Bridgerton Season 4 may see Lady Danbury stepping back from matchmaking as she passes her influential role to Lady Whistledown.
As Bridgerton Season 4 gears up to give us Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) love story, there’s also this fascinating theory floating around that Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) might finally be ready to hang up her matchmaking hat. After three seasons of orchestrating romance after romance, our favorite no-nonsense matriarch seems a bit tired.
And honestly, who can blame her? The theory suggests she might be preparing to pass the torch to none other than Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). Yes, the newly revealed Lady Whistledown herself. Now that’s a plot twist worth discussing!
Lady Danbury’s Matchmaking Fatigue Shows in Bridgerton Season 3
Lady Danbury has been carrying the ton’s romantic destiny on her shoulders for way too long. From helping Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) land the Duke to guiding the Sharma sisters through London’s treacherous social scene, she’s been everyone’s fairy godmother.
But showrunner Jess Brownell, in a talk with Decider, said that they deliberately pulled back on Lady Danbury’s matchmaking role in Season 3.
” We felt like we’ve watched two seasons of Lady Danbury being heavily involved in molding or shaping the main couple and we wanted to give her a storyline that was more about her. And not just about her being an accessory on the sidelines to someone else’s story. We wanted to put her more front and center. ”
And Adjoa Andoh herself, when asked what she would like to explore next, mentioned to CinemaBlend that
” Romance… For me, I would say that I think that would be super interesting. Because here, you have a woman who has got her life in order. It’s structured. It’s secure. She has power. She has style. She has authority, blah, blah, blah. What happens if she encounters someone – man or woman, I don’t care – interesting, who wants to engage with her? ”
She further added on to that and said
” I think it might be a bit scary to give up some of that power. So to try and hold onto that dynamism and that independence and navigate a relationship, I think that’s a super interesting conversation. ”
Lady Whistledown Could Take Over the Matchmaking Torch
With Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown exposed and Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) giving her the green light to keep writing, Penelope is evolving into a legit social influencer. Brownell also confirmed that Lady Whistledown will remain central to Season 4 (via Variety).
Penelope also has the skill set required to inherit Lady Danbury’s role. She’s got insider knowledge of the ton, she’s proven she can shape public opinion, and she’s already demonstrated her ability to influence matches through her writing. Plus, with Season 4 exploring Benedict and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) cross-class romance (literally a Cinderella story), the themes of social transformation fit perfectly with this potential power shift.
Lady Danbury stepping back isn’t about retiring; it’s about evolving. She’d still have influence, but she’d finally prioritize herself while ensuring the ton’s social machinery runs smoothly under capable new management.
All three seasons of Bridgerton are currently streaming exclusively on Netflix, along with the prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Season 4 will premiere in two parts, Part 1 on January 29, 2026, and Part 2 on February 26, 2026.
