Netflix's Bridgerton is getting a prequel about Queen Charlotte in May

Ever since Netflix's swoon-worthy series Bridgerton hit our screens, fans can't get enough of the high-society scandals centred around the family.

And now, to whet our appetites, showrunner Shonda Rhimes is bringing a prequel of the series to the streaming service.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will be released on May 4 and will follow Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power.

The series will also tell the story of how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.

Bridgerton's first season - starring Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page in their respective roles as Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset - was a runaway hit for Netflix, having been watched by an estimated 63 million households across the globe.

And the second season, which dropped in March last year, was equally devoured, following the story of Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and his love interest Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).