Bridgerton’s Take On Regency London Set Tongues Wagging – But Here’s How Accurate It Really Is

Dearest Gentle Reader, if you have been keeping up with the word of the ton, then you should know that Netflix’s Bridgerton has been named the streaming service’s Incomparable. The period drama presents a picture perfect version of England – and specifically, London – during the Regency era. But how much of the story is true? And what is simply embellishment or, indeed, pure gossip? Well, be assured, we shall uncover the truth…

40. Was Queen Charlotte really Black?

It’s hard to say for sure because even experts disagree on this. But there’s enough evidence to suggest that perhaps she was. In fact, historian Mario De Valdes y Cocom traced the queen’s ancestry back to Black Portuguese royals. And portraits of her may well have lightened her skin, thus concealing her ethnicity. But as showrunner Chris Van Dusen told Esquire magazine in 2021, “With our show, we strive to honor the history, but we're not beholden to the history.”

39. Would Daphne have had a white wedding dress?

The ceremony may have been hastily arranged, but Daphne still managed to look perfect on her big day. Although she may appear the very epitome of a diamond of the first water, her dress is not very historically accurate. In fact, it was not until decades later that Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding gown at her own nuptials. Back in the Regency Era brides would have looked far more Featherington than Bridgerton, decked out as they were in bright colors and gold.

38. Could women have really had their own businesses?

If you want to be the talk of the town, you must surely pay a visit to the Modiste run by Madame Genevieve Delacroix. But would she really have been allowed to run a successful business in that era? The slightly surprising answer is, yes – as long as she stuck to “women’s work.” It was acceptable for a lady to excel in dressmaking or writing for example, but it would have been scandalous for her to have moved into anything that could be considered a man’s world of business.

37. Was “promenading” real?

It sounds like it could be the Regency era version of “prom,” right? Well, there were some similarities. If a young man and woman went promenading it meant they were a couple, with marriage very probably on the horizon. And this public display was a vital part of “courtship” – the year-long ritual that ensured everything about romance was done properly. Which, to this jaded author, doesn't sound like the worst dating philosophy…

36. Would Daphne have really been so enthusiastic about pregnancy?

Hmm… probably not. “Experienced mothers often dreaded repetitions; first-time mothers feared the unknown,” historian Amanda Vickery told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 2020. Of course, the dangers of childbirth aren’t entirely overlooked in the show: we see what happened to Simon’s mother. And Daphne and Eloise discuss the night that Lady Bridgerton almost died giving birth to their sister. But this doesn’t seem to deter our heroine.

35. Were women really presented before the queen when they came of age?

One of the first scenes in Bridgerton sees Daphne and other marriageable young ladies presented before the queen. And this really happened in Regency England. Mothers and daughters would get dressed up in their finest, most expensive outfits and head off to be judged. While some crossed their fingers that they would win the queen’s favor, others would simply pray to avoid a swoon.

34. Was there an actual Prince Friedrich?

Prince Friedrich was indeed a real person – one with a very impressive mustache. But for his portrayal, Freddie Stroma opted for the fresh-faced clean shaven look instead. And that was not the only historical inaccuracy in this case. When the prince shows up in episode three he’s presented as the nephew of Queen Charlotte, when in real life he was the son of her niece. So there’s a touch of artistic license there.

33. Were men really so desperate for male heirs?

Much is made in Bridgerton about the importance of a woman giving her husband a son. And unfortunately that was very much the norm in that era. Men were, to put it bluntly, seen as better than women – a female aristocrat couldn’t even inherit money. Further back in history, King Henry VIII went through multiple wives in his frantic quest for a male heir. So to sire a son was a prize indeed.

32. Was boxing really that brutal?

One sub-plot of the show centers on a boxing match, and when it comes around it is pretty vicious and bloody. It’s not an exaggeration – boxing really was like that. Some might say that nothing much has changed. But, in fact, it was pretty common for competitors not to make it out of the ring at all back then. Fortunately Will Mondrich escapes this fate.

