Bridgerton has been marketed as a Regency Era romantic drama, but what does Regency Era mean and when exactly is Bridgerton set? Netflix’s newest hit show is full of lavish ball gowns, ornate hairstyles, and steamy romance all set against the backdrop of Regency Era London. Many aspects of the show are especially reminiscent of film adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels, which is fitting since Austen’s novels are the most famous works of Regency Era romance.
The Regency Era typically refers to the years between 1795 and 1837 and is named for King George IV, who ruled as prince regent during King George III's illness from 1811 to 1820. The period is known for very Grecian styles in fashion, architecture, and art, which are reflected throughout Bridgerton. Fans of the Regency Era will be familiar with the premise of Bridgerton and the hierarchy that controls the lives of the Bridgertons and Featheringtons. However, Bridgerton, season 1, episode 8, “After the Rain,” (the season finale) places the show in a precise year.
In the opening scene of the season finale, Lady Whistledown’s voiceover remarks that Daphne and Simon’s marriage is a product of the 1813 social season, placing season 1 of Bridgerton in that year. The column-style dresses worn by the ladies of Bridgerton are one of the most easily recognizable signifiers of the Regency Era. That, plus the fact that King George III was famously ill during the 1810s – and Bridgerton begins with Queen Charlotte acting as the face of the royal family – clues viewers into Bridgerton’s Regency Era placement long before the finale.
But even though the show supposedly takes place in 1813 it is, after all, a work of fiction and it's unsurprising that there are many historical inaccuracies in Bridgerton, like the bright color palette that's far more vibrant than the pastels that were especially popular during the Regency Era. However, the historical inaccuracies aren't mistakes. As Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen said in an interview with Screen Rant:
The larger thing that struck me was that this was a chance to make a show that married history and fantasy in a really exciting way... We worked with a number of historians. But the show is really for a modern audience, so there's a modernity to the themes and characters, and the stories we tell. Everything's told through our own contemporary lens, so it wasn't such a stretch to take certain creative liberties. It's a reimagined world.
While Bridgerton isn't always Regency Era accurate, that’s not really the point of Bridgerton, where the eye-popping fabrics and classical covers of modern music serve an important visual and thematic purpose and make Bridgerton stand out among period dramas. Bridgerton focuses on the characters and their stories, using Regency London as a loose scaffolding on which to build a modern story.