
Netflix's regency-era period drama Bridgerton had major expectations, and lucky for all of us, it lived up to them all.
Set in London high society's 'season' in 1813, Bridgerton follows the Bridgerton family's eldest daughter, Daphne, as she makes her debut onto Regency London's competitive marriage market.
It's just as wild as it sounds, and you bet it had us diving for our laptops to work out exactly what is true, and where on earth these wonderful characters came from.
Watch the trailer for Netflix's Bridgerton. Post continues after video.
Well, to answer our own questions, Bridgeton is based on Julia Quinn's novel of the same name, which is a work of fiction.
When reworked for the big screen though, showrunner Chris Van Dusen and producer, Shonda Rhimes decided to take a different direction by including historically accurate characters like Queen Charlotte and King George III.
Yeah, it's... complicated.
So, here's everything we know about the true story behind Bridgerton.
How accurate was Bridgerton?
When creating Bridgerton, the production team aimed to create a historically accurate portrait of life in the 1800s in high-society London.
So yes, the "marriage market" was very real, as were regency-era ladies, anonymous gossip columns, scandal sheets, and a strong lack of sex education.
Plenty of research went into making the show about as realistic as it gets - but there are some holes in the narrative (like whether Queen Charlotte was of mixed race) but more on that later.
Were the Bridgertons based on real people?
The short answer is... no.
Bridgerton author, Julia Quinn set out to create a novel that was set in the 1813. So, while the name 'Bridgerton' may have been a familiar one in that era, the characters were a work of fiction.
As the novel was adapted to be a TV series though, Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen made the decision to incorporate real-life figures; Queen Charlotte and King George III, into the storyline.
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