her between the stars and the earth. The years have not changed that. And George can only thank Charlotte for believing in him, trusting him, and never letting go.
But he has nothing to thank you for. Charlotte is thankful that George let her stay by his side and make her so happy. And yes, we are melted! But the moment that makes us cry hopelessly is when George tells her that she didn’t jump the wall and she looks at him with all the love she feels for him and tells him that she didn’t.
Despite all these years, George still marvels that she chose him, but she would do it all over again. This is how true love works.
“He’s Yours Now” in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
Unable to speak to George, Augusta visits the young couple in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” Although her visit is not well received. Charlotte cannot forgive her for how she treated her since she came to London or for allowing George to be tortured. So she’s not going to let Augusta hurt them again. However, Augusta is there to remind them both that George is the king, and he must act as such.
The House of Lords is getting nervous that their king shows no sign of acting like one. For them, that is alarming, which means that the crown is at risk. Be that as it may, Augusta has taken it upon herself for decades to keep the crown and her son safe from public ridicule, and now everything is in jeopardy. She can’t allow it.
And Augusta is right in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” George may enjoy and his mental health may benefit from hard work in the field, but the truth is that he is the king and he cannot ignore that.
But now George is married and Augusta can recognize that she is no longer in charge of keeping him or the crown safe. Now Charlotte must take care of that. Augusta is passing the baton to Charlotte for what she has been her whole life up to now because Augusta knows that Charlotte will be able to do it. Augusta trusts her.
“You Make Him Happy”
We can easily verify this at the end of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” In the middle of the dance, Augusta approaches Charlotte and apologizes to her in her way. Augusta is a racist and had a lot of problems with Charlotte because of this.
But beyond that, the problem was that Augusta didn’t know if she could trust Charlotte to safeguard George and the crown. Augusta didn’t know if Charlotte was going to measure up. But Charlotte showed her that she does. And if there’s one thing they both have in common, it’s that they love George with all their hearts. Both would do the impossible to protect him and that unites them.
Augusta made many wrong decisions, but her goal was always for George to be happy. And now, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” Augusta recognizes that Charlotte makes him happy after all. She chose him. And she not only knew how to understand and support him but also defend him tooth and nail, even from Augusta.
Charlotte chose to love George above all else and it’s the cause of him being happier than Augusta has ever seen him. That’s why Augusta respects and values her. She is up to it. There can be no better queen than her and she deserves that title by right. This scene is very satisfying to watch, after all of Augusta’s slighting of Charlotte.
Happiness is Elusive in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
Lady Danbury didn’t have it easy in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” She only knew the contempt she felt for her husband and what she begins to feel for Lord Ledger takes her by surprise. He understands her, listens to her, cares about her, and shows her the pleasure of connecting intimately with someone, both physically and emotionally. It’s not love, but it’s starting to look like it.
In any case, it’s the first time that Agatha chooses. Agatha chooses to spend time with Lord Ledger and chooses to invite him into her bed. She didn’t expect to feel anything for anyone, she didn’t even know it was a possibility. But she is excited about Lord Ledger, being by his side makes her happy, even if it’s forbidden. But her happiness is short-lived.
In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” Lord Ledger decides to end the relationship that is growing between them. He also starts to fall in love with her but he is married. At that time, he couldn’t leave her wife to be with Agatha, and he respects her too much to even think of making her his lover.
Despite the damage Lord Ledger is doing to Agatha by separating from her, it’s the greatest proof of respect and value to her that anyone has ever shown her, and it’s also proof of how important Lord Ledger was starting to feel for Agatha. We will always have longing looks between them…
Formidable Enemies
Agatha resents the loss of unexpected happiness that Lord Ledger made her feel in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” It’s too much. She just lost the only happiness she felt in her life and the matter of her title is still pending. Losing it would mean having to remarry and start the story of contempt and unhappiness from which she has just freed herself.
And that’s too much. Agatha is strong but she reaches a point in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” where she feels that she can’t take it anymore and she breaks down. She precisely does it at the moment when she least of all should do it: in front of Augusta. The Dowager Princess is a rival with whom she is playing a game of chess. Agatha can’t show weakness to her because it would be like giving her the chance to get her final blow.
However, Augusta surprises us all in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” Augusta, far from taking advantage of Agatha’s fragility, helps her pull herself together. Augusta understands Agatha because she went through the same thing, which is why she admires her so much.
She was also once just a woman who had no say in her life and who she had to silently allow herself to be sexually assaulted every night, just waiting for it to be over for good. Like Agatha. And, like Agatha, Augusta fought tooth and nail for power over her own life. And she got it. Agatha is about to do it and she can’t give up now. Luckily, she doesn’t.
Keeping All Options Open in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
Despite this bonding moment, Lady Danbury must keep her options open in case the chess match with Augusta doesn’t go as she hopes in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” So she takes the chance life gives her to meet Adolphus partly to secure her future and partly to forget about Lord Ledger.
Agatha doesn’t feel good doing this. Adolphus is a cute boy and he looks excited and she…can’t bear the thought of remarrying, let alone someone she doesn’t feel anything for. But it’s what she must do to secure her future, so she moves on.
Agatha keeps going in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” until she can’t take it anymore. When Adolphus starts talking about what life will be like for her before she even had a chance to say “yes,” Agatha reacts. She realizes that marriage to Adolphus would be like being in jail again. And she’s not willing to go through that again, no matter what the future holds for her. A brave woman indeed.
The Power of a Queen
Luckily, things go relatively well for Agatha at the end of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” Although Charlotte finds out about what happened between her brother and Agatha, Charlotte understands and doesn’t blame her. The most interesting thing about this conversation is the more formal way in which Charlotte treats Agatha.
While she always spoke to Agatha in a close manner, in this conversation you can see how Charlotte imposes the distance that a queen would have with her subjects. Charlotte deals with re-climbing the palace walls, not letting Lady Danbury in or letting her know their secrets.
In this conversation at the end of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” we see Charlotte behave like the queen that she is and stop being just Charlotte to be the Queen. It’s a nice transition to see because we witnessed the evolution of the character throughout the show. But, at the same time, it’s also sad because Charlotte leaves a part of herself behind to embrace the responsibility that comes with being queen.
The best thing about this is that Charlotte makes sure that Agatha gets the title of Lady Danbury. Thus, she doesn’t have to worry about her future or do anything against her will to preserve it. Charlotte made sure that Agatha could be free.
Secrets Revealed
Meanwhile, in the present that Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” shows us, Violet ends up finding out what happened between Agatha and her father. Lady Danbury doesn’t exactly know how to look at Violet right now. She doesn’t regret what happened between her and Lord Ledger but Violet is her friend and she is afraid of the repercussions that the past may have on their friendship.
After all, even if Violet’s mother was the worst, she was Violet’s mother, and both Lord Ledger and Agatha betrayed her. But Violet has no claim to make to Lady Danbury. Maybe if she had discovered this sooner she would. But now, Violet knows everything that Lady Danbury suffered and that what happened between her father and her was sincere, forbidden, but sincere. No one is to blame for falling in love with the impossible.
So in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” we see that Violet doesn’t blame Agatha for what happened between her and her father in the past. On the contrary, that seems to unite them more. To be honest, we can’t wait to see what the dynamic between the two of them will be like in Bridgerton season 3 after what happened in this series.
“You Were Never a Mother”
For her part, Charlotte argues with her children in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels.” They face her mother for the first time. And it hurts Charlotte to hear what they say to her, but that doesn’t take away their reason. Like Lady Danbury, she was never a mother to her children.
She was her queen and she taught them everything they needed to know about what it means to be part of the royal family and bear the weight of the crown, plus the expectations that come with it. But nothing else.
Charlotte never hugged them, never comforted them, never supported them. Actually, she doesn’t know them. She was so focused on making sure they were prepared to assume the crown that she paid no attention to anything else.
At first, Charlotte has a hard time accepting the truth of these words in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” but, as always, Brimsley is there to help her, even if it means saying something she doesn’t want to hear and it will break her heart.
“We All Serve the King” in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
As Brimsley points out in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” they all dedicated themselves to caring for the king. Charlotte dedicated herself to being his center, his anchor in this world, as she held his hand and they reigned together.
Later, she had to reign in solitude as she watched the man she loved disappear a little more each day. Her silently grieving the slow loss of him while she kept the family and the crown together. That left her no time to be a mother.
Charlotte promised George a legacy, the fruit of their union, and a symbol of their love. It’s them and their children. Always. Not having grandchildren, and not having a legacy, is something Charlotte can’t stand in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels” because it means she broke her promise.
That’s why Charlotte puts so much pressure on her children. The legacy doesn’t only mean the continuation of the crown but of the family. The legacy means that they chose each other and never let go of each other’s hands, despite everything.
And yes, despite her reluctance to accept it, Charlotte is aware that she made mistakes as a mother and she didn’t know how to be one. But when her son gives her the news of the baby on the way in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels,” she can’t help but hug him and thank him from the bottom of her heart for making possible the promise she and George made so many years ago. We’re in tears!
Other Stuff in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 1×06 “Crown Jewels”
- Brimsley and Reynolds in the bathtub! I love them!
- The transition between Brimsley and Reynolds dancing together and Brimsley doing it alone is…heartbreaking. We need explanations! And Netflix’s mailing address to send them the bill from the psychologist.
- Will there be a spin-off of Violet and Edmund Bridgerton? This show finished all its plots but it seems that it’s an idea designed to be able to do more stories related to the Bridgertons. Violet seems the only one ready to tell her story. I mean, I think Edmund’s name wasn’t brought into this series for no reason. And judging by Shonda’s recent interviews, I’m not wrong.
- I loved the moment when George didn’t give a damn and as soon as Charlotte called him because she needed him, he came to her side.
- The scene where George confronts his mom and tells her that his little boy is perfect and will be the next king no matter what is one of my favorite moments on the show. It’s at this moment George realizes that his baby is perfect just the way he is and that he will not put his son through what Augusta put him through. George had to endure torture to fit into the role of the king he was supposed to be. His son will not go through that. Character growth!
- It’s the dress embroidered with stars and constellations for me.
- Monro asking Augusta for mercy and her not ordering his death turned my stomach.
- I end the show with the feeling that Charlotte managed to find the love of her life, a home, and her happiness, as well as being the queen she was destined to be, the one society needed. However, Charlotte didn’t get to be the queen that she wanted to be.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is available to stream on Netflix.
