From the earliest episodes of "Bridgerton" we've known that King George III has been affected for years by a serious illness. The prequel series "Queen Charlotte" dives more into George's illness from a young age, revealing more about what's going on and how it affects his relationships.

Although the "Bridgerton" universe takes artistic license with plenty of historical events, there's also some truth to its depiction of this particular storyline.

King George's Illness in "Queen Charlotte" and "Bridgerton"

"Queen Charlotte" explores in more depth the early days of the illness that would come to affect George's life so much. The first indication that something is wrong comes on his and Charlotte's wedding night, when he abruptly drops her off at her own palace and leaves her completely alone. Over the next few episodes, we learn more from his point of view: he's suffering from a variety of symptoms that...