Warning: This post contains spoilers for Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Lady Danbury’s secret could be one explanation for her Queen Charlotte bond in the Bridgerton prequel series. Lady Danbury is quite a formidable woman and the members of the Ton are sure not to cross her if they know what is best for them. However, Bridgerton has kept much the dowager’s backstory a mystery, with the character primarily focused on supporting those closest to her. Lady Danbury is known for throwing soirées, being a close friend to the Bridgertons, raising Simon, and sponsoring the Sharma family in Bridgerton season 2. But for all of Lady Danbury’s strong and engaging presence, there is very little known about her time before the start of the Netflix series. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story details how she became a widow and wealthy, giving the audience a window into her unhappy marriage, but not much is seen of her children.
In Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, Lady Danbury's daughter, Anne, had a child out of wedlock. Anne’s son, Gareth St. Clair, eventually goes on to marry Hyacinth Bridgerton in her novel, It’s In His Kiss. Before that can happen, however, the Bridgerton series could explore Lady Danbury’s relationship with her daughter. It’s unclear what her dynamic was with her children following the death of her husband since a nanny is seen raising them before his death. Part of the Bridgerton prequel series involves Lady Danbury guiding Queen Charlotte as a newcomer, which does allow them to bond, but her children are still very young to know if the story of Anne is part of Lady Danbury's arc to come - or if Queen Charlotte knows about it. There is a lot to learn from Lady Danbury’s past and focusing, even if for a little bit, on the relationship she has with the daughter who leaves the Ton behind years later would add more depth to the dowager’s backstory in Bridgerton.
How Lady Danbury's Secret Can Develop Her Bridgerton Character
Lady Danbury’s secret past could also explain why no one talks about her children at all in Bridgerton. Plus, the fact no one brings up the scandal surrounding Lady Danbury could mean Queen Charlotte, after they grew closer, saved her family from ruin in the aftermath of Anne’s situation. Lady Danbury’s family life is an enigma, but understanding what she was like as a young mother could help the audience understand how she came to be who she is in the present. Audiences know she is wealthy and has a lot of influence, but there is not much else Bridgerton has revealed about her family thus far.
Queen Charlotte is one of the few people to have first-hand knowledge of Lady Danbury's family life thanks to her visits during the first year of Queen Charlotte's royal marriage. Seeing more of her backstory could develop Lady Danbury into an even more dynamic character. Revealing Lady Danbury’s family secret could also go a long way to showcase the deepening of her friendship with Queen Charlotte. Perhaps what happened with Anne solidified their closeness and, if Charlotte kept Lady Danbury’s secret, the dowager would respect her even more.
Lady Danbury’s Bond With Queen Charlotte Is Because They Are Outsiders
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story does not allude to the Lady Danbury secret kept in the novels, but instead reveals a new one. Lady Danbury, following the passing of her husband, had a brief relationship with Violet Bridgerton’s father. That relationship, as far as the series allows, doesn’t produce any illegitimate children, and the children she does have are still too young during the events of the prequel series to be a party to the secret kept in the novels.
Instead, Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte bond in their youth because they both feel like outsiders. Charlotte is thrown into the world of the royals without knowing exactly what to expect, and she finds herself completely cut off from anyone she knows. Even the food is different from her home. Lady Danbury never quite feels like a member of the Ton because her skin color excludes her and her husband from certain events. When Charlotte becomes Queen, Agatha Danbury's husband is also made a Lord, and the “great experiment” as the show calls it, begins.
Lady Danbury’s status as a Lady of the Ton is entirely dependent on Charlotte and George’s union working. That’s drummed into her by her husband’s title and land being in jeopardy after his death. She initially becomes a confidante for Charlotte because she wants to see the young queen succeed, but Lady Danbury truly becomes Charlotte’s friend as they both struggle with their circumstances.
As far as the audience is aware so far, Queen Charlotte never learns of the secret Lady Danbury keeps during the prequel series. Violet only realizes the truth of Lady Danbury’s relationship with her father decades later. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things that bond Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte, however, since their friendship lasts for at least 40 years in the Bridgerton series.