Bridgerton is a Netflix original series set during the Regency Era, revolving around Daphne Bridgerton and her quest to gain a husband, hoping to find love in the process. The series is based on the Julia Quinn series of Bridgerton novels. Thanks to the help of showrunner / creator Shonda Rhimes’ script, this modernized Regency Era romance has received a great deal of praise, becoming the most-watched original series at the time of its launch. Bridgerton has been nominated for a number of awards, including a total of nine Primetime Emmy Awards, taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling.
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With season two of Bridgerton set to be released soon, it’s only fair to take a closer look at the first season and all it has to offer. On top of the phenomenal screenplay and elaborate costumes, Bridgerton has so much to offer to the historical drama genre. While the series has been torn apart for a plethora of inaccuracies, these are some things that Bridgerton has actually managed to capture perfectly about the Regency Era.
Head of the Family Deciding Who The Women Will Marry
In the series, we see Daphne get courted by a number of suitors after she is given the stamp of approval by the Queen. While this is all well and good for her, her brother Anthony, the eldest and therefore the head of the Bridgerton family, does not see any matches suitable for his sister. As a result, Anthony winds up chasing most of her suitors away. This is accurate to the Regency Era as the male nobility made decisions for the good of the whole family, including any marriages that would take place within a family. In most cases, it would be the father who is required to approve, but since the father of the Bridgertons is dead, that duty passes to the eldest son, Anthony.
Female Nobility’s Naivety of All “Marriage Things”
In a hilarious scene where Penelope Featherington reveals to her best friend Eloise Bridgerton that a “maid” is in the “family way,” Eloise gets confused because the woman that Penelope mentioned is unmarried. Eloise doesn’t understand a woman could be pregnant without being married because she believed the two to be directly correlated. She later asks her family about it and is dismissed quickly, with her mother refusing to speak of it. This information was kept from female nobility in the hopes of preserving their purity for their husband. This is shown even further when Daphne’s mother attempts to speak to her about sex on her wedding day and fails miserably, leaving the topic for the newlyweds to discuss.
There Were Black Nobility During the Regency Era
Many have said that the show’s diverse cast was a cause for issue to the historical accuracy of the show as most Regency Era films and TV are almost exclusively white. However, while people of color were far and few between, it was not uncommon to see a noble person of color during the Regency Era. For example; the portrayal of Queen Charlotte is seen to be relatively accurate as it has been said that she may have been bi-racial. That said, nobles of color were not as abundant as seen in the show as Black people were not free under the British Empire until 1833, after the Regency Era.
King George’s Madness
While Queen Charlotte was not actually the “regent” in the King’s absence, King George III was in fact ill. While it’s unclear what is wrong with the King at first, we eventually see that he is mad. While the presence of the King and Queen was added to the show, their portrayals are quite accurate. King George III was mentally and physically ill, rendering him incapable of carrying out his kingly duties. This illness was brought on by the death of his youngest daughter Princess Amelia, as displayed in the show when he believes that she is still alive and gets very upset when he is told that she is in fact dead.
Women Making Their Own Money
The series has two characters who are not of nobility and are in fact working women. Siena Rosso, the soprano singer at the local opera house and Genevieve Delacroix, a highly sought-after modiste who produces the finest dresses. Many often associate the Regency Era with what Daphne portrays, women just sitting around, waiting to get a marriage proposal, but that is untrue. Many women were able to make something of their own lives rather than be bound to family life. Both Siena and Genevieve make their own way and even support one another as Genevieve gives Siena a place to stay when Anthony ends their relationship.
Existence of Gossip Papers
The infamous Lady Whistledown, played by Julie Andrews, whom many speculate the true identity of throughout the series, is the author of the local gossip column. These social papers were popular during the Regency Era and dominated during the Season as people were curious to know who was involved with whom. Indeed, many young ladies’ futures were dependent upon their reputation and, as seen in Bridgerton, the gossip papers could make or break a reputation.
Purity Double Standard Between Men & Women
Whilst women were expected to maintain a certain level of purity until they were married, men were allowed to do as they pleased, married or not. As seen in the series, Daphne’s brother Anthony has no issue sleeping around, even being late for important events, as he was in the very first episode, to sneak in a quickie. While the members of the Bridgerton family don’t approve of his behavior, Anthony is not publicly shamed for it. On the other hand, when Simon and Daphne are caught alone together in the garden, Anthony forces Simon to marry her because it would be a huge scandal and would ruin the family name. As true to the Regency Era, this double-standard is ever-present, as also seen in the character of Siena, a singer at the local opera, who lives the same life as a man, sleeping with Anthony and even flirting with other men. For this, she is shamed and cast out, never referred to as a lady, yet Anthony carries out the same behavior while his title and reputation remain unscathed.
