Queen Charlotte Sophia: A Royal Affair

by Tina Andrews

Newly crowned King George III must marry, but he can't wed the woman he loves - Catholic Lady Sarah Lennox. Thus a search begins for an appropriate German Protestant royal.

For years Charlotte has hidden her ethnicity using white Elizabethan makeup to help her title-rich but cash-poor family survive. An opportunity to marry the British king is one that she can't pass up, but Charlotte is also in love with someone else - the talented but poor commoner, Johann Christian Bach (son
of JS Bach).

Does King George give up Lady Sarah? Will Queen Charlotte ever see Bach again? And what of her family secret and quest for answers?

Genres: Historical, Fiction, Historical Fiction

434 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2023

Reviews

[Astrid Herhoffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Charlotte Sophia was a remarkable woman and as such is portrayed in this book. The reader meets her first as a 10 year old in 1752 in Mirow Palace in Germany, where she grew up. With her beloved father dead, a mother that held her in contempt and some very negative early life experiences she was eager to leave this place when the prospect of an arranged marriage with England’s King George III presented itself. Being only 17 years old and madly in love with Christian Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach’s son) she became Queen in a country she did not know, with a language she did not speak and married to a man who loved another.

We witness this young girl growing into a Queen who commanded the respect of her subjects and members of government and a woman who won the affection of her husband. Intelligent, intuitive and self-aware she pursued what she felt to be right and important. Much is made in this book of her ethnicity, her bloodline that can be traced back to Madragana Ben Bekar and her ancestorial links to Moorish rulers – which arguably made her the first black English Queen. This in fact provides the entire backbone to the book and links neatly into the struggle for the abolition of Slavery which Queen Charlotte Sophia supported.

Turner mixes this potent historical background with her own imagination, which greatly adds to the intrigue of her novel but it also shifts the balance away from a more traditional historical novel towards a page-turner of rather unlikely events. If this does not bother you, you are in for a very enjoyable roller coaster of a read, if – like me – you prefer something a little closer to historical truth, this may not be for you.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Jacaranda Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bethany Bessant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an incredibly interesting story that definitely had me wanting to learn more about Queen Charlotte so that I could find out what about the story was true vs. fictional. But it was also incredibly long and meandering, to the point where I would kind of lose track of the plot. I couldn’t tell if this was kind of a fictionalised biography in that it was supposed to tell her whole life without sticking to a consistent plot and struggle, or if the mystery of the amulet was supposed to take centre stage as the plot. If it was the latter, the amulet plot was definitely lost amongst everything else. But if it was the former, it was a really great fictionalised biography. I think the character work in this book was really good because I was rooting for the characters I had grown to love. Charlotte definitely has a lot of men falling for her, and I rooted for every one of them at some stage. George was a surprise because the only prior depictions I’d seen of him were Bridgerton and Hamilton. Those are obviously very opposite depictions, and this was just another layer because it showed that his beliefs were very much of the time. I also want to learn about him more to discover what historians believe truly caused his madness. Queen Charlotte’s story was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Towards the end, everyone was dying and everything was going wrong. It definitely made me emotional. I do think the religious element of this book was incredibly intense though and, as someone who doesn’t love organised religion, it wasn’t my favourite thing - especially in the way it was used at the end of the story. All in all, this was still super interesting and, despite the slower start, I did find myself unable to put it down and reading it pretty quickly by the end. But I definitely need to dive into a mafia romance of alien romance or something super palette cleanser in nature after this.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping historical fiction that looks at the life of Queen Charlotte Sophia, a German princess who marries King George III of England, also known as the mad king. The book sees us through Queen Charlotte's entire life from her childhood all through her life and reign in England. She's a fascinating character and we see her develop into her own throughout the story.

One of the big plot lines of the book is Queen Charlotte's ethnicity and moor heritage. We see her searching for the secrets of her family throughout and the journey it takes her on. In particular the amulet left by her father and the scrolls of ancient texts. The book doesn't shy away from discussing issues of race and the slave trade at the time.

There is heartbreak, friendship, love, death, assault throughout. Overall I found the book heartbreaking, entertaining and well researched. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction books on royalty!

Favourite quote:
"Our knowledge is hindered by distraction and truths half told".

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A work of fiction with Queen Charlotte, wife to King George III, as it’s central character. Charlotte’s ethnicity and her moor heritage play a huge part in the book as she searches for the secrets left by her ancestors. What is so important about the scrolls and the amulet left to her by her father?
I’m not going to say that I didn’t enjoy the book because, as a page turner, involving intrigue at the English court, it’s a winner. However, for me personally, I prefer my historical fiction to have a little more factual truth to them.
If you are a fan of Bridgerton, then I think you will enjoy this book. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something more biographical, maybe this isn’t the one for you.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth England · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the few historical fiction books I’ve read, and definitely is a genre I’d like to explore more. It tells the story of Queen Charlotte Sophia, who grew up in Germany and moved to England to marry King George.

It tells us all about her many difficulties in growing up with her heritage, having to hide it from everyone, and the hardships she encounters throughout her life as Queen. She is powerful and determined, and an inspiring woman!

I enjoyed the combination of story and diary entries, and hearing how the story of her life unfolded - particularly around her love interests! It is a very long book, covering most of her life, which means some aspects were slightly lost (particularly around the amulet). However, I found it engaging, emotional, and a demonstration of resilience.

[Des · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect read for those who enjoyed Shonda Rhimes’s Queen Charlotte but found themselves wanting more historical context and less star crossed lovers! Definitely gave an interesting perspective and insight on the entire life of Queen Charlotte, the slave trade and the political machinations of 18th century Britain. This reimagined life and history of Queen Charlotte Sophia is heartbreaking, entertaining, and incredibly well researched.

TW: extreme racism (the slave trade), death, rape and sexual assault.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous tale about Queen Charlotte, wife of King George. He is in love with someone else, but as they grow closer he gradually develops feelings for Charlotte. She is the owner of a mysterious amulet but all is revealed eventually to her. I will say no more, but the story becomes more thrilling as you read it, even though it is a page turner to begin with. I would recommend this book to all lovers of historical novels.

[karla JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read about Queen Charlotte. The wife of king George. I really find this book engaging and easy to read, I liked how the author take us to the journey of their relationship and how in the end they grow feelings for each other. I really think it gonna be a big lovely book for any royalty and historic fans out there. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the access to this arc. Definitely will recommend it

[Kiki✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨Beautiful descriptions
✨ I really enjoyed the relationships the characters had with each other
✨Charlotte and Christian have my heart
✨Entertaining interpretation of Queen Charlottes history

🪄The SA in the first part of the story felt unnecessary
🪄Wasn’t a massive fan of the fantastical elements
🪄The book needed an editor, the start and end of the book was very long and could have been cut down, this book could have lost 100-200 pages which would have made it more captivating

[Chum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m stuck between giving it 2 or 3 stars . Just don’t be like me and pick this up thinking this is the story of queen charlotte from Bridgeton 🫩 I should’ve known though, after the first couple of pages when there was suddenly talk of the magical powers of an amulet. Reading this felt like being a part of an out-of-hand maladaptive daydream

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping fictional look at Queen Charlotte Sophia, wife of mad King George III, and possibly the first mixed-race queen of England. A must read, perfect for savoring after watching Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story!