Fact vs. Fiction on the Netflix and Shondaland series ‘Bridgerton’

Are you a fan of Netflix’s Bridgerton? Can you see yourself hanging out with the rest of the Ton attending extravagant balls in over-the-top gowns? Well before you do, you might want a quick lesson on the real traditions that took place during the Regency Era. Dina Copelman, associate professor emerita of history and cultural studies at George Mason University, tells all about the facts and the fiction of all three seasons of the Shondaland drama. 

Bridgerton’s depiction of the Regency Era?

Fiction. What we see in the show is a very small percentage of society. It’s the aristocracy and those just below them, or those who hope to marry into them. The show does not do anything with economic class; you rarely ever even see a servant.

There’s also a blurring of the difference between London and the countryside. Wealthy aristocrats and landed gentry would come from their country estates to London for the Season, the period of time when eligible young women would be presented to society; often they had property in London where they would stay. But many would have to find a place to rent for the season. In general, geography is condensed on the show; they make it look like you can just go out on a hunt from London, but that’s not how it worked.

The historical depictions of the king and queen in Bridgerton? Are any other Bridgerton characters based on real people?  

Fiction. There's this dance between the books and the show, and I think the goal is to have one season for every book, so it would take place between 1811 and 1827. The beginning is when George III could no longer rule, so his son, George IV, who would eventually come to rule, was a regent.

Queen Charlotte is obviously real, but isn't really adequately represented. For example, Lady Danbury—a fictional character—was her main lady-in-waiting in the show, but Charlotte brought girls from her youth in Germany with her to be in her court.

Interestingly, the Mr. Mondrich character—the boxer turned club owner turned noble—is based on Bill Richmond, a formerly enslaved man who became a famous boxer. They played around with his name and his trajectory… but he was famous and part of his fan base were from high society.

Is the Pall-Mall game real? 

Fact. Pall-mall is a real game! Although, it was more popular before the time show is situated in by about 50-100 years; it was also popular in France and in Italy. In London, the Pall Mall, a central artery, is named after the game because it was played there. It required a really long, broad alley to be played. It’s closest to the game croquet.

Did gossip papers actually exist like Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers?

Fact. There were cartoons that were incredibly explicit and often political in France and Britain. There were also these things called broadsides, print posters with a design or a cartoon or something at the top, and they were very satirical commentary. They would be posted on trees and the streets, and they were a popular way of informing the public about contemporary issues.

There were also a lot of newspapers with information about the aristocracy in gossip form. Maybe something like Whistledown could happen, but it would be pretty hard to have one person who just spoke during the whole season. I could see something like that happening more in areas outside of London.

The depiction of courtship ritual in the Regency Era? 

Both. The London season, which went from the spring through the summer, is where debutantes were formally presented. Courtship was also much more regulated, and young ladies could not go out in public without chaperones. That’s not to say that extramarital, extra parentally approved sex didn't happen, but the overall tone of the show and Queen Charlotte's involvement in everything is a fantasy.

What about the style, the aesthetics such as extravagant hairdos and acrylic nails? 

Fiction. The styles are very deliberately exaggerated and over the top—the show’s producers make that clear. The colors of the costumes differ from reality they’re way brighter and more in your face. In France, however, that kind of over-the-top hair was associated with Marie Antoinette. This is an age of enormous satire. So, I associate that kind of style going farther in France.

For the Penelope character, what's most striking is that she just lets her long red hair speak for itself; normally it would be put up into a bun. The little curls, that may be one of these not- so-subliminal messages to appeal to young people today.

But the character Cressida, for example, is the only young character who goes into the extravagant hairstyle similar to the Queen Charlotte character, the real Queen Charlotte didn’t have a small zoo inside her wigs. Cressida’s hair showed that she is more flamboyant than the other young characters.

The depiction of technological displays such as hot air balloons and the extravagant balls? 

Both. Hot air balloons are credible; they were around during this era.

There were balls regularly during the Regency Era and elaborate decorations. They would chalk the floors with quite complex designs, although it had a practical purpose so that people didn't slip on waxed floors. So, what might be a very lovely, elaborate, design would be rubbed out and disappear by the end of the night.

Also, a lot of the balls took place in what are called assembly rooms as opposed to the show where they were always at somebody's home.

How does the show's diverse cast mark accuracy in England’s relationships with other countries and/or a departure from the English Regency-era?

Fiction. And important to note that the show does not claim historical accuracy. The show starts in 1811 and the slave trade in Britain ended in 1807, so there were 10,000 to 20,000 people of African descent in Britain at the time, and slavery continued in Britain’s Caribbean colonies until 1833. So, many of the people we see in the show would have come from enslaved or formerly enslaved families in the West Indies or be the descendants of enslaved people from the North American colonies who had fought with the British against the colonists and were freed in return. So yes, a Britain that has a spectrum of people of color is realistic, but the social status of people of color was definitely not as depicted in the show.

Watch the trailer for Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 from Netflix.