Available on Netflix, “Queen Charlotte” features Doctor Monro, a sadistic man responsible for treating King George III. Is it a fictional character or a doctor who really existed? Explanations.
Queen Charlotte takes place 40 years before the events of The Chronicle of the Bridgertons and explores, as its title suggests, the early years of the sovereign as soon as she came to power. The series also focuses on King George III and his mental disorders.
From episode 4, viewers discover the many abuses inflicted on the king by a particularly sadistic doctor, Doctor Monro. This man of science, follower of instruments of torture, appears as one of the antagonists of the series, but did he really exist?
Like some characters present in Queen Charlotte, Doctor Monro did exist. Nonetheless, her connection to King George III has nothing to do with Shonda Rhimes’ fiction. The real doctor was named John Monroe – the spelling of his name is slightly different. Specializing in mental disorders, he was nicknamed the “mad doctor”.
Asked by Express.co.ukhistorian and professor Andrew Scull, who has long written about this man, says he was one of the most renowned doctors in the second half of the 17th century.
During the reign of King George III, John Monroe ran Bethlem Hospital. At this time, a woman, named Margaret Nicholson, had tried to kill the sovereign, convinced that she was his wife, the Queen of England.
“They took her to Bethlem and she died ten years after King George IIIexplains Andrew Scull. She lived a long time and she became a real curiosity for tourists who came to London.” John Monroe was reportedly consulted unofficially about the king’s mental health, but it was physicist Francis Willis who was responsible for watching over his health.
The sovereign was one of the first public figures to be mentally ill. His condition has had a positive impact on society since it has helped to change prejudices about psychological disorders.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Chapter is available on Netflix.