Warning: SPOILERS for Bridgerton.
Bridgerton fans undoubtedly spent the season wondering, much like the characters in the Netflix series, who exactly Lady Whistledown could be - and the show secretly revealed the twist throughout the season. Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is a story set during the regency era in London, and follows the lives of the titular Bridgerton family and their other high society counterparts. At the beginning of the social season, the town is abuzz with the arrival of a gossip writer named Lady Whistledown, who, rather than simply stir up rumors, reveals the full names of her subjects, meaning everyone, including society’s young debutantes, will be under even greater scrutiny than usual.
As one such young woman, Daphne Bridgerton, fights to secure her family’s future by marrying a suitable match, she meets the rakish duke Simon Basset, a friend of her eldest brother’s. Though the two don’t get along at first blush, they soon realize that they have something to gain by fooling society into believing they are courting. Daphne stands to reclaim some of the social standing she has lost to her brother Anthony’s overbearing attitude towards her suitors, and Simon is relieved of the attentions of ambitious debutantes and their mothers seeking to make a match despite his refusal to ever marry.
While society hangs on every word of the elusive Lady Whistledown, Daphne’s intrepid sister Eloise seeks to find her out. She conducts an intense investigation that seems to lead to the local modiste, Genevieve Delacroix. However, a thrilling twist at the end of the season 1 finale, “After the Rain,” reveals Lady Whistledown’s true identity: the unassuming Penelope Featherington, the outsider of her woefully out of touch family. Though the twist is shocking, the show leaves many fascinating clues for the viewer to find, placed throughout the series with varying degrees of subtlety.
Penelope's Yellow Dress
Though it’s not immediately apparent what Penelope’s yellow dresses have to do with her being Lady Whistledown, the color choice actually indicates that she is much more in touch with high society than people give her credit for. Yellow was not only a popular color during the regency era but considered to be one of the most fashionable. Despite being overlooked by her peers, her family, and possible suitors, Penelope clearly knows how to make herself stand out without falling victim to the inconsistent and unflattering tastes of her mother and sisters. Though her family regards her as an outsider, she is actually more in the know than any of them - and in more ways than one. The subtlety and cleverness of the action indicates the calculating nature of her Lady Whistledown persona.
Eloise's Deductions
Eloise’s theories about Lady Whistledown’s true identity also point (though sometimes indirectly) to Penelope. While Penelope is, of course, not a widow or a tradesperson as Eloise surmises, she is afforded many similar freedoms. Being a single woman from a family of means allows Penelope a great deal of free time with which to write her society papers. Because she is out for her first social season, she is invited to attend all the balls and parties, but is able to go largely unnoticed by members of the ton because she is regarded as an outsider, even within her own family. While this is clearly a source of pain for Penelope, it also gives her the opportunity and the motivation to vent her cynicism and frustration via Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers.
The possibility that Lady Whistledown is a tradesperson (not, as Eloise previously believed, a servant) explains the author’s proximity to the wealthy as well as her ability to go unnoticed. Penelope is afforded that same sense of anonymity because she is often relegated to the sidelines, not fielding any suitors or given much attention by her family. Penelope also, as a tradesperson might, has direct access to the goings-on of key players in Lady Whistledown’s gossip, like Daphne Bridgerton and Marina Thompson. Penelope has direct access to Marina in her own home and a close relationship with the Bridgertons. Lady Whistledown guides public opinion as much as she reports on it, and because of these personal connections, she has multiple first-hand sources of information.
However, Penelope’s closeness to someone like Eloise has benefits and drawbacks: while Eloise is an excellent source of information, her investigation into Lady Whistledown poses a possible threat to Penelope. A keenly observant viewer might notice how Penelope puts Eloise subtly off her trail by engaging Eloise’s theories - she even acknowledges that the story about Marina is more personal than the public events Lady Whistledown usually covers - but shifting Eloise’s focus to the household staff and away from herself.
Lady Whistledown's Activity Decreased When The Featherington's Were Sidelined
After Daphne and Simon’s engagement, Lady Whistledown begins to appear more infrequently, and when Marina’s scandal puts the Featheringtons in society’s bad books, she writes even less. With her access to high society events gone, Penelope has little to write about without relying on her personal connections. Daphne is out of the spotlight and focusing too much on Marina’s scandal would worsen the Featheringtons’ standing, so Penelope is forced to slow down Lady Whistledown’s writings.
With the biggest match of the season having already taken place, being present at balls and parties is the main source of information, and without invitations, Penelope has precious little to work with. For a time, her papers begin to contain more introspective or speculative writings than their usual revelations of scandal. However, Lady Whistledown's writings pick up again (and regain their usual specificity) when Daphne graciously invites the Featheringtons to the final ball of the season at Clyvedon, renewing Penelope’s ability to gather information.
Penelope Reveals Her Wit to Colin
Another major clue that Penelope is actually the author of Lady Whistledown's scandal papers is a blink and you miss it moment when she lets her guard down in front of Colin. At Lady Trowbridge’s party, Colin and Penelope discuss the somewhat comical fact that the lord of the house is technically Lady Trowbridge’s two year old son. Penelope reveals some of Lady Whistledown’s acerbic wit when she politely points out that the young heir looks a lot like Lady Trowbridge’s footman, implying that the Trowbridge heir is not legitimate.
Colin, looking shocked, replies, "Penelope! What a barb,” and looks at her searchingly, amused and surprised by her brash observation. Penelope, on the other hand, quickly loses the glint in her eye, and drops his gaze, looking nervous. While it’s easy to pass off Penelope's hesitance as embarrassment for speaking out of turn in front of the object of her affections, it’s likely that she is actually worried that she’s just outed herself as Lady Whistledown. While it's not wildly out of character for Penelope to have a sharp sense of humor, the remark is exactly the kind of thing she might write in Lady Whistledown. Penelope cannot risk anyone finding out the truth, especially Colin, whom she has feelings for.
The Timing of Marina’s Downfall
Finally, one of the most telling clues to Lady Whistledown’s identity is the timing of Marina Thompson’s downfall. Lady Whistledown, notably, only reveals Marina's pregnancy after Penelope has exhausted every option to stop Marina and Colin from getting married. Penelope goes to great lengths to prevent the relationship from blossoming, first endeavoring to keep them apart, but going on to take greater risks as the two grow closer. She tries to tell Colin that Marina is in love with someone else, and when that doesn’t work, to appeal to Marina’s love for George Crane by revealing Lady Featherington's forged letter.
When Marina does not take the bait and instead insults Penelope, saying that Colin will never see her as anything more than a child, Penelope is finally driven by anger and desperation to reveal the truth about Marina’s situation. A keenly observant viewer may see that Lady Whistledown’s announcement is Penelope’s last resort to break up Marina and Colin’s engagement, even if it threatens to bring her family to ruin. Her grief at the end of episode 6, “Swish,” is indicative not only of her heartbreak at losing Marina’s friendship and Colin’s potential affections, but at the gravity of what her plans will mean for her family. All in all, being Lady Whistledown allows Penelope to exert some control over her own life in a society which seems determined to overlook her. Bridgerton expertly explores the fact that while this effort has its advantages, it also has its costs.