Warning: This list contains plot spoilers for Bridgerton season 2.
Living in the previous centuries did not guarantee a life free from gossip. If anything, gossip was all the more desired, because there was a lack of other entertainment options. And Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton capitalized on this like nobody else.
Aside from her seemingly knowing everything, one of her specialties is also her style of writing, which has a flare for the dramatic and is very easily consumed. Some of her quotes have stuck in the audience's heads long after the show had been over.
War In Society
"All is fair in love and war."
This is of course not an original quote by Lady Whistledown, but one borrowed as it was originally attributed to a British writer John Lyly. However, this quote is very much on par with what Lady Whistledown stands for. After all, people do wild things for love, and those things lead to scandals, which means more gossip and more money for Lady Whistledown.
Besides that, with her gossip sheet, Lady Whistledown has turned London's high society into a war zone for her own amusement (and everybody else's). Being perceived well in society is not a luxury but a necessity for some of the ladies looking to marry well, and it's not hard to turn people against each other.
Art Of Marrying
"Marrying Above One's Station Is An Art Form Indeed."
There are a lot of complexities regarding finding your match in society. Not everyone is like the Bridgerton brothers with both wealth and title and can afford to marry someone they actually like or love. Others have to do so for status.
Though a daughter of a viscount is nothing to frown at, however confusing the Bridgerton character rankings might be, it was something special that Daphne caught the attention of a prince, and even secured a marriage offer from him, though she later married a duke. However, this was nowhere as artistic as Miss Thompson nearly managing to secure marriage with Colin while having no money and no title.
Revealing Secrets
"If Anyone Shall Reveal The Circumstances Of This Match, It Is I."
Certainly a high goal for Lady Whistledown, and one she might have actually achieved if Daphne and Simon hadn't broken off their arrangement for catching feelings. It was rather remarkable that nobody actually found out what the circumstances of Daphne and Simon's haste marriage were, but it's likely to be attributed to the Bridgerton family having a common goal of avoiding scandal, and Cressida Cowper not wanting to have an enemy in a Duchess of Hastings.
However, it is highly unbelievable that the family managed to keep a secret from Eloise, who can be very sleuthy, and that she hadn't shared it with Penelope. Or maybe Penelope did know, but simply figured that Daphne has been through enough? There must be some loyalty present to her best friend's family.
A Proper Introduction
"It Has Been Said Of All B**ches A Scribbling Woman Is The Most Canine."
When Lady Whistledown introduced herself like that, many thought it was an exaggeration, but she definitely has sharp teeth and she isn't afraid to use them. Now that the audience knows that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, it is impossible to ignore the sometimes cruel comments she extended toward her own family and presumably friends.
While her family can be understood in a way, since her mother and two sisters can be terrible bullies to her, it always seemed confusing that she deemed Daphne ineligible, after presumably being a valued guest of the Bridgerton family many times. So perhaps some jealousy was present.
Who Is Lady Whistledown
"You Do Not Know Me, And Rest Assured, You Never Shall."
Considering the disdain with which Penelope views some, it is not unlikely that she has put up high walls of her own. As a matter of a fact, she hides behind the Lady Whistledown persona, and the only person she lets in is Eloise, and not even all the way.
So in a way, Lady Whistledown is telling the truth. Not even her best friend knows her, because she won't let anybody know her. It is an unconscious decision that affects her entire life. This is also among the most dramatic and memorable quotes from Bridgerton.
Sharpening Knives
"Should I Say, Hatching My Plans? No, Even Better, I Was Sharpening My Knives. For All Of You."
After a long break, Lady Whistledown is back with more gossip and if this greeting is anything to go by, she is back more feral than ever. The ton never runs out of gossip and there is always another scandal Lady Whistledown can uncover.
Of course, it seems rather hypocritical to prompt Queen Charlotte to reveal the season's diamond, only to then later chastise her about the concept of the diamond. It's very clear that while it didn't start off that way, Penelope's interests are very much making an appearance in Lady Whistledown's writings.
Prickly Spinster
"Any Suitor Wishing To Gain An Audience With Miss Edwina Sharma, Must First Tame The Rather Prickly Spinster Of A Beast, Otherwise Known As Her Sister."
Lady Whistledown does not do Kate any favors, but Kate herself does not do herself any either. Set on one goal only, she stops for nobody when it comes to securing a good match for her sister. Even though they're in a terrible financial situation, she wants her sister to marry someone she loves.
There also seems to be a pattern with Lady Whistledown labeling the season's main female character as ineligible. For someone who is a part of the so-called marriage mart and knows how rough it is, she loses no sleep at ruining potential futures for these ladies who do not know better. After all, marrying well is all they've been raised for.
Vermin And Secrets
"There Are Two Things That Lurk Within The Dark And Shadowy Places Of Our Fair City - Vermin And Secrets. I Shall Leave It To You, Dear Reader, As To Which Do The Most Harm."
Surely the people living through the black plague would choose vermin, but it's clear that secrets can cause many problems and have likely been the common cause of death since the beginning of time. Nothing enrages people like betrayal, and it often makes them do unexpected things.
Living in a society where everyone, but especially women, is under scrutiny and one mistake can ruin their entire lives, there are bound to be secrets in abundance. But secrets have a way of getting out when it's least convenient.
Cannot Keep Quiet
"Gentle Reader, You Thought I Was Silenced, But You Thought Wrong. And If There Is One Thing You Should Know By Now, It Is That This Author Cannot Keep Quiet For Long."
Lady Whistledown's decision to stop writing did not last very long. She did this because she felt bad for ruining Eloise's reputation, and though she was trying to protect her, once Eloise found out her secret, which nobody saw coming, Lady Whistledown was back with a vengeance.
It will be interesting to see the trajectory Lady Whistledown will take next season - will she soften up, or will she sharpen her knives even more? And even more importantly - what will Eloise do now that she knows after the initial shock of the reveal subsides?
Wretched Means
"Can The Ends Ever Justify Such Wretched Means?"
It is interesting that Lady Whistledown would ask this question, as she has done many questionable things while hiding behind noble reasons. Trying to protect Colin in season 2, she nearly destroyed Marina - even though what Marina was doing was horrible as well, which turned out to be one of the biggest plot twists. In season 2 it was Eloise she was trying to protect.
It is clear that Lady Whistledown's meddling has caused many troubles for everyone under the scrutiny, and though reading the gossip is definitely fun, and one can understand Penelope's frustrations and reasons, it's worth asking oneself if the entertainment is worth the pain and suffering this causes.