The Inspiration Behind Queen Charlotte's Bridgerton Hairstyles

Members of the ton, a question for you: What would "Bridgerton" be without the iconic Queen Charlotte? If you can't imagine the series without her, you're not alone. But surprisingly, the queen was not included in the original book series. Julia Quinn, the author of the "Bridgerton" book series, told Town & Country, "I go back and forth between: 'Wow, I wish I'd put her in the books.' And: 'I'm glad I didn't put her in the books because I wouldn't have done her as great as they do her here.'" Luckily, Queen Charlotte was added when it was adapted into the Netflix show. The queen adds the perfect amount of humor, intensity, and stunning fashion to the show. Of course, we have the great Shonda Rhimes, producer of "Bridgerton," to thank for the creation of the beloved Queen Charlotte. 

Since Queen Charlotte had no written references, Rhimes was free to create the character in her image. When discussing diversity on screen, she told Harper's Bazaar, "For me, it's always just been an obvious necessity to make sure that people who look like me are included in the conversation." Therefore, the choice to have Queen Charlotte be a Black woman was a no-brainer. And we couldn't imagine anyone more perfect for the role than the incredible Golda Rosheuvel, a queen in her own right.

Not only is Queen Charlotte beloved for her masterful sleuthing and eagle-eye for the diamond of the season, but her looks are also iconic. Makeup and hair designer Marc Pilcher was thrilled to find out the queen was of African descent. He told Vogue, "I used the silhouettes of the period but in a celebration of her ethnicity, I used locks, braids and Afro-textured styles." A strong, beautiful woman of color playing a royal? We love to see it. Queen Charlotte's wigs quickly became a fan-favorite moment in each scene, with her hair seeming to grow higher and more regal with each passing episode.

Hair and makeup play a huge part in a character's expression on screen, and Queen Charlotte is no exception. Each one of her looks tells us something significant about her background, her self-expression, and her interpretation of traditional fashion. Pilcher perfectly blends the Regency-era fashion with the glamor and significance of African hair.

So, who could possibly inspire the looks of a queen? Only Queen Bey herself, Beyoncé — who has worn some shocking outfits herself. One of Queen Charlotte's most memorable wigs was directly inspired by Queen Bey's character in "Austin Powers." Marc Pilcher told Essence, "I was picking through some images and then I saw Beyoncé Knowles in "Austin Powers: Goldmember" and that's when I thought, 'That's what I want.' I wanted the biggest afro someone had ever seen." The process of making this wig took over 4 weeks and was made up of four or five wigs put together to create Pilcher's Beyoncé-inspired vision (via Good Housekeeping). 

This particular hairstyle is just one of the many regency-era-turned modern wigs that Queen Charlotte adorns throughout the series, and Pilcher also told Essence that he hopes Queen Charlotte's wigs influence other on-screen hair to blend the history of fashion with flares of modern-day. As for Queen Charlotte? More Beyoncé-inspired looks, please.