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 occurs a few years before it did in history). However, Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) involvement in the story makes its relation to Bridgerton clear. Throughout the series, Violet is shown developing a renewed interest in love after being widowed several years before, a personal journey Lady Danbury encourages. Yet these two allies are thrown into personal conflict as Violet discovers that in 1761, Lady Danbury had an affair with Lord Ledger (Keir Charles), Violet’s beloved father.
Though the story itself could fall later in their friendship, there are a few specific references to Bridgerton that set the date. Charlotte asks for her advice on making matches for the princes, referencing the fact that Violet has successfully married two children in two years — meaning Daphne and Anthony. Any later, and Violet would likely have an even more impressive resume. The setting can be even more clearly identified by Violet’s mention of her home when she tells Lady Danbury that Anthony is away on his honeymoon, which would be sometime after the events of Season 2, as the wedding did not appear in the main story, but still before the Season 2 epilogue, where the Bridgerton siblings (including a married Kate and Anthony) play a not-so-friendly game of pall-mall.
When Does ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Take Place?
Once again returning a year after the beginning of the previous season, Bridgerton Season 3 is set in 1815, which is something of a surprise to fans of the novels, since the story follows Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope’s romance, which occurred after an 11-year-time jump in the books. However, the Netflix series makes the date clear by referencing Penelope’s third season being out in society, and since she was first presented in Season 1, the math is easy. Plus, the season shows Anthony and Kate settling into the Bridgerton house after their honeymoon, putting it directly after the family’s trip to their estate in the Season 2 epilogue.
The franchise is fairly consistent with timing throughout — except for a small comment at the beginning of Season 3 in the first Lady Whistledown pamphlet, which claims the author had been away “for far too long” when she was reporting the race for a royal heir in Queen Charlotte less than a year before, making the gap between publications her shortest yet. However, there could still be a few months between the spin-off and Season 3, and no specific timeframe is given, so it isn’t technically contradictory.
