Queen Charlotte's Corey Mylchreest on Why King George III Was 'Criminally Misunderstood'

History books were never kind to King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. Film, theater, and TV have been even less kind. For all his contributions to agriculture and abolitionism during his 60-year reign, George III’s legacy has been condensed to only his worst parts. He was a madman, a colonizer, and the king who lost America. Hamilton’s hilarious caricature of George III might be the most famous depiction of the man yet, but Netflix’s new show Queen Charlotte offers a softer, more insightful look at the late king.

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Photo by Netflix.

It’s no secret that the Bridgerton world, with all its pomp and pageantry, is a heavily fictionalized version of history, but that doesn’t stop audiences from craving this fantasy version of the past. Starring opposite India Amarteifio as young Queen Charlotte is Corey Mylchreest, who plays the young King George III. Most films and shows have focused on George III’s later life when mental illness took its toll on the old king, but Queen Charlotte rewinds time to tell the story of Charlotte and George’s happy, if later tragic, marriage. And this part, at least, is based on truth. The two monarchs reportedly had a happy life together before George’s mental illness drastically deteriorated.

Photo by Netflix.

And Mylchreest was given the responsibility of humanizing the young king despite his infamy. But the young actor was up for the task.

“It felt brilliant,” said Mylchreest to Esquire Philippines during a roundtable interview. "I think he is criminally misunderstood and misrepresented.”

The actor cited George III: The Life and Reign of Britain's Most Misunderstood Monarch by Andrew Roberts as a resource as he studied for his role. The biography is one of the few that views George as a devoted family man, highlights his advancements in British agriculture—hence the nickname Farmer George—and focuses on his patronage of science and mathematics.

“I can't stress enough how in 2015, there were 20,000 pages of George's private journals and letters—some of them to Charlotte, some to family, hundreds to doctors—that were released by the Royal libraries,” explained Mylchreest. And just by reading them, the actor concluded, without a doubt: “The man was amazing.”

Photo by Netflix.

“He was so much more than a madman and tried his whole life to do right by himself, by his family, by his people. He really wanted to do the best for everyone involved, and he wasn't the most intelligent person but he was really dedicated to trying. I have such a deep love for him,” said Mylchreest.

Viewers might just share his sentiments when the show drops next month.

Queen Charlotte will premiere on May 4 exclusively on Netflix.