Bridgerton season 3 has finally arrived on Netflix! But amidst the drama and romance, you might notice that one key character is missing. Where is Daphne Bridgerton?
Bridgerton, based on the romance novel series by Julia Quinn, follows the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family and their mother, the Viscountess Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). As each sibling enters society among London’s aristocracy, they seek out the rarest and most desirable marriage a member of the ton can hope for: a love match.
Season 1 focused on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). In season 1, Daphne and Simon concocted a scheme to help Daphne snag a husband and Simon shake off his many suitors: the two of them would pretend to be in love, making Daphne more desirable to other men and discouraging the women of the ton from pursuing Simon.
However, as in any good romance novel, their plan backfired spectacularly. The two fell in love for real, and by the end of season 1, they were celebrating the birth of a baby boy.
Then, the happy couple just … disappeared. In season 2, Daphne made the trip to London from her new home at Simon’s estate, but neither of them stayed for the full London season. In fact, Simon was absent completely, presumably busy running the estate in the countryside.
Now, Daphne is nowhere to be found.
However, there is an explanation. Last year, Dynevor told Variety that since Daphne’s story arc was finished, she herself felt like it was time to leave the series. “Well, I did my two seasons,’ she said. “I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?”
Notice that Dynevor isn’t closing the door on a future appearance. However, Daphne got her happy ending. She has a husband, son, and beautiful estate—and she’s a duchess! If you miss Daphne in season 3, just remember that she’s living her best life.
