Vice President Kamala Harris Hosts Shonda Rhimes, ‘Queen Charlotte’ Cast at Her D.C. Home

Vice President Kamala Harris opened up her home this week for (small-screen) royalty.

Harris hosted Shonda Rhimes, members from her Shondaland team and stars of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Tuesday at her private residence in Washington D.C. Per a White House official, who confirmed the event, the purpose of the gathering was to honor Rhimes, while also celebrating the premiere of the Netflix series which hit the streamer on May 4.

The show focuses a lens on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power. The prequel “tells 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.”

The White House official added that the gathering made sense in that Rhimes embodies a core value of the vp’s by working to “ensure that while she may be the first, she won’t be the last.” Rhimes has long put diversity, inclusion and representation at the forefront of her projects and in the foundation of Shondaland.

It’s been a busy week for Rhimes. She followed up the Washington D.C. trip by hitting New York for more Queen Charlotte promotion. Her itinerary included a BAFTA tribute event at the Midnight Theatre where she accepted a special prize and sat for a fireside chat with moderator Wajahat Ali. During the conversation, she acknowledged the current Writers Guild of America strike by saying, “I am a writer on strike right now.”

She also talked diversity and inclusion, referencing the show’s portrayal of Charlotte as Black — something that has been questioned by some historians. “We don’t know what her heritage was, exactly, but the thing I find the most interesting is how hard people are working to make sure that people know she couldn’t possibly be brown. That’s the weirdest thing in the world to me. Why does it matter? Think about that.”

Exclusive images from the luncheon are below.