Bridgerton first became America’s favorite pastime during the winter of 2020-2021. Now, we are celebrating the romances again and drinking tea out of fancy pots. I understand the obsession. The show came out when many of us were stuck inside during COVID-19 shutdowns, and Bridgerton was a beautiful escape with an amazing soundtrack. The world in the show became so alluring, that you can now take part in a Bridgerton immersive experience.
But the real draw that kept viewers watching (and re-watching) and tuning in for a second season, were the romances. Out of the many relationships seen on the show, let’s go over the most romantic ones.
7. Philippa Featherington and Albion Finch
Philippa Featherington (Harriet Cains) debuted in season one, along with her two sisters. As the middle child, her only ambition seemed to be to find a husband. Not only did she get engaged, but found someone she connected with, Mr. Albion Finch (Lorn Macdonald).
They are both a little socially awkward, but they clicked so well together. What says romance better than discussing your shared love of fancy cheeses? Although they get little screen time, each interaction between the two characters shows how much they are genuinely interested in the other. Even if they aren’t the sexiest couple, their romance is adorable.
6. Queen Charlotte and King George III
Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) rules the land with a tight fist and a demand to be entertained. King George III (James Fleet) suffers from dementia and remains hidden away most of the time. But during his lucid moments, the two share beautiful scenes. Even the pained looks on Charlotte’s face when George forgets where he is or blames her for his confusion, show how much she loves him. She understands the importance of finding true love because she has it. Even though it is rarely seen, their romance is one of the best. I hope the Bridgerton prequel series explores more of the better days of their relationship.
5. Will and Alice Mondrich
Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi) Mondrich are background characters, but I still love them. Introduced as a friend of the Duke’s in season one, boxer Will made his own fortune by throwing a match. No, it wasn’t the most honorable thing to do, but he did it for his family. He and his wife Alice used the money to open a fancy men’s bar.
We don’t know much about them, but it is easy to see they are in love. They have been together long enough to have a couple of kids and still seem like best friends. They support and care for each other at every step of their lives.
4. Violet and Edmund Bridgerton
The series began well after Edmund’s (Rupert Evans) untimely death, leaving much of Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and Edmund’s story untold to audiences. Yet—we know it must have been an epic romance, as the brood of Bridgerton children still hold it as an example of the perfect love affair. A flashback scene in season two gave a brief glimpse at what Violet and Edmund had.
As Edmund died, a severely pregnant Violet comforted him as he asphyxiated. She fell apart so intensely after his death that she triggered early labor and became a ghost of her former self. Eventually, she escaped her visceral grief and shifted her focus to ensure all of her children find the love she had, no matter how brief. All the Bridgerton family romances happen because of Violet and Edmund’s special relationship, which is why they ranked so high.
3. Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset
Season one of Bridgerton caught the world on fire because of the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page). As the oldest Bridgerton girl, and the first of the siblings to pursue marriage, Daphne needed to set an example for the rest of the family. She understood her assignment and landed the rakish Duke.
Using the well-known fanfiction trope of “fake relationship,” they pretended to be romantically involved. Daphne and Simon became best friends before the romantic fireworks began. They are ridiculously hot together. However, their romantic ranking suffers for their huge lack of communication once they are married. And Daphne’s weird non-consensual attempt at getting pregnant made things really uncomfortable.
2. Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma
The focus romance in season two between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) lived up to the high expectations set by the first season. Through Daphne and Simon’s first season courtship, Anthony came off like a gross jerk. He remained that way for much of season two. Even the explanation of his poor treatment of others (being weighed down by family responsibility and never wanting a broken heart) failed to make him likable.
But then there was Kate. Yes, Kate made a few missteps regarding her sister, but she tried to make a perfect life while staying in the confines of her gender roles. Her take-no-prisoners attitude put Anthony in his place and made his heart grow ten sizes. The “enemies to lovers” trope and chemistry between the two made them one of the best romances on the show.
1. Penelope Feathrington and Lady Whistledown
Yes, I know that Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) is the penname of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). They may be the same person, but Penelope’s biggest romance is finding the strength to love herself regardless of how she is treated by others. Penelope does not fit into her family (who are hyper-focused on appearances and flaunting their wealth). To the rest of the ton, she appears invisible. Even though she debuted as an eligible lady, no one asks her to dance at any of the balls and she has received no marriage proposals. And her long-time crush, Colin Bridgerton, gives no indication he has any feelings back.
Penelope found her own joy by creating Lady Whistledown and writing about all the absurdity and drama surrounding her. When the Queen thought Eloise Bridgerton was Lady Whistledown, Penelope gave it all up to save her best friend. Did Eloise see any of that? No, she yelled at her and threw it all back in her face. This is the best romance because Penelope picked her pen back up and chose the only person who has loved her—herself. Like RuPaul says, if you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love anyone else?
(feature image: Netflix)
