BRIDGERTON’S new series has left fans shocked with harrowing scenes of torture in a plotline exploring the madness of King George.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel to the Netflix regency romp, exploring how the royal first met the King, Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton.
The action flashes back and forth to see the three women as fans know them now as the Ton’s matriarchs, with younger actors called in to play them in their youth.
But it’s the traumatic scenes featuring the young King George undergoing experimental medical treatment that have rocked viewers of the new series, which landed on Netflix this morning.
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The desperate royal, played by newcomer Corey Mlychreest, begs an unorthodox quack to cure his insanity as his mental condition deteriorates following his wedding to Charlotte.
It sees him shackled to a chair in a dingy cellar and put through agonising methods that many would now consider to be torture.
The scenes feature him being waterboarded in ice baths, leeches applied to his skin until he burns and blisters and beaten as he is strapped and gagged in a chair.
The physician rages: “In here you are just another animal in a cage and just like an animal, I will break you!”
The breathtaking scenes left fans of the franchise shaken.
Taking to social media, one said: "this is actually so sad …"
Another stated: "So George really have that disease ever since?" alongside a crying emoji.
A third remarked: "can someone lmk what george suffers with i don’t think anybody really specifically mentioned it in the show."
Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell return as the Queen, Lady Agatha Danbury and Violet Bridgeton, with India Amarteifio as young Charlotte and Arsema Thomas as young Agatha.
Elsewhere the new six-parter crams in a series of outrageous sex scenes and an interesting take on the real life history of George III and societal changes during his reign.
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Makers Shondaland give a disclaimer at the start of the show.
Lady Whistledown narrator Julie Andrew says: “This is the story of Queen Charlotte. It is not a history lesson, it is fiction inspired by fact.
“All liberties taken by the author are quite intentional.”