Why Young Queen Charlotte From Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Looks So Familiar
When you have a huge hit like "Bridgerton" on your hands, franchise expansion is inevitable. That's doubly true in the current IP war that Netflix and its streaming competitors are submerged in. It came as little surprise when the company announced a Queen Charlotte prequel series to the popular Regency romance, and now it's just a matter of weeks away.
"Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" is set to premiere on May 4, 2023, starring India Amarteifio in the title role. Golda Rosheuve will also return as her "modern day" Charlotte, alongside fellow "Bridgerton" stars Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell. Taking on the role of the young Charlotte is no small task, both because of the original show's success and the particular subject matter of the prequel. Going off of the "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" trailer, it seems that the new series will focus on the complex racial history of the franchise's alternate-history England, which has been divisive among fans in the past.
How well "Queen Charlotte" balances its lavish escapism with colonial history remains to be seen. But at the very least, it has a true young star leading the way. Amarteifio may soon be a household name thanks to her starring role in the spin-off, but she's already proven her talent in a number of major productions.
Amarteifio got her TV start on some big BBC series
India Amarteifio, currently 21 years old, started acting professionally at a very young age. A talented dancer, she performed on London's West End in shows like "The Lion King" and "Charlie and the Chocolate factory," in which she played the role of Violet.
Her big TV break came in 2013 when she appeared in the BBC One film "Gangsta Granny" at just 12 years old. This began a string of projects on the network, including a guest turn in the 2015 "Doctor Who" episode "The Magician's Apprentice" and a recurring role in the crime drama miniseries "The Interceptor," alongside the likes of O. T. Fagbenle and Jo Joyner.
Another big BBC role came in 2017 when Amarteifio appeared in Season 4 of the acclaimed crime procedural "Line of Duty," starring "Westworld" star Thandiwe Newton. She was only 15 at the time, but had already assembled an impressive resume across both the stage and the small screen.
She played Lacie Fairburn on The Evermoor Chronicles
India Amarteifio's longest-running role to date is that of Lacie Fairburn in "The Evermoor Chronicles" — a live-action Disney Channel series set in a magical English town. The show has many of the typical children's fantasy stylings you might expect from the likes of "Wizards of Waverly Place," with a lot of mystery and hidden mystical lore that's uncovered over the course of its 36 episodes.
Amarteifio's Lacie appears in 32 of those episodes and is central to the plot. Due to the production schedule, she ended up playing the role for almost three years, getting significant experience as a series regular in addition to all of her preexisting credits. During her tenure at Disney, she also featured in some other projects, including the Sky One children's miniseries "Fungus the Bogeyman," based on the book by Raymond Briggs. Shortly after "Evermoor" concluded its run, Amarteifio began playing the part of Maya Roebuck in the crime drama series "The Tunnel."
Amarteifio has become a star on British TV
Since reaching young adulthood, India Amarteifio has continued to pop up frequently on British TV. She kept her crime procedural streak going in 2018 by appearing in the ITV series "Unforgotten," and later played Lizzie Peach in the hit Netflix show "Sex Education." Her biggest TV role of late came in the 2022 Sky Max sci-fi series "The Midwich Cuckoos," which explores the mystery surrounding a series of supernatural pregnancies that occur in a small town. Amarteifio plays Nora Randall in the series, which is based on the 1957 John Wyndham novel of the same name. She also appeared in the 2019 comedy film "Military Wives."
While she's had plenty of major roles already, Amarteifio's fame is likely to skyrocket with her impending performance in the Queen Charlotte spin-off. "Bridgerton" has a wildly passionate fan base, so the prequel is sure to be the talk of the ton when it premieres on May 4, 2023.