Gentle readers: the very creme de la creme of the Bridgerton ton are set to grace our screens once more with stunning costumes, longing stares and some seriously steamy sex scenes.
While the couple carrying the primary romantic storyline changes with every season – as each Bridgerton sibling makes their own individual foray into the world of love – some things, or cast members, remain constant. Golda Roscheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury) and Ruth Gemmell (Lady Violet Bridgerton) are at the show's heart, a constant in their friendships, matchmaking mischief and iconic looks.
Their characters have even been portrayed in younger iterations in prequel series Queen Charlotte, with India Amarteifio, Arsema Thomas and Connie Jenkins-Greig depicting the deep origins of the noble ladies' deep bonds.
Here's everything we know about the much-anticipated series.
All three actors’ roles in Bridgerton play matchmakers to a certain degree throughout – with the third season being no exception. They turns to meddle in the younger generations’ efforts to find love, offer sage advice and observe the passions as they play out on the ballroom floor. But what have Adjoa, Golda and Ruth learned about love in their own lives?
“Sustaining love has to have, at its heart, kindness,” Adjoa tells GLAMOUR. “So sometimes that means that you love somebody, and you let them go, because that's good for them.
“Or sometimes it means that you have the kind of love that says, ‘We're not joined at the hip. You love doing that thing, and I love doing this thing. I applaud you in your love of that thing. Go do it. I'm here. It is the generosity of love. I think that will sustain you.”
For Ruth, your partner is – ultimately – a friend. Her sage advice aligned well with Penelope and Colin’s friends-to-lovers storyline for Bridgerton’s third season, in fact. “I would say that that the friendship and ease with which you are with someone donates love,” she said.
“Mine would be patience and lots of laughter,” Golda added of the deepest requirements for a lasting love.
GLAMOUR has pulled together the highlights from Golda, Adjoa and Ruth’s Bestie Test, including Golda's dancefloor meet cute, Ruth's most embarrassing habits on set and the Adjoa's biggest passion. Watch in full below:
Ruth: What celebrity would you fix me up with?
Golda: Jack Black. That would be fun.
Ruth: Oooh yeah, nice!
Adjoa: I’m going to go Alan Titchmarsh. He can help you with your gardening. Do I have any piercings or tattoos from my punk days?
Golda: I don’t think you do… It would be a shame if you didn’t.
Adjoa: I have no tattoos. My husband is tattooed from here to Christmas, head to foot. But I have not a one. Maybe because he’s got so many.
Golda: I, on the other hand, have a few…
Adjoa and Ruth: Yes you do!
Ruth: What would be my ideal meet cute?
Adjoa: I think you’d bump into somebody while carrying something and drop it.
Golda: I met my wife on the dancefloor. It was great.
Adjoa and Ruth: Did you?
Golda: It was great. I didn’t know then that she was my wife…
Adjoa: So who was on the dancefloor?
Golda: We were both on the dancefloor.
Adjoa: And did you just kind of dance into each other?
Golda: Yeah I was terrified of her. She was so cool. And we were kind of like ‘yeah, alright, you’ve got good moves’. And then we started chatting, eleven years later, we are now in it for the long haul.
Adjoa: Yes, you are.
Golda: What is my best party trick?
Ruth: Some dance move?
Adjoa: That’s what I was thinking! You are good on the floor.
Ruth: Do you do the worm?
Golda: No, not at 54.
Adjoa: Your worming days are behind ya!
Golda: I can bust a move on the floor, still.
Adjoa: Would you call me a romantic or a cynic?
Ruth: I think you can sometimes put across being cynical but honestly I think you're romantic.
Golda: I think she's romantic.
Adjoa: I'm utterly romantic, I cry at everything. Mary Poppins makes me break down.
Ruth: What’s the best “motherly” Lady Bridgerton style life advice I’ve ever given one of you?
Adjoa: I would say conversations with you, for me, always have a strong nugget of reassurance and love in them.
Golda: I agree with that. I always feel much better about myself when I've had a good chat with Ruth. The doctor will see you now!
Ruth: What was my most embarrassing moment on set?
Golda: You swear a lot.
Ruth: I do…
Golda: She's a potty mouth.
Ruth: It's when I mess up!
Adjoa: It's lovely, I like it.
Golda: I like it too.
Adjoa: I love sweary women!
Adjoa: What is my biggest passion or the cause I care about the most?
Ruth: You have so many that you champion – I would say that the dominant theme would be justice for people. That sounds like a cop out but you have a lot of causes that you champion.
Adjoa: That’s true, I do.
Golda: I think teaching as well as a good one for Adj. She is a good teacher for those who need to know more about communication, about race is one thing, you know, in the workplace. I always admire your religious take, and going to talk to religious elders about life, the world, you know, community.
Adjoa: Thanks girls! Yeah I think I’m about four [years old] in life so “it’s not fair” is a big one for me. Is that fair for that person, or community, or that wood that’s being chopped down? All that sort of stuff. I think it’s the “it’s not fair, so you need to know about stuff”. So that’s the teaching bit, so you can know what’s nice and what’s less nice.
Ruth: Have all the information.
Adjoa: Yeah
GLAMOUR: Is that inspiring?
Adjoa: It’s annoying.
Ruth: No it’s not! It’s humbling.
Golda: It’s exhausting. I’m like “girl, you got time in the day?” Good though.
Golda: What are my best and worst habits?
Adjoa: The habit that I love about you on set is you take everybody in. You never walk onto a set without greeting the crew. Yeah. Without noticing everybody in the space and acknowledging everybody's work that has made it possible for us to come on. You are very excellent at that.
Golda: And worst?
Adjoa: I don't know if you have one… You are very good at taking care of yourself. It's not a worst habit. You're very good at taking care of yourself physically. You have incredibly demanding costumes and wigs, and you're very good at going ‘okay, I just have to have a little break now’. Or 'I'm going to put that on next to the set because I don't want to be wearing it any longer than I need to'.
Golda: I'd say that if it were a worst habit, I wear Ugg boots a lot.
Adjoa: But that to me is taking care of yourself!
Golda: When the Queen is sitting down on a chair she's got Ugg boots on.
Adjoa: Other brands are available.
Golda: Adjoa, what is the biggest takeaway or lesson you've learned from portraying Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury’s friendship?
Adjoa: The biggest takeaway is when women watch those two together, they are hugely encouraged and empowered by seeing a strong female friendship valued.
Bridgerton season 3, part 1 drops on Netflix on 16 May.
