Here's how the real ages of the 'Bridgerton' cast compare to their characters
Gabbi Shaw
- "Bridgerton" is Netflix's latest hit. The show tells the story of the Bridgertons, a family living in London high society in 1813.
- The Bridgerton kids and their friends range from 10 to 30 years old, with many being in their late teens and early 20s.
- But many of the actors are significantly older than their characters, including 31-year-old Claudia Jessie playing 17-year-old Eloise Bridgerton.
"Bridgerton," Shonda Rhimes' first show for Netflix and everyone's latest obsession, centers on the Bridgerton family and their friends and lovers.
Two of the show's characters, Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, are best friends. They also happen to be 17 years old, but the actors who play them are both in their 30s.
Keep scrolling to see the real ages of the "Bridgerton" cast, from Daphne Bridgerton to Queen Charlotte.
Daphne Bridgerton is 21 when she makes her debut in British society.
The first season of "Bridgerton" is based on the novel "The Duke and I," the first in the "Bridgerton" series. It centers around the summer of 1813, the summer that Daphne makes her debut in high society, and subsequently develops a complicated relationship with the Duke of Hastings.
Read more: 13 of the most shocking, spiciest moments from the first season of 'Bridgerton'
Phoebe Dynevor is 25.
Dynevor is only a few years older than her "Bridgerton" character, but that means she's younger than some of the actors who play characters younger than Daphne, like her younger sister Eloise or Eloise's best friend, Penelope.
Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, is 29 in "Bridgerton."
The Duke of Hastings has vowed never to marry or bear children in order to spite his dead father ... but promises are made to be broken.
Regé-Jean Page is 31.
Page is 31, making him older than the character by a couple of years, but closer to Dynevor's age than Simon is to Daphne.
Read more: 'Bridgerton' star Regé-Jean Page downplays rumors that he could be the next James Bond
The eldest Bridgerton, Anthony, is 30.
In the Bridgerton family, the kids are named alphabetically, from A to H: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The oldest Bridgerton, Anthony, is 30 — the second season will probably focus on him, as the second book in the series is "The Viscount Who Loved Me."
In real life, Jonathan Bailey is 32.
Bailey is also only a couple years older than his character, but he's around the same age as the actress who plays Eloise, who is over 10 years younger than him in the show.
After Anthony comes 27-year-old Benedict Bridgerton.
Benedict's book is No. 3: "An Offer from a Gentleman." But some are hoping the series deviates from canon to make Benedict an LGBT character.
He's played by 32-year-old Luke Thompson.
Thompson is the same age as his "older" brother, Jonathan Bailey.
The third eldest Bridgerton brother is Colin, who is 22.
Colin spent the season pining over Marina Thompson, but fans of his book, "Romancing Mister Bridgerton," know that it's not meant to last.
Luke Newton, 23, plays Colin.
Newton is around the same age as his "Bridgerton" character, but is almost 10 years younger than his "younger" sister Eloise.
Daphne's younger sister Eloise is supposed to be 17.
She's played by 31-year-old Claudia Jessie.
Yup, Jessie is in her 30s playing a teenager in "Bridgerton." Her first on-screen appearance was in a 2012 episode of "Doctors," a British soap opera, when she was 22.
Claudia's best friend, Penelope Featherington, is also 17.
Penelope spends season one pining for Colin Bridgerton, and even scheming to get her cousin Marina away from him, but she's a fan-favorite, as she seems to be the most relatable character in the whole show.
But in real life, Nicola Coughlan is 34.
Coughlan has been playing a teenager since 2018 — she also plays high school student Clare in the British sitcom "Derry Girls."
We're not exactly sure how old the show version of Marina Thompson is supposed to be, though there's a book character of the same name who would've been 19 during the show's events.
This version of Marina doesn't exist in the "Bridgerton" books, but a character with the same name is mentioned in the fifth book. We're willing to bet the show's version of the character will meet a different fate.
Ruby Barker is actually 24 in real life.
Barker is around the same age as her on-screen would-be love interest, Luke Newton.
The Bridgerton matriarch, Violet Hastings, is 47.
Lady Bridgerton was widowed at a young age — her husband died roughly 10 years before the events of the show.
Ruth Gemmell is 54 in real life.
Gemmell is best known for her role in the original British version of "Fever Pitch" opposite Colin Firth — Drew Barrymore played the character in the 2005 American remake starring Jimmy Fallon.
Queen Charlotte is a real historical figure - in 1813, she was 69 years old.
One of "Bridgerton's" most inspired choices was to make the world of British high society in the 1800s more diverse than it was in real life, beginning with the choice to make Queen Charlotte, a real queen and wife to King George III, Black.
As Insider has previously reported, historically, she is thought to have been England's first monarch of mixed race, though she is mainly depicted as white in art.
But Golda Rosheuvel is only 49.
Rosheuvel is significantly younger than Queen Charlotte would've been in 1813, but there's no doubt she's perfect for the role. No one else could pull off the elaborate wigs like she does.
Read more: 'Bridgerton's' Queen Charlotte says the huge afro wig she wore felt like it was 'burning' her scalp during filming
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