Bridgerton Kate and Anthony Expand Their Family After Season 3 Absence:

After disappearing at the beginning of Bridgerton season 3, Kate and Anthony returned with some exciting news.

During the conclusion to the third season, which started streaming on Thursday, June 13, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley) returned home after enjoying a second honeymoon. The couple immediately confirmed that Kate was expecting their first child, which made Anthony extremely excited.

Kate and Anthony didn’t immediately tell his family, however,since they didn’t want to overshadow the news of his brother Colin’s (Luke Newton) engagement to Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). They eventually found a chance to share with everyone that they were expanding their family.

By the time season 3 came to an end, Kate and Anthony were looking forward to being parents as they made plans to travel to her native India before she gave birth. The epilogue, which took place at least nine months into the future, didn’t offer an update on Kate and Anthony, but going by Julia Quinn’s book series the couple welcomed their baby, son Edmund (named in honor of Anthony’s late father).

The milestone moment came after Kate and Anthony were largely missing from the first half of the third season. Viewers were originally introduced to the duo when they were the focus of season 2, which took inspiration from Quinn’s book, The Viscount Who Loved Me.

Season 2, which was released in 2022, centered around Anthony’s search for a wife. His situation got very complicated when he fell in love with Kate while courting her sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran).

Some of the writing decisions on screen were a big departure from the source material, which upset fans when they only got to see Kate and Anthony get their happily ever after in the final moments of their season. Before Bridgerton’s third season debuted, Bailey, 36, discussed how the new episodes offer a glimpse into the next chapter for Kate and Anthony.

“I’m a massive fan of Kanthony. There’s so much to enjoy for both of them now, and we explore that in season 3. They’ve overcome a lot,” he told W magazine in December 2023. “[We’re] talking about the need for communication in a romance, and that study of how they communicate and how little they did communicate until the very end [of season 2].”

He continued: “So, now, we can see them completely celebrate each other for who they are. There are really lovely conversations about heritage and familial roles, and once you meet someone who understands you fully, having sacrificed so much for the families as they both have, how exciting [it is] to make decisions that might change the course for them [as a couple].”

Ashley, 29, meanwhile, teased the challenges her character would face moving forward.

“Even though she comes across as fierce, people like that are sometimes the softest on the inside,” she told British Vogue in November 2022. “They develop that skin because they’re vulnerable. You see her insecurities and fears. She’s f—king nervous and I think there’s strength in admitting that.”

Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix.