And does the franchise ever contradict itself on the exact timing of events?
Netflix’s romance series Bridgerton has captured the attention and hearts of viewers as it depicts the various siblings from the Bridgerton family falling in love. Given that it is based on the novels of Julia Quinn, there is plenty of material for the show to work with. Production has moved slowly, with two years of development between the release of Seasons 2 and 3, but this gap provided time for the streamer to branch out from the Bridgertons and explore another important character, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel/India Amarteifio), in the spin-off series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. In addition to taking the audience back to Charlotte’s youth as she met and married her husband, the series includes a present-day story, bringing back familiar faces from Bridgerton and creating an connecting timeline for the two series.
Although the Bridgerton franchise is only loosely based on history, it keeps a clear timeline, even if events are moved around. It is set mostly in the Regency era, which took place from 1795 to 1837. Although the series’ timeline is fairly straightforward, as each new season relies on the timing of the social season, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and the endings of Seasons 1 and 2 complicate it slightly, weaving all the stories together.
When Do ‘Queen Charlotte’s Past Events Take Place?
It should be no surprise that, chronologically, the story begins with Queen Charlotte. The main story of the spin-off serves as a prequel, going back to a fictional version of England in 1761, when Charlotte arrives to marry King George III (Corey Mylchreest). This makes it the only part of the Bridgerton franchise not set in the Regency era, at least so far. However, it sets up the King and Queen’s relationship as we see it in the main series.
Although they face obstacles, starting from their meeting just moments before their wedding, the two fall in love, providing fans with a beautiful, if complex, relationship to root for. As Charlotte adjusts to her new role, society is changing, with the Great Experiment creating new opportunities for racially diverse Lords and Ladies, among them Lady Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas), who should be familiar to fans from her appearances in Bridgerton (played by Adjoa Andoh). Throughout the six episodes, Charlotte comes to care for George, learn about his madness, helping to calm him, and giving birth to the first of many children.
When Does ‘Bridgerton’ Season 1 Take Place?
After Queen Charlotte, there is a significant jump to Bridgerton Season 1, set more than 50 years later, which introduces the Regency-era setting as it explores a love story between the fourth Bridgerton child, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), and Simon (Regé -Jean Page), the Duke of Hastings. Starting with the opening of the social season, this story occurs in the spring and summer of 1813, as Daphne is first presented to society and gains the notice of the Queen. She and Simon attempt to trick the ton into believing they have formed a real attachment, but they fall in love after their hasty marriage. It is also the first appearance of Lady Whistledown, the anonymous gossip writer, who fans now know is Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). Although the bulk of the story takes place within a few months, the conclusion comes a little later as it shows the birth of Daphne and Simon’s first child, Augie. Serving as an epilogue, this brief scene takes place at least nine months later but still before Season 2, as Augie is referenced in the following installment.
When Does ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 Take Place?
Bridgerton returns the following year, only a few months after the Season 1 epilogue. Once again, the story is about the social season, which is exactly a year after Daphne’s presentation. In Season 2, the firstborn Bridgerton child, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), aims to marry. But things do not go as planned when he falls for Kate (Simone Ashley), the sister of his fiancée, Edwina (Charithra Chandran). However, Kate and Anthony’s marriage is less rushed, so the season does not show their marriage as it does Simon and Daphne, but instead focuses on the time it takes for the two characters to admit their feelings for each other and get engaged.
When Does ‘Queen Charlotte’s “Present Day” Story Take Place?
Both in release order and chronologically, Queen Charlotte’s concurrent storyline interrupts the break between Seasons 2 and 3. As the Royal family loses its heir, Queen Charlotte pushes her children to have their own children, ending with the birth of the future Queen Victoria (which in Queen Charlotte occurred a few years ago it did in history). However, Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) involvement in the story makes its relation to Bridgerton clear.
