We break everything down — and no, you don’t need to bust out your history book (for now).
Dear readers, the tea in the final episode of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is *so* hot, not even Lady Whistledown can break it all down. That’s where we come in — after we started watching the six-episode Bridgerton prequel series, we just…Couldn’t. Stop. Not only does it include stunning string arrangements of our fave songs by Beyoncé and SZA, but eventful storylines that have us hooked. The show takes us into the whirlwind of Queen Charlotte’s rise to power, her marriage with King George (who is also facing mental health issues), Lady Danbury’s suits and the origins of her relationship with Violet Bridgerton, and, of course, Brimsley and Reynolds’s star-crossed romance.
All that being said, the last episode of the series has raised so many questions that we’re still unpacking. Ahead, find everything we know about the ending of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and what it could mean for a potential second season.
What happens in the last episode of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story?
In the last episode, Charlotte tells George’s mother, Princess Augusta, that she plans to love and care for him after she fired his concerning doctor. She and George also proclaim their love for each other and they welcome a baby boy together. The new and exciting things in their romance aren’t enough to keep George’s mental health issues at bay, though.
George eventually had to meet with Parliament to prove he’s fit to be King, however, he panics and stays hidden in the carriage. When they make their way back to Buckingham, he hides “from the heavens” under his bed, where Charlotte joins him and holds his hands. They had a candid conversation about his mental health and she proposed that they threw a ball to bring the members of Parliament to Buckingham.
As for Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger, their affair ends when he brings his daughter, Violet (yep, she grows up to become the Mama of the Bridgerton bunch), on one of their walks. When that ends, Lady Danbury is on to the next as she courts and, ultimately, refuses the Queen’s brother. Queen Charlotte then confronted her, not only for breaking her brother’s heart but for not confiding in her during a tough time. Princess Augusta also gives Lady Danbury some tough love and makes her cry as she tells her to defend herself and become stronger while facing her bullies.
The episode then jumps back into the Bridgerton timeline, where the older version of Queen Charlotte and her children pose for a portrait. Her kids, Prince George, and Princess Elizabeth, confront her about their struggles while trying to have their own children and tell her she lacks warmth as their mother. They also go off about the toxicity of the “baby contest,” which their brother, Prince Edward, ends up “winning” when he and his wife Victoria are expecting their daughter, who will be an heir to the throne.
Charlotte runs to tell King George the good news about Victoria’s pregnancy and discovers that he’s having a mild psychotic episode. She then convinces him to hide under the bed by her side, as they did when they were younger.
What happens to Reynolds?
Excuse us while we sob uncontrollably because Brimsley and Reynolds’ romance quickly became our favorite throughout the first season of Queen Charlotte. It’s unclear what really happened between the King’s secretary and the Queen’s hand as the young versions of themselves dancing together in one of their last scenes.
The show then cuts to the Bridgerton point in time, where Brimsley is seen dancing alone. This means that there are two (absolutely devastating) possible relationship outcomes: Reynolds either passed away or their ended. When Charlotte asks if he has ever been married, the older version of Brimsley responds, “Who could I ever find who would be free to spend a lifetime with me?” 🥲
Does Lady Danbury tell Violet about her affair?
Not really. At the Bridgerton point in time, Violet peeps the birthday hat that her late father made for Lady Danbury. When she was a kid, he said he was making it for a friend — which led older Violet to discover the truth about Lady Danbury’s actual relationship with her dad.
Violet’s suspicions were raised as Lady Danbury insinuated that she didn’t find sexual chemistry with anyone after her husband died (she didn’t use those words, but used a garden metaphor, and like Violet, we can connect the dots). Knowing Lady Danbury was due for a visit, Violet takes out all the birthday hats her father made for her when he was still alive and puts them on display. While Lady Danbury is stunned, the two don’t fight about it but rather come to a silent acknowledgment of the whole situation.
