Bridgerton: 15 Biggest Differences Between the Show & Books (So Far)

Now in its fourth season, Bridgerton was — and still is — a smash hit for Netflix. It’s one of the most popular shows on the streaming platform, and needless to say, it has become a pop culture phenomenon. But what some people might not know is that Bridgerton is based on the novel series by Julia Quinn. 

She has written a book for every single Bridgerton son and daughter, and in turn, each season of the Netflix show focuses on adapting one of these books. Given there are eight of them, that’s a lot of books to get through, so there’s plenty of scope for future seasons. That being said, Netflix and showrunner Shonda Rhimes have taken some serious artistic license when it comes to adapting the novels.

So, my gentle reader, allow me to go through some of the major changes from page to the silver screen. I might not have any high-society gossip, but this is the next best thing, isn't it?

1. The Show-Only Bridgerton Characters

Many of Bridgerton’s most intriguing characters weren’t actually in the books. Characters like the Mondrichs, Theo Sharpe, Madame Delacroix, Siena, Cousin Jack, Lord Featherington, Lady Tilley Arnold, Lord Debling and Queen Charlotte were not in the novels. 

While many of these characters were clearly added for plot purposes, Queen Charlotte’s inclusion may well be born of a desire for some (albeit rare) historical accuracy, with the monarch playing an active role in the real-life Regency social season, especially when it came to young women making their debut.

2. ‘The Great Experiment’ and Race-swapping

Because Shonda Rhimes led with colourblind casting for the show, many characters, like Kate and Edwina Sharma, are of a different ethnicity in Bridgerton than they are in the books. Spin-off series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story digs into how this is possible, with Charlotte’s arrival sparking a new era where non-white people were granted titles, land, and the same societal benefits as everyone else. 

In the show, this integration is known as ‘The Great Experiment.’ By the time we meet the Bridgertons, it’s been decades since that experiment and society is now fully integrated.

3. Lady Whistledown’s Identity

While we only had to wait until the end of Season 1 to know who the real Lady Whistledown is, readers had to wait until the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. I have to admit, I quite enjoyed not knowing who Lady Whistledown was, and I definitely think that the show would’ve benefited if they kept that quiet a little longer. The subplot of Eloise’s mission to find Whistledown started to wear thin by the time she discovered the truth.

4. Daphne’s Plan

One of the most controversial aspects of the first season of Bridgerton was Daphne assaulting the Duke by preventing him from ‘pulling out’, as it were, to get pregnant. Unfortunately, in the book, this chain of events is worse: She plies Simon with alcohol before coercing him to have sex with her without his usual precautionary measures.

5. There Was Another Featherington

There could have been a lot more citrus around the ton, as there was originally another Featherington daughter called Felicity. The character shared Penelope’s intelligence and was also meant to be a huge beauty. She was a friend to Hyacinth and the youngest of the Featherington brood. That being said, Lord Featherington was already dead in the books.

6. Edwina Wasn’t Emotionally Invested in Anthony

While Edwina fell hard for Anthony in the TV show, making for a love triangle-like dynamic, this didn’t happen in the books. They still courted, but neither of them really cared that much. Anthony never proposed, and there was no wedding day confrontation. She was really just not that into him.

7. Anthony and Kate Are Forced to Marry

While we don’t get to see a ‘Kanthony’ wedding at all in the show, in the book, they get married halfway through. But it isn’t necessarily by choice. When Kate got stung by the bee in the book, Anthony tried to suck out the venom through his mouth (... I know). 

This leads to the pair being caught in what appears to be a very compromising position. The decision to change this in the show was definitely the right one — it made the scene a lot more powerful.

8. Eloise Didn’t Know About Lady Whistledown Right Away

At the end of Season 2, Eloise finds out that her best friend Penelope was Lady Whistledown all along. However, it’s not until near the end of Romancing Mister Bridgerton that Penelope reveals all about her double life. 

The biggest difference? Eloise isn’t even mad — she, in fact, says: "Of course you should not have told me. I could never have kept this a secret." Colin also finds out before her.

9. The Lady Whistledown Revelation

The revelation to the ton that Penelope is Whistledown goes down in Season 3 with an impassioned speech by Penelope herself — in front of the Queen, along with the rest of society. However, in the novel, Colin is the one to reveal Penelope’s identity to everyone, saying: 

“You might say that my wife has two maiden names. Of course, you all knew her as Penelope Featherington, as did I. But what you didn’t know, and what even I was not clever enough to figure out until she told me herself...' He paused, waiting for silence to fall over the room. '...is that she is also the brilliant, the witty, the breathtakingly magnificent—Oh, you all know who I am talking about,' he said, his arm sweeping out toward the crowd. 'I give you my wife!' he said, his love and pride flowing across the room. 'Lady Whistledown!'"

10. Colin Doesn’t Deliver Charm Lessons to Penelope

Season 3 of Bridgerton starts with Colin and Penelope hatching a plan where he ‘coaches’ her on charm so she can try and wangle a marriage proposal. None of this happens in the book, perhaps because it’s a bit too similar to Daphne and Simon’s plans in The Duke and I. 

Moreover, in the book, Penelope is firmly on the shelf, while the series’ Penelope is proactive in wanting to take a husband. Romancing Mister Bridgerton is also the fourth novel in the series, meaning that it’s some time after Anthony, Benedict, and Daphne’s marriages that this all takes place. 

11. Gender-Bending Michael Stirling

With her disdain for marriage and society in general, many fans thought that Eloise would be the Bridgerton to end up in a sapphic relationship. However, it was confirmed that they were doing a queer storyline for Francesca when they made her book's love interest, Michael Sterling, a woman named Michaela. The circumstances of their meeting are broadly similar: Michaela is John’s husband’s cousin, and the pair bond after John’s untimely death. This decision, however, will likely end up diverging from the novel further. 

In the novel, Francesca struggles with her fertility before having children with Michael. In the show, she struggles to conceive with John, but it seems likely that her fertility won’t be a big plot point moving forward. 

12. Benedict’s Bisexuality (and Coming Out)

Francesca isn’t the only queer sibling in Bridgerton. In Season 3, Benedict is confirmed to be bisexual after having a threesome with Lady Tilley Arnold and Paul Suarez. Then, in Season 4, he is shown kissing a different man and eventually comes out to Sophie. While this doesn’t happen in the book, this narrative choice feels like a natural progression of Benedict’s character on the show.

13. The Reality of Sophie and Benedict

In Season 4, My Cottage is something of a safe space for Sophie and Benedict. The secluded countryside is where they fell in love, and at one point during the series, Benedict plans to live there with her as his mistress. 

Both book and series end with Benedict and Sophie married, but in the series, they can remain in society because, after a bit of scheming, Sophie is seen as an actual legitimate match for Benedict, which is also technically true because her father left her a dowry. However, in the book, Benedict marries below his station, and as a consequence, the pair live a rather isolated life in the countryside.

14. The Return of Cressida

Bridgerton’s mean girl Cressida Cowper was sorely missed in Season 4, which made her arrival in Part 2 all the more satisfying. Towards the end of Season 3, the plan was for Cressida to marry a much older man after she failed on the marriage mart. 

This ended up happening in the book — he later dies and leaves her with no fortune. Her grand (and very pink) return as the new Lady Penwood was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. 

15. The New Lady Whistledown

The ending of Bridgerton Season 4 is one of the most surprising moments of all. It revealed that Lady Whistledown is back, except this time, it’s not Penelope. 

When Penelope decides to retire in the books, future novels stand by that decision. So, this mystery is unique to the TV series, which is especially exciting because it means that, for the first time, we have no idea where things will go from here.