Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Queen Charlotte.`Bridgerton may have a large cast, but Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) certainly made their presence known. These two matriarchal figures have developed quite a friendship over the two seasons, as they engineered a pair of weddings that, let’s face it, look unlikely. These two women have little in common, Violet is a dedicated mother of eight, who is devoted to her children and her late husband. Meanwhile, the sharp-tongued Agatha Danbury lives alone, seemingly grateful that her children left the country, and shows a particular interest in matchmaking. Yet these two women get along well, often assisting each other in their endeavors to marry off children or family friends.
However, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story shows a deeper side to their friendship. Tying into their lives several decades before the main show, the series develops Agatha (Arsema Thomas), in particular, but a young Violet (Connie Jenkins-Greig) appears as well. The show flashes between the women in the months following Bridgerton Season 2 and their younger days, explaining the details of the stories which the women discuss. Though it expands their friendship, as Agatha helps Violet through personal problems, Queen Charlotte leaves their relationship in a precarious place, making the audience wonder if troubled waters lay ahead in this friendship.
Lady Danbury's Affair in 'Queen Charlotte'
The problems begin in the past, and the secrecy certainly doesn't help. The spinoff series shows a young Agatha Danbury trapped in a loveless marriage with a much older man. Throughout her appearances, it's clear that she and her husband have no connection, and Agatha has never experienced love. She was betrothed to Danbury (Cyril Nri) at three years old and never had a choice. Agatha and her husband are granted titles in the Great Experiment, and Agatha joins the queen's (India Amarteifio) court. She also strikes a deal with the king's mother, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley), to inform Charlotte in exchange for help. In this way, Agatha and Danbury become the defacto leaders of the families raised by the Great Experiment. They are granted an estate, which shares borders with the Ledgers, Violet's parents. When her husband dies suddenly, Agatha takes to walking the land for solitude but wanders onto the Ledger's property. There she runs into Lord Ledger (Keir Charles), who has a similar habit.
Despite the tension in the tin from the Great Experiment, Ledger showed the Danburys kindness. And when they meet again, he is understanding towards Agatha. Ledger's marriage isn't blissful, and his long walks are partially to avoid his wife. Agatha starts meeting him, and they go on walks together, and on one such walk, she confides in him about her birthday, which she fears would pass uncelebrated without a husband. In response, Ledger makes a birthday crown for her, as he does for his daughter. This catapults them into an affair. But soon, Ledger pulls back, ending the affair before Agatha is ready. They still see each other often, but Ledger takes Violet along to prevent another lapse in judgment. Though brief, her relationship with Ledger taught Agatha much about love. However, it remains a surprisingly well-kept secret even decades later.
How Does Violet Learn the Truth in 'Queen Charlotte'?
The two friends start the series in a good place, though they face a bumpy road. They run into each other as Violet mourns the anniversary of her husband's death. Lady Danbury calls her lucky, which irritates Violet until she learns more about the Danburys' marriage and realizes that she was fortunate to have a great love, even if she did lose it. With a new understanding of her friend, Violet grows closer to Lady Danbury. She admits to Lady Danbury that, in the years since her husband's death, Violet hasn't thought of love, yet things are changing. Violet talks of her "garden in bloom" as she contemplates marrying again or taking a lover. She asks for advice, as Lady Danbury has been a widow longer, and Lady Danbury alludes to her own romantic endeavors since her husband's death. The conversation makes Danbury nostalgic, remembering her first real love, Lord Ledger. She pulls out the old birthday crown to reminisce, but things do not remain so simple.
On one of her visits, Violet noticed the birthday crown, which Lady Danbury carelessly hid. But her questioning about Lady Danbury's former loves goes nowhere. She names another man to quiet the questions, but Violet does not give up easily. She confronts Lady Danbury by bringing out all the birthday crowns from her father and the ones she made for her husband and kids and inviting the other woman over. The lifetime of birthday crowns fills the room, each unique but resembling Lady Danbury's crown. By gauging her reaction, Violet gets the answer she already knew, though Lady Danbury doesn't say the words. The revelation sends the two former friends into an uncomfortable place. The revelation comes at the end of Queen Charlotte, so it's unclear how they each feel about the truth being out in the open. And with Agatha's relationship with Violet's father no longer a secret, can their friendship remain unchanged?
How Will the Events in 'Queen Charlotte' Impact Their Relationship in 'Bridgerton'?
With the secret revealed the friends could easily become closer than ever. Or they could grow apart. As the revelation is their final scene, it's unclear which direction they will go. The spinoff expands Lady Danbury and Violet's friendship, as the former guides her younger friend through the process of moving on in widowhood. But, as the realization of what happened so many years before occurs at the end, it raises the question of how they will proceed. Violet's parents weren't in love, but she may not have realized that as a child, so she may feel some resentment toward Agatha as her father's lover. For now, fans can only guess if Violet can forgive her friend for the affair, the lie, or both. Going into Bridgerton Season 3, these two may better understand each other, or they may no longer be the friends they once were, perhaps bringing a new sort of drama to the ton for Lady Whistledown to gossip about.