For more than two hundred years, a single question has sparked curiosity: Did the British monarchy once include a queen with distant African or North African ancestry?
The woman at the center of this discussion is Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz—wife of King George III, mother of fifteen children, and grandmother of Queen Victoria.
Her story sits at the crossroads of history, empire, and how societies interpret race. Over time, different parts of her background have been debated, simplified, or left out entirely.
This is not a tale of a “hidden queen” erased from history.
It is the story of how appearance, lineage, and cultural interpretation were understood in 18th-century Europe—and how one queen became the focus of an ongoing historical conversation.
A Young Princess Arrives in Britain
Charlotte came to Britain in 1761 at age seventeen, chosen to marry the young King George III.
Her arrival coincided with Britain’s expansion across the Atlantic, during a period when the transatlantic slave trade shaped the empire’s economy. Ideas about race and hierarchy influenced politics, art, and social attitudes. It was within this environment that people began discussing Charlotte’s appearance and family line.
Paintings, Perception, and Historical Interpretation
Dozens of portraits of Queen Charlotte remain today, but they differ notably in style.
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Some early works, especially those by Allan Ramsay (an artist known for his support of abolition), portray Charlotte with features that contemporary viewers associated with North African or Moorish ancestry.
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Later portraits conform more strongly to the idealized European standards common in royal art.
These contrasts have inspired centuries of debate. Were the variations purely artistic style? Idealized royal conventions? Or part of a broader shift as Britain built racial theories supporting empire?
Most scholars attribute the differences to stylistic change, but Ramsay’s paintings remain a central piece in the discussion.
The Genealogical Claim
The most frequently cited argument about Charlotte’s ancestry traces back nine generations to Margarida de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman.
Historically accepted points:
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Margarida descended from King Afonso III of Portugal and a woman named Madragana.
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Madragana has been described in some sources as “Moorish,” a term that historically referred to people of North African Muslim heritage.
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A connection nine generations back would make any genetic influence extremely distant.
Thus, Charlotte may have had a remote North African ancestor, but whether this connects her to any modern racial category is still debated.
Some researchers argue for a meaningful link; many academic historians note that the evidence is limited and often interpreted through modern assumptions rather than 18th-century context.
What People of Her Time Said
Some writers of the 18th and 19th centuries commented on Charlotte’s appearance using language typical of their era. Their descriptions reflect period attitudes about race rather than reliable biological evidence.
These remarks shaped early interpretations of Charlotte’s background and contributed to later claims about her ancestry.
At the same time, the gradual shift in her later portraits—toward a more standardized European style—mirrored broader changes in Britain:
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the rise of racial theories used to justify slavery
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the spread of pseudoscientific claims about hierarchy
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growing pressure to present the monarchy in a fully “European” image
Even without deliberate intent, royal portraiture often softened or altered features to match idealized standards.
Why the Debate Continues
Queen Charlotte’s ancestry resurfaces repeatedly:
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In the 1940s, researchers began public discussions about possible African lineage.
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In 1996, a PBS feature explored the theory.
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Modern genealogists emphasize that the ancestry is plausible but not proven.
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Popular culture—especially Netflix’s Bridgerton—revived the idea with a creative reinterpretation.
This debate persists because it challenges a long-held assumption that European royal history was entirely homogeneous. Regardless of certainty, Charlotte’s story opens broader questions about diversity in European history.
Race, Power, and the Making of Historical Narratives
Charlotte’s experience highlights how societies create and reshape historical identity.
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Race is a social framework, not a precise scientific category.
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Portraits can reveal history, but they can also reinterpret it.
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Genealogy can be used thoughtfully—or misused—to support competing claims.
Charlotte lived during a time when Britain both exploited African labor and romanticized certain elements of African and Middle Eastern culture. She moved within a court that at times scrutinized her appearance, while she personally supported cultural and scientific projects, including the development of Kew Gardens.
Her story illustrates the contradictions of an empire that imposed racial categories while projecting them onto others.
When Meghan Markle entered the royal family, discussions of race erupted again—often presented as if diversity in the monarchy were unprecedented. Charlotte’s story shows that European history is more complex than those narratives suggest.
What History Ultimately Shows
Queen Charlotte’s legacy does not rest on definitive proof of ancestry. Instead, it reflects:
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how societies interpret lineage
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how art shapes reputation
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how historical narratives adapt to political needs
Her story reveals that European history has always been more diverse than simplified accounts suggest.
If there is a “hidden truth,” it is not that Charlotte was secretly the first Black queen of England.
It is that the histories we are taught often leave out complexity in favor of neat, comfortable stories.
Remembering Queen Charlotte means recognizing that ancestry, identity, and power have always been intertwined—and that the past is rarely as simple as it seems.
