11 Bridgeton facts Lady Whistledown doesn’t want you to know...
1. Bridgerton isn’t historically accurate.
This might not be a surprise for everyone but despite its Regency-era setting, the Bridgerton series is far from historically accurate.
Julia Quinn told Entertainment Weekly "It's important to remember that 'Bridgerton' isn't a history lesson… The show is for a modern audience".
Bridgerton decided to take a different approach from most period dramas. They opted against hiring an expert to make sure that it’s historically accurate. Instead they decided to rip up the rule book and go for a modern and diverse reimagining of London’s high society with a modern soundtrack.
2. Bridgerton had an “intimacy coordinator”.
Yes, you heard it right, those steamy scenes were all choreographed on a yoga mat.
In an attempt to create a safer space for the actors during their more vulnerable on-screen moments, the series employed an intimacy coordinator. Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton, told Harper’s Bazaar. “It really was like shooting a stunt… we already knew exactly what we’re doing. We’d blocked it all so specifically.”
3. The Duke does not return in season 2.
This is one of the sadder Bridgerton facts, but The Duke will not be returning for a second season.
Unfortunately, Lady Whistledown broke the news, and our hearts, on the show’s official social media pages.
Regé-Jean Page (the actor plays The Duke) also addressed his exit from the show on X (formerly Twitter), writing "Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family - on and off screen, cast, crew and incredible fans - the love is real and will just keep growing."
4. The gowns were even more elaborate than you realised.
According to Netflix over 120 garments were made for Daphne Bridgerton alone.
And if you think that’s extreme, Nicola Coughlan who plays Penelope Featherington told Parade that her first costume fitting took a staggering four hours!
I don’t know about you, but as great as getting dressed up for a ball is, it’s probably not worth spending four hours squeezing yourself into a corset.
5. Queen Charlotte is a real historical figure.
Historically, Queen Charlotte is believed to have been England's first monarch of mixed race.
Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton's creator, told Entertainment Tonight, "That's something that really resonated with me… I started to wonder what that could have looked like. What could this queen have done?” and so, Queen Charlotte, as we now know her, was brought to life by Golda Rosheuvel!
6. Mary Poppins, the Princess Diaries and Bridgerton all have something in common.
Maybe you know this Bridgerton fact already. Or maybe you sat through the entire series trying to place the familiar voice of Lady Whistledown.
Well, let us put you out of your misery.
It was everyone’s favourite nanny and Queen of Genovia… Julie Andrews!
7. Queen Charlotte almost ‘wigged out’!
One of Queen Charlotte's wigs was so heavy that it had to be removed during breaks!
The majority of the Bridgerton wigs weren’t particularly heavy but due to the amount of braids in it, the one Queen Charlotte wore to Daphne and Simon's wedding party had to be taken off between scenes.
8. Start searching for bees!
If you look very carefully you’ll start to spot bee motifs throughout the series. It turns out the bee is the symbol of the Bridgerton family.
If you keep an eye on the dresses, jewellery, hair pieces and even door knockers you’ll start seeing our busy little friends pop up.
9. In the books, Simon still struggles with a stutter as an adult.
In both the books, and the series, Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, doesn’t talk until he is 4 years old. On the show he completely overcomes his stutter leaving Daphne confused when she learns about his childhood struggles. However, in the books, Simon still struggles with speaking as an adult, particularly when he is upset or frustrated.
10. *Spoiler Alert* The identity of Lady Whistledown was not always set in stone! *Spoiler alert*
The final moments of season one revealed that Penelope Featherington was in fact Lady Whistledown!
But the shows creators told Entertainment Tonight that they did consider some different avenues originally. It turns out that characters like Daphne, Eloise, Lady Danbury and Brimsley were all in the running to be Lady Whistledown.
11. Lady Whistledown's identity isn’t revealed until the fourth book.
There are many differences between the books and the Bridgerton series. Although Lady Whistledown is revealed to be the same character in both the book and the show, in the books we don’t discover this until the fourth novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
Yours Truly,
The Works