31. Were the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens real?

Yes, they were – and they still are! You can visit the gardens to this day, though you’re more likely to see basketball courts and play areas instead of exquisite dresses and dancing. The actual scene in Bridgerton wasn’t filmed in Vauxhall though; Stowe Park in Buckinghamshire stood in for it. So if you’re looking to host your own ball, perhaps you should head there instead.

30. Did the real Queen Charlotte love snuff that much?

Firstly we should probably answer the question, what is snuff? So pleased you asked! It’s a form of dry tobacco sniffed through the nose rather than smoked. And the real Queen Charlotte apparently really did have somewhat of an addiction. So much so, in fact, that at Windsor Castle she gave over a whole room to storing her collection. The royal was even nicknamed “Snuffy Charlotte” by some. Though, if Golda Rosheuvel’s portrayal is anything to go by, we doubt anyone said it to the queen’s face.

29. Was there a real-life Bridgerton family?

Probably not, we’re sorry to say. The show is actually based on a series of books by Julia Quinn, the first of which was published in the year 2000. Hardly historical stuff. And the author freely admits that she didn’t base her stories on a real family from the annals of time. “Bridgerton – it’s not a history lesson, it’s not a documentary,” showrunner Chris Van Dusen told the Express website in 2020. “There were not actually any real Bridgertons in 1813 Regency London as far as I know.”

28. Would Daphne really have known so little about sex?

Daphne’s complete lack of knowledge about sex makes for some awkward moments. But it’s all true to life, believe it or not. “There would have been nothing in the way of formal sex education,” historian Lesley A. Hall told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 2020. “Mothers might have given some premarital counsel to daughters, but although it almost certainly wasn’t actually ‘Close your eyes and think of England’ it may not have been much more illuminating.” Poor girls.

27. Were the corsets really that tight?

In short, no. Not in the Regency era, at least, when women would not have been expected to wear them at all. Corsets were more likely to be found in Victorian times. Instead, the ladies of Bridgerton would have worn “stays,” which were far less restrictive. So, sadly for Cressida Cowper and her flirting tactics, there probably wasn’t much corset-related fainting going on.

26. Were quickie weddings really available?

These days a couple might run off to Las Vegas for a shotgun wedding. Not so in the Regency era. Should a young couple have had need to marry fast – for whatever reason – they could cross the border into Scotland. For in the town of Gretna Green they would be able to wed without the approval of their parents. So Marina and Colin’s plan may well have worked, had the young miss not been exposed by Lady Whistledown.

25. Was “town” pronounced “ton” back then?

Worry not, dear reader, for this is a common misconception. You see, when the characters refer to the “ton” they’re not talking about the town they live in. The word is actually just an abbreviation of the French phrase “le bon ton.” Although this literally translates as “the right tone” – meaning “good manners” – in England it represented the fashionable, rich crowd. And since “ton” has fallen out of use now it confused a fair few viewers.

24. Did Queen Charlotte really keep Pomeranians?

We should wager that barely a Queen Charlotte scene goes by without a Pomeranian dog making an appearance. Is this a nod to Queen Elizabeth and her corgis perhaps? No, it’s a nod to real history. Queen Charlotte had two of the little dogs named Mercury and Phoebe, and her brood grew over time. She even gave the animals out as gifts on occasion.

23. Could a woman really get in trouble just for being alone with a man?

“No virtuous young lady could be alone with a man to whom she was not related,” according to historian Amanda Vickery. “Not only should she be pure, she should be seen to be pure.” So when Daphne is spotted alone with Simon it would indeed have caused huge trouble – even if they hadn’t been kissing. “Chastity, modesty and obedience were the preeminent female virtues,” Vickery added. “[She] had to appear unimpeachable, or she would be ruined on the marriage market.” No pressure there then.

22. What did the characters mean by “coming out?”

Throughout the show, the young ladies were said to have “come out” or “debuted.” This simply meant that they were eligible to be married – after a reasonable courtship had taken place, of course. And a match – or worse, a mismatch – could send ripples through society. As the show accurately portrays, marriage was a big, complicated deal.

21. Was there a real Duke of Hastings?

Um, no, there was not. In fact, Hastings isn’t even a real dukedom – although it is a real town. There was a title of Baron Hastings once, and several people have held it. The first was beheaded by Richard III, though, so perhaps it is not the most desirable honor. Fortunately for us the actor Regé-Jean Page is very real indeed.

20. Did Queen Charlotte really know Mozart?

It sounds like it was made up to add flavor for history fans, but Queen Charlotte’s speech about interacting with the famous composer is actually accurate. The two did indeed perform together when Mozart was just eight years old. As his career flourished, the legendary music genius would go on to dedicate several of his works to Charlotte. How sweet.

19. Would the men really have had so many mistresses?

The men of Bridgerton may be dashing, but when it comes to women and relationships they are largely, well, fools. And unfortunately that was the case in reality too. John Mullan – Professor of English Literature at University College London – wrote in the Daily Mail newspaper in 2021, “For many Regency aristocrats, sexual liberation was a badge of sophistication.” Apparently even the Prince Regent himself was at it. Oo-er.

18. Would Will really have fixed his boxing matches?

Will Mondrich is one of the few characters in Bridgerton who is actually based on a real person. He was inspired by Bill Richmond, a former slave who eventually became a famous boxer in London. While some fighters of the time might have fixed their matches, Richmond almost certainly wouldn’t have – his position as a Black sportsman was far too precarious.

17. Did women of the time really not know the word “period?”

In the Regency era, menstruation was little understood. But there were plenty of colorful euphemisms for the process. In the show they’re called “courses” – a term that crops up in literature of the time. So it seems the script writers got this spot on. Although you may prefer “the French lady’s visit” or “the arrival of the flowers?”

16. Was Marina’s situation portrayed accurately?

Marina is a woman in big trouble. She’s pregnant but unmarried – a scandalous situation. The young miss makes several attempts to restore her status, including the idea of a quickie wedding to pass the baby off as the unwitting husband’s heir. Sadly, her desperation is accurate: to be an unwed mother was simply unthinkable. And even if Marina had the baby when unmarried, she almost certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to keep it.

15. Did high society ladies really smoke?

Every so often in Bridgerton ladies are seen with a cigarette in their hand. Yet it’s not something we’ve seen very often among high society in other period dramas. And did smoking even exist at that point? Well, yes, it did. But it would have been considered most unseemly for a lady to actually be seen smoking. Instead, they’d have done it in private away from prying eyes, like Eloise lost in thought on her swing.

14. Did women really change their clothes so much?

There seems to be a new dress every few minutes in Bridgerton. Extravagant? Perhaps. Accurate? Certainly. You see, high-class women in Regency England really did change their clothes almost constantly. “They wore a different dress to every ball, aside from the amount of dresses that would take place from morning ’til dinner,” Ellen Mirojnick, the show’s costume designer, told Harper’s Bazaar magazine in 2020.

13. Was King George III really mad?

Sadly the show did get this right: the real king suffered from mental illness. Historians don’t know for certain what ailed the royal, but it’s a well-documented part of British history that the symptoms rendered him incapable of ruling. However, unlike in the show, Queen Charlotte had stopped meeting with him entirely by 1813 as she found it too much to bear.

12. Would Daphne really have been considered so beautiful?

When Daphne is singled out by the queen, she’s surrounded by plenty of stunning women. Actress Phoebe Dyvenor is gorgeous, no doubt, but why her rather than any of the others? Well, in the Regency era, she would have been considered perfection. Her round face, small stature and innocent, doe-eyed features would have made Daphne the ideal lady of high society.

