Is Bridgerton hinting that Eloise is carrying a secret that could completely shift her future from what the books promised? Read on to find out!
Eloise Bridgerton has always been the family’s resident rebel, but fans think the show might be setting her up for a much deeper twist. A growing theory suggests Eloise could be hiding a secret, specifically, that the series may hint she is infertile or unable to have children, a major shift from her book storyline.
Before digging into the speculation, it helps to look at what the canon actually says about her future and why the fandom believes the next season of Bridgerton might take her character in a very different direction.
Will Eloise and Phillip Have Children?
There has been a lot of chatter online lately about Eloise Bridgerton and whether she might be hiding some kind of secret. A theory floating around that the show could reveal she is infertile.
However, the books do not give this theory any fuel. In Julia Quinn’s original novels, Eloise ends up with Sir Phillip Crane, moves to his estate, becomes a mother-figure to his twins, and later has three biological children of her own.
But the moment you step outside the books and into the fandom bubble, such as Reddit threads, TikTok theories, Tumblr-style overanalysis, things get a lot more interesting. Because the show has already changed a bunch of character arcs, fans genuinely believe Eloise could be next.
That is where the infertility theory started gaining momentum. With Phillip already having two children, the show does not technically need Eloise to have more. Her whole storyline on-screen leans harder into independence and rejecting traditional roles than it ever did in the books.
Whether Bridgerton Season 4 leans into infertility, a childfree storyline, or a completely different romantic ending, fans are convinced Eloise’s future will not look exactly like it does in the books.
Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling’s Queer Storyline
The moment Michaela Stirling appeared in the Bridgerton Season 3 finale, the fandom basically exploded. Francesca’s storyline has always felt quieter, softer, and a little mysterious compared to her siblings, but that final scene instantly shifted everything.
In the books, Francesca’s great love story unfolds with Michael Stirling, a man. But the show deliberately gender-swapped him into Michaela, and that tiny change completely rewrites the future the books set up for her.
The creators have made it clear they aren’t setting Francesca up for queer heartbreak, they are setting her up for a queer endgame. Showrunner Jess Brownell revealed that after the death of Francesca’s husband John Stirling, she goes on to have a second romance with John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling.
Brownell told Teen Vogue,
The reveal of Michaela versus Michael, from the books, is something that I’ve been pitching from season one of the show. My approach to telling a queer story on Bridgerton has been to look to the books for thematic cues. As a queer woman, a lot of my queer experience, and I think a lot of my friends’ [experiences have] been about that sense of feeling different, and navigating what that means.
If Bridgerton continues the way it is going, Francesca and Michaela might just end up being one of the show’s most compelling romances yet.
