Content warning: This story mentions mental illness. If you’ve seen Netflix’s new Bridgerton spinoff Queen Charlotte already, then you might be curious about one thing: King George’s illness. Viewers have known about George’s illness since Bridgerton began, thanks to glimpses of him on the show (and Charlotte’s ruling in his place) as well as available information on the actual King George III, who inspired the Bridgerton universe’s character. But what was King George’s illness, and did his son actually take over as Prince Regent? Warning: Spoilers for Queen Charlotte follow.
To jog your memory about the show, Queen Charlotte reveals that George has been having what the characters in the show call “fits” even before he meets his bride. He keeps this a secret from Charlotte, attempting to shut her out by living in Kew rather than with her at Buckingham House. We find out he likes farming, and that he sometimes refers to himself as “Farmer George.” Other aspects of his episodes include shaking hands, a change in personality, and talking to the heavens, especially the planet Venus, which he can see through the telescope in his observatory.
George’s mother, the Princess Dowager, brings in a bevy of physicians to try and “cure” him, and one — Doctor Monro — employs unconventional methods that are basically torture. George is routinely strapped to a chair and gets his head dunked underwater. He’s even covered in leeches at one point. Monro attempts to control him by telling him he’s an animal in a cage, and even bars Charlotte or George’s right-hand man, Reynolds, from being able to see him at times.
We know that parts of Queen Charlotte are based on reality, even if the series itself is mainly fiction. According to the official Royal Family website, George was considered “mentally unfit” to rule by the end of his reign. The details about him having an observatory and an interest in farming were also real, though it’s unclear if these interests presented themselves in his episodes the way the show portrays it.
As for the actual name of his illness, historians and physicians have a few theories. Perhaps the most prominent one is acute porphyria. Porphyria is a rare hereditary blood disease that stems from having too many natural chemicals called porphyrins in the blood, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can cause mental changes like anxiety, hallucinations, and confusion — all things that we see affect George in the show.
Another theory, published by researcher Timothy Peters, is that George might have had bipolar disorder. Many other historians besides Peters dispute the porphyria claim and believe that George’s illness was psychiatric, according to the BBC — and that maybe the porphyria theory was so popular because mental illness on its own was so stigmatized.
The truth is, we’ll probably never know exactly what illness he had. It’s impossible to diagnose someone who lived so long ago, and medicine wasn’t exactly modern back then, making it hard to figure out even during his life. Queen Charlotte shows this when all the doctors disagree about what’s causing George’s episodes, from an inflamed cerebellum to an excess of ill humor in the legs. Regardless, in real life, his illness did lead his and Charlotte’s son, George IV, to have to take over as Prince Regent in the last decade of his reign, just like we see in Queen Charlotte.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.