11. Was Queen Charlotte really a gossiper?

Let’s face it, Queen Charlotte is a gossip. That’s how she’s portrayed anyway – even going so far as attempting to unmask Lady Whistledown. But you may be surprised to learn that this is actually pretty true to life. The real royal adored the “coming out” ritual. She even had a debutante event named after her: Queen Charlotte’s ball was an annual fixture at Buckingham Palace from 1780 to 1976. And throughout each season she kept her ailing husband abreast of all the gossip she had heard.

10. Was Regency England really racially diverse?

Although there were high-ranking people of the era who were Black, there were not as many as Bridgerton presents. That being said, the social classes below the aristocracy were more diverse than you might think. Of course, there were those who’d been brought back from abroad by British men. But travelers from across the world also arrived in London; some just came for a visit, while others chose to stay and study or work in the capital.

9. Did mothers really push their daughters into marriage?

High-class mamas of the Regency era were very, very concerned that their daughters marry well. The famous novel Pride & Prejudice is all about this, after all! Yes, there were plenty of real-life Lady Featheringtons who fiercely steered their girls in the direction of the nearest prince, duke or, frankly, any gentleman of decent standing.

8. Would the men really have dueled?

Duels were still very much considered the appropriate way to settle affairs of honor in Regency England, so a real-life Anthony and Simon might well have met at dawn. What’s more dubious is whether or not an honor dispute was illegal at the time, as the characters claim. Certainly killing your opponent would get you in trouble. But the act of declaring a duel? You could probably have gotten away with it.

7. Did people really wear their hair like that?

Well, no, probably not. Although the most notable deviation from history is that the ladies weren’t wearing something over their hair. A bonnet, for example. But Ellen Mirojnik, the show’s costume designer, said she and her team avoided the tropes of a typical period drama because “we wanted things fresh and young and aspirational.” And thank goodness they did, for what would the show be without Queen Charlotte’s fabulous wigs?

6. Would Simon’s father really have rejected him over a stammer?

We can all agree that Lord Hastings was never going to win Father of the Year. When he discovers his son has difficulty speaking, he cruelly rejects him. And sadly that’s fairly true to history. In fact, the real King George VI’s father verbally abused him because of his speech impediment. So a stammer might well have been enough for Lord Hastings to dub Simon “a half-wit.” Luckily for the child, Lady Danbury had his back.

5. Would unmarried women really face a life of hardship?

Eloise frequently turns her nose up at marriage in the show. “So what?” you may ask. But there would have been almost no other option available to her at that time. Unmarried women were scorned and pitied – they were practically considered second-class citizens. Even famous author Jane Austen, who you’d think would be the exception, was only kept afloat by financial support from her brothers.

4. Did interracial marriages really happen?

Bridgerton presents them as completely ordinary, and in real life Regency England they wouldn’t have raised many eyebrows either. Plenty of men wed women from different countries and vice versa. In fact, the real-life boxer Bill Richmond married a White woman. It’s hard to say how common this was among the aristocracy, though, as reliable historical sources are somewhat lacking in this area.

3. Would women have really worn those dresses?

The ladies of Bridgerton have absolutely fantastic wardrobes, but sadly they’re not entirely accurate. The materials used to create the gowns wouldn’t have been available in the time period, and the dyes used to produce such an array of colors hadn’t been invented yet either. But they’re still gorgeous. Or, most of them are anyway. The Featheringtons’ fashions may divide opinion…

2. Was there a real Lady Whistledown?

There were plenty of anonymous gossip columns in those days – think of them as the nineteenth-century equivalent of social media. The moniker of Lady Whistledown may not be real, but the character was based on a particularly famous rumor-monger. “Mrs Crackenthorpe,” as the writer was known, published a newsletter called Female Tatler in 1709. And although it wasn’t entirely dedicated to gossip, it certainly told some tales.

1. Could Simon really have refused to have children?

No matter his reasons, experts aren’t so sure that this could have happened. “Noble men married to secure the dynasty. A peer determined not to have children would be absurd,” historian Amanda Vickery told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 2020. But, of course, if the writers hadn’t ignored that sort of thing, there would be no show. So we should be grateful for fiction.