5 Bridgerton Romances That Definitely Wouldn't Last In Real Life

MovieStillsDB Published Sep 22, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television. A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyance). As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene. As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator. Sign in to your ScreenRant account WARNING: This article contains discussion of sexual assault, homophobia, and parental neglect. Bridgerton is one of the most popular romance shows of the century, but not every love story in its universe would survive the real world. Granted, Bridgerton reinvented the historical romance genre by fusing Regency era tropes with fantasy escapism, meaning the suspension of disbelief is half the appeal. Furthermore, the alternate history drama has unsurprisingly become one of the biggest Netflix original series of all time, bolstered by its prestige as a title in the Shondaland cinematic universe. Unlike the overwhelming majority of series in the streaming age that are confined to a handful of installments, Bridgerton will have eight full seasons once Netflix finishes adapting Julia Quinn's bestselling novel series. Nevertheless, it has the potential to go even further, as Charlotte's (Golda Rosheuvel) spinoff— Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story— has amassed arguably just as fervid of a fandom as the flagship series. As such, there is ample room for Netflix to continue producing original content in the form of prequels, sequels, and spinoffs to extend its Regency romance's legacy. Whether the franchise continues growing for another decade or ends after the eighth book has been adapted for screen, the vast array of Bridgerton couples will surely remain hot topics of debate. Just as each season focuses on a different main character falling in love, each entry in the Bridgerton franchise introduces a bevy of secondary and tertiary pairings that, unfortunately, fail to make viewers swoon. Be it a palpable lack of chemistry, a problematic subplot, or an outdated social norm, there are plenty of underwhelming relationships in Bridgerton that would crumble without their impenetrable plot armor. Sir Henry Granville & Lucy Granville Benedict (Luke Thompson) may be a fan-favorite male lead, but long before he found true love and settled down in Bridgerton season 4, the second son was struggling to simply find his place in the world. Consequently, throughout the drama's first season, Benedict often ended up mingling with the demimonde on the fringes of society, constantly surrounding himself with free spirits, libertines, and artists with decidedly non-monogamous marriages. Chief among the sundry crew was Sir Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden), a talented painter who introduces Benedict to his outrageous "parties"— and, in turn, to his wife, Lucy (Sandra Teles). Yet, Benedict doesn't realize Lucy and Henry are married until the pair show up arm-in-arm at a high society function. When Benedict asks about his dalliance with Lucy— and Henry's blatant affair with another man— the artist explains that their relationship is "happier" than most, offering them the protection of marriage but the freedom to freely explore their love (and lust) with other members of the Ton. If the Granvilles were merely polyamorous, it wouldn't immediately be a death sentence to their relationship. Sadly, it's clear that their match is nothing more than a Lavender marriage, since Henry wouldn't be able to maintain his prestigious art career if he lived out and proud as a gay man in Regency Era London. Thankfully, in the modern world, the two could be friends rather than legal spouses and enjoy hosting wild parties without fear of social retribution. Cressida Cowper & The Earl of Penwood Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) is far from the most beloved character in Bridgerton's ensemble cast. In season 1, she's the protagonist's direct competitor; in season 2, she's vicious but largely unremarkable; and in season 3, she's a full-blown villain who almost ruins the Bridgerton family by exposing Penelope's (Nicola Coughlan) secret life as Lady Whistledown. Regardless, she maintains a modicum of sympathy because of her father's callousness and her mother's complicity. As such, when she was shipped off to Wales at the end of season 3, many fans thought it was the last we'd see of the antagonist. Of course, a character as pivotal as Cressida couldn't disappear overnight. She returned in season 4 as Cressida Gun, revealing she married the Earl of Penwood and secured a way back into society. She was still, for all intents and purposes, a pariah, but she was back in all her ostentatious glory. Within the show's canon, Cressida's marriage already seems fairly loveless, but in the real world— whether 2026 or the actual Regency Era— it's unlikely the former debutante would find such a pleasant, albeit absent, husband. Being shunned by the Queen would make her prospects dismal in the 19th century, while she would never have needed to marry at all in the modern age to gain her independence. Further, a titled man with such a prominent estate wouldn't realistically marry London's biggest outcast. Daphne Brigerton & Simon Basset The romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) was irrefutably what put Bridgerton on the map in 2020. With two gorgeous leads, a fake dating plot, and a few orchestral covers of the decade's top hits, Bridgerton went from a niche page-to-screen adaptation to a global phenomenon in mere weeks. While Daphne and Simon's story in Bridgerton was vital to the show's success, however, their relationship has caused numerous controversies in the past six years. Considering the setting, Daphne had no knowledge of sex or fertility. Conversely, Simon— a so-called reformed rake— intimately understood "pinnacles" and the intricacies of their marital duties. Unfortunately, Simon vowed to never produce an heir, a decision he kept secret from his wife by claiming he was physically incapable of having children. When the young woman realized he had lied to her, she forced him to have sex with the aim of impregnating herself. Though Daphne was almost comically naive, she still sexually assaulted her husband and faced practically no repercussions. Even without the non-consensual sex scene, though, their relationship clearly relied on lust rather than a strong foundation of trust. In real life, Simon's secret and Daphne's rape would individually be enough to end a marriage, but their shotgun wedding was a harbinger of doom from the start. Nowadays, disgruntled brothers don't challenge their sister's boyfriend to a duel, meaning Simon and Daphne's relationship would probably be over before it even began. Prudence Featherington & Harry Dankworth Netflix The Featheringtons initially felt like fodder for Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown mystery, but Penelope's sisters gradually became characters in their own right. Prudence (Bessie Carter) was undoubtedly the most grating Featherington, as she was ceaselessly cruel to Penelope and seemingly rude for fun at times. As a result, when Bridgerton season 3 began by revealing Prudence was married, it certainly came out of left field. The storyline felt all the more confounding when her husband— Harry Dankworth (James Phoon)— was introduced. Despite her apathy and revulsion, Harry seemed to be utterly enamored with Prudence, complimenting her and attempting to initiate public displays of affection whenever possible. By the end of the season, Prudence had come around to her new station in life, but it still never felt like love. If anything, Prudence married Harry just to place her bid as the next Lady Featherington, and the lack of dramatic inheritance battles in the modern day would render their marriage pointless. Marina Thompson & Sir Phillip Crane Out of all the torrid affairs, shameless social climbing, and glamorous seasons on the marriage mart, there was one relationship in Bridgerton that had an expiration date as soon as it started: the marriage between Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) and Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton). Marina's secret pregnancy was one of the most dramatic subplots in Bridgerton season 1, and it culminated in the devastating reveal that George, her first love, died in war. As a man of honor, George's brother sought out Marina to protect her reputation by offering a respectable but loveless marriage. Season 2 followed up on their arrangement by revealing that Marina and Phillip led their separate lives but were both allegedly content. Although their marriage will undergo a major change in Bridgerton season 5 and beyond, they currently have the worst relationship in the show by far. Of course, with four seasons left to adapt the original source material, Bridgerton still has plenty of time to introduce more toxic, boring, and poorly matched couples. Release Date 2020 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Directors Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson Cast Luke Thompson Lady Violet Bridgerton Ruth Gemmell Benedict Bridgerton Writers Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin Creator(s) Chris Van Dusen