One of Netflix’s biggest hits of all time is the TV series “Bridgerton,” based on the Julia Quinn Regency-era romance novels of the same name.
“Bridgerton’s” first two seasons were hugely popular for the streamer, as was the spin-off series “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.” Now, Netflix’s merch store is filled with “Bridgerton” products, including T-shirts, jewelry, tea sets, tiaras, and artwork.
Like with many shows about teenagers and young adults, the actors who played the Bridgertons and their love interests are actually older than their characters. The two leads this season, 31-year-old Luke Newton and 37-year-old Nicola Coughlan, are playing characters who are 24 and 19, respectively.
Here’s how the rest of the cast’s ages compare to their characters’.
Daphne Bridgerton is 21 when she makes her debut in British society. By season three, she’ll be 23.
The first season of “Bridgerton” is based on the novel “The Duke and I,” the first in the “Bridgerton” series. It centers on the summer of 1813, the summer that Daphne makes her debut in high society and subsequently develops a complicated relationship with the Duke of Hastings.
Season three takes place in 1815, so it’s been at least two years since we first met the Bridgerton clan. That makes Daphne at least 23 at this point.
Phoebe Dynevor turned 29 in April 2024.
Most of the filming for season one wrapped in February 2020 — incredibly, just before the pandemic stopped a lot of production — so at the time of filming, Dynevor was 24.
It means she was only a few years older than her “Bridgerton” character but also younger than some of the actors who play characters younger than Daphne, like her younger sister, Eloise, or Eloise’s best friend, Penelope.
Dynevor will not appear in season three of “Bridgerton,” but she hasn’t ruled out appearing in future seasons.
Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, is 29 in season one of “Bridgerton.” By season three, he’d at least be 31.
The Duke of Hastings vowed never to marry or bear children in order to spite his dead father … but promises are made to be broken.
Regé-Jean Page turned 36 in 2024.
Page left “Bridgerton” after season one to pursue other opportunities, but his character was referenced in season two.
The eldest Bridgerton, Anthony, is 32 in season three.
In the Bridgerton family, the kids are named alphabetically, from A to H: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The oldest Bridgerton, Anthony, is 31 in season two, which focuses on his love story with Kate Sharma, as the second book in the series is called “The Viscount Who Loved Me.”
Anthony and Kate will continue to appear in season three as they enjoy married life.
In real life, Jonathan Bailey is 36. His birthday is in April.
Bailey is also only a couple of years older than his character — but he’s around the same age as the actress who plays Eloise, who is over 10 years younger than him in the show.
As previously stated, Bailey will appear in season three as a newly married man. He’s keeping “Bridgerton” in his busy schedule; Bailey also recently starred in the miniseries “Fellow Travelers,” and will star in the film adaptation of “Wicked” and the new “Jurassic World” movie.
After Anthony comes 29-year-old Benedict Bridgerton.
Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton on the season two finale of “Bridgerton.” Netflix
Benedict’s book is No. 3: “An Offer from a Gentleman,” but the show skipped over his book for the third season. Perhaps season four?
He’s played by 35-year-old Luke Thompson. His 36th birthday is in July 2024.
Thompson is the same age as his “older” brother, Jonathan Bailey. Thompson was also 33 at the time of filming season two.
The third eldest Bridgerton brother is Colin, who is 24.
And now fans are finally going to see who his true soulmate is, as season three of “Bridgerton” is based on Colin’s book.
Luke Newton, 31, plays Colin.
He’s a few years older than his “Bridgerton” character — he was 30 during the filming of season three.
Daphne’s younger sister Eloise is supposed to be 19.
Eloise spends the entire first two seasons (rightfully) complaining about how, as a woman, all she can do is get married and have children.
Fans can check out the fifth book, “To Sir Phillip, With Love,” to see what happens to Eloise as she grows up, but we’ll be interested to see how her story plays out in season three.
She’s played by 34-year-old Claudia Jessie.
That’s right — Jessie is in her 30s playing a teenager in “Bridgerton.” Her first on-screen appearance was in a 2012 episode of “Doctors,” a British soap opera when she was 22.
