I am Venus: Folktale Motifs in Queen Charlotte
Adapted from my 2023 Twitter thread
How the love story of George and Charlotte subverts the classic animal bride and groom tales for a new generation:
We begin with clear swan maiden motifs, with Charlotte as the captured bride betrothed against her will. When the dowager princess refuses to allow her to wear the wedding gown she selected, this is stealing the animal skin (or power) of the animal bride.
What’s more, George’s mother insists she wear an English wedding gown. Clothing the bride claims her for the mundane world, separating her from her otherworldly home. In a typical swan maiden tale, she would flee the moment she recovers her stolen skin.
Then comes the first subversion of the tale: George gives her the option to leave, symbolically returning her animal skin and her power. And Charlotte chooses not only to stay, but also to wear her own wedding gown, thus claiming his world as hers.
Next we see Fruit Maiden motifs, as Charlotte is twice prevented from picking her own oranges. In these tales, the prince cuts open two oranges before discovering his true bride in the third. When Charlotte finally picks her own orange, she once again claims her power.
Later, we see hints of Star Lovers. George has already mentioned his interest in astronomy, but now we see his observatory. This fascination with the heavens and his role as monarch suggests that he is a star husband and Charlotte is his mortal bride.
However, Charlotte also originally called him a beast or troll, and as we see more of George’s mental health struggles, we realize that he does indeed see himself as the animal husband, unworthy of his celestial bride.
When she discovers him in the garden calling to Venus, Charlotte explicitly associates herself with the planet and thus with the goddess of the same name. It turns out SHE is the star bride after all, and George is the mortal husband.
In fact, as the king associates more and more with his "Farmer George" persona, even using this knowledge to assist Charlotte in birth, it becomes clear he is the earthly husband, always digging down while gazing up.
He allows himself to be practically buried in the cellar under the doctor's horrible "treatments," and hides under the bed to escape the sight of the heavens. His only light is his wife, descended from the sky of her own choice.
Mythically, the monarch is the conduit between heaven and earth. When Charlotte the Star Bride meets George the Earthly Husband in the middle, two halves become whole, and they are able to rule together.
Swan Maidens, Star Brides, and Fruit Maidens are nearly always captive brides. Their agency is not a factor in most folktales, but Queen Charlotte turns this on its head by making its heroine a goddess, giving her the power and choice to love as she wishes.
This story's thesis is vital in today's world where nothing seems certain: that life is lonely, so if you are fortunate to find your person, you choose to love them even when it's hard and painful. That feminine desire matters at every age. And that love can work miracles.
