Is Lady Danbury leaving Bridgerton? (There’s definitely reason for fans to be concerned)

Who’d have thought that after the first episode of Bridgerton season 4, it would be Lady Danbury’s future with the franchise we’d be the most worried about?! 

A new season of Bridgerton has begun and while all eyes are on the season’s new central couple, Benedict and Sophie, Day 1 fans can’t help but find their minds understandably drifting to questions about whether the ton’s most fashionable icon could soon be leaving not just the ton, but the show. 

Let this be your warning as we’re about to get into spoiler territory – though if you’ve ventured this far down in the piece, I have a feeling you’re waiting for me to spill the tea Lady Whistledown style. So let’s dive in. 

Dearest gentle readers, a new social season has begun, and this author has it on good authority Queen Charlotte’s closest confidant is looking for a change of scenery. It appears, after years of standing loyally by the Queen’s side, Lady Danbury is looking to leave the social season behind to travel the world. 

As the season begins, Lady Danbury informs Queen Charlotte that there is a motive behind her decision to hand over the first ball of the season to Violet Bridgerton: she’s looking to take a step back in society this year. After years of leading the charge and playing a pivotal role in the annual social season, Lady Danbury is eager to travel back to her ancestral home and is set on leaving the ton after the season concludes. 

Of course, this announcement does not sit well with Queen Charlotte, who immediately shuts down the idea of Lady Danbury leaving. By the time episode 2 rolls around, things get worse before getting better as it becomes more apparent that Queen Charlotte is simply afraid of losing her friend with a deep-rooted fear of being without her closest friend should something happen to King George. 

By the time episode 3 rolls around, Lady Danbury convinces Queen Charlotte to allow her to find a new lady in waiting who can take her place. Lady Danbury assures Queen Charlotte that she will find someone who is more than capable of following in her footsteps, and her search eventually leads her to Alice Mondrich. 

When the first part of the season comes to a close in episode 4, Lady Danbury officially puts this plan into motion by presenting Alice to the Queen as her candidate to succeed her – and she eventually convinces Alice to accept the honor. The first four episodes seem to be building towards Lady Danbury exiting the show, and sadly this is likely by design. 

Lady Danbury could be leaving Bridgerton after season 4

While Netflix is not likely to announce the cast of Bridgerton season 5 anytime soon, it’s looking incredibly likely that Adjoa Andoh could be taking a step back from the show after the fourth season. Now, that’s not to say we won’t see Andoh back in any capacity for Bridgerton season 5, but it is looking likely that Lady Danbury will play a much smaller role in the show following Bridgerton season 4. 

As disappointing as this decision would be, it would make sense in the context of the Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn. 

Like in the show, Lady Danbury plays a key role in several of the Bridgerton books and is a recurring character who appears across the series. However, she does not appear in every book in the series and is not featured in the fifth (To Sir Phillip, With Love) or sixth book (When He Was Wicked) in the series.

Given that To Sir Phillip, With Love and When He Was Wicked will be adapted for the fifth and sixth seasons, it makes sense that season 4 is paving the way for Lady Danbury to make her exit from the show… at least for now. We say this because Lady Danbury has a notable role in book 7 (It’s in His Kiss) and also is featured in book 8 (On the Way to the Wedding). 

Bridgerton as a show has made changes to the books, and it seems highly likely that Lady Danbury will make an appearance in seasons 5 and 6. However, there is a very real chance that Lady Danbury will no longer appear in every episode and will instead pop up in a more limited capacity similar to the handful of other characters who have rotated out of the main cast over the years. 

It’s hard to imagine Lady Danbury not playing a central role in the upcoming seasons, but it’s clear the show is building to her exit from the ton. We fully expect that by the season finale, Lady Danbury will be setting out to return to her ancestral land and enjoy traveling after spending the last several decades by Queen Charlotte’s side.