Right after Eloise is her younger sister Francesca, who is newly 18 and making her debut in society in season three.
Francesca hasn’t been a huge part of the show thus far, but as she’s making her debut this season, we’re sure that a future season of “Bridgerton” will focus on her story, originally told in the sixth book, “When He Was Wicked.”
Hannah Dodd, 28, is a full decade older than Francesca.
Francesca was played by Ruby Stokes (who is 23) in the first two seasons, but the role was recast after Stokes began starring in a different Netflix series, “Lockwood & Co.”
In season three, Dodd will play Francesca.
Eloise’s best friend, Penelope Featherington, is also 19.
Penelope spends seasons one and two pining for Colin Bridgerton and even schemes to get her cousin Marina away from him — but she’s a fan-favorite, as she seems to be the most relatable character in the whole show.
Spoilers for the end of season one: It’s revealed that Penelope, in fact, is gossip queen Lady Whistledown. This reveal doesn’t happen until the fourth book, so the hijinks that will surely ensue this season will be new for book readers and show watchers alike.
Season three will also tell the love story (finally) of Penelope and Colin
But in real life, Nicola Coughlan is 37.
Coughlan has been playing a teenager since 2018 — she also played high school student Clare in the Irish sitcom “Derry Girls,” which concluded in 2022.
She had just turned 35 when she started filming season three of “Bridgerton.” Her 37th birthday was in January 2024.
The Bridgerton matriarch, Violet Hastings, is 49.
Lady Bridgerton was widowed at a young age — her husband died roughly 10 years before the events of season one.
Ruth Gemmell is 56 in real life.
Gemmell is best known for her role in the original British version of “Fever Pitch” opposite Colin Firth — Drew Barrymore played the character in the 2005 American remake starring Jimmy Fallon.
Queen Charlotte is a real historical figure — in 1815, she was 71 years old.
One of “Bridgerton’s” most inspired choices was to make the world of British high society in the 1800s more diverse than it was in real life, beginning with the choice to make Queen Charlotte, a real queen and wife to King George III, Black.
As Business Insider has previously reported, historically, she is thought to have been England’s first biracial monarch, though she is mainly depicted as white in art.
But Golda Rosheuvel is only 54.
Rosheuvel is significantly younger than Queen Charlotte would’ve been in 1815, but there’s no doubt she’s perfect for the role.
She so perfectly embodied the character that Queen Charlotte became popular enough for her own spinoff, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” which dropped on Netflix in May 2023.
Kate Sharma joined the “Bridgerton” family in season two. She’s 27 during season three’s events.
Kate is based on the character Kate Sheffield in the books — the show changed the character’s backstory and heritage to add more diversity to the show.
Season two showed the relationship between Kate and Anthony, ending with them getting married. Season three is sure to show us more loving moments between the two.
Simone Ashley is a bit older than Kate. Her 29th birthday was on March 30, 2024.
Fans might recognize Ashley from her role in another mega-popular Netflix series, “Sex Education.” She played Olivia Hanan in 15 episodes.
Kate’s younger sister Edwina is around 18 or 19.
Edwina made her society debut in season two but ended the season without a husband, a diversion from the books.
Charithra Chandran is 27, a little less than two years younger than her “older” sister.
Chandran is relatively new to acting. Her first on-screen role was in season two of “Alex Rider” in 2021.
She’s not returning for season three but has kept busy. She starred in the 2024 romantic comedy “How to Date Billy Walsh” and had a voice role in “Star Wars: Visions.”
We’re not exactly sure how old the show version of Marina Thompson is supposed to be, though there’s a book character of the same name who would’ve been 21 during the show’s events.
This version of Marina doesn’t exist in the “Bridgerton” books, but a character with the same name is mentioned in the fifth book. We’re willing to bet the show’s version of the character will meet a different fate.
Ruby Barker is actually 27 in real life.
In real life, Barker is a decade younger than her on-screen younger cousin Penelope, played by Coughlan.
