32 'Bridgerton' couples ranked by their chemistry
- The first three seasons of "Bridgerton" and its spinoff "Queen Charlotte" have produced 32 main couples.
- Kanthony and Queen Charlotte and King George are some of the show's most popular couples.
- Business Insider ranked all the couples based on their chemistry.
![Insider Today](/public/assets/BI/US/logos/newsletters/insider-today-logo.png)
![Bull](/public/assets/rebrand/newsletter-bull.png)
![Bull](/public/assets/rebrand/newsletter-bull.png)
"Bridgerton" and its spinoff series, "Queen Charlotte," are filled with romances, but only a few couples have great chemistry.
Every season of "Bridgerton" focuses on one main couple — Daphne and Simon in season one, Kate and Anthony in season two, and Queen Charlotte and King George in the "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" spinoff. While these couples are the most developed in their respective seasons, there are also background couples with amazing rapport, like Brimsley and Reynolds, the Mondriches, and Eloise and Theo.
"Bridgerton" season three brings a burgeoning couple to the foreground: Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and his childhood friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
These love stories help "Bridgerton" capitalize on the cultural resurgence of the romance genre: the romance-novel industry is booming, and rom-coms are back on screens in a big way.
With "Bridgerton" season three out now, Business Insider has ranked all the main couples from "Bridgerton" and "Queen Charlotte."
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first three seasons of "Bridgerton" and the first season of "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story."
32. Daphne Bridgerton and Lord Berbrooke
Season one of "Bridgerton" follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the fourth Bridgerton child, on her journey to find the love of her life. Before finding her husband, Daphne has to get past Nigel Berbrooke (Jamie Beamish), who is determined to marry her for her status despite being much older than her and her lack of interest.
This is one of the season's most uncomfortable pairings. Suffice to say there was zero chemistry in this relationship, and it was a relief that it did not end in marriage.
31. Lord and Lady Danbury
In "Queen Charlotte," young Lady Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas), who is a respected member of society in the main "Bridgerton" series, is trapped in a sexually abusive relationship with Lord Herman Danbury (Cyril Nri).
Herman is much older than his wife, and it is implied that they married when she was a child. While this was more common in the 18th century, when "Queen Charlotte" is set, their relationship was an incredibly uncomfortable watch.
The only reason they are not last is because Agatha truly cares for Herman and defends and supports him throughout the show. She hates him but her feelings toward him are more complicated than that one emotion.
30. Lord and Lady Featherington
The Featherington family is another major family in London's high society, led by Lord Featherington (Ben Miller) and Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) in "Bridgerton" season one. However, Lord Featherington is a reckless gambler who squanders the family money.
There seems to have been love between them at some point, but time and secrets have clearly broken down whatever they had and left them bitter.
A clear example of this is when Portia finds out that her husband is dead in the season one finale. Instead of grieving the loss or asking what happened, she rushes to discover if her money is missing.
29. Prudence Featherington and Jack Featherington
In "Bridgerton" season two, Lady Portia Featherington schemes to pair her daughter Prudence (Bessie Carter) with her nephew Jack Featherington (Rupert Young), the new head of the family, so that she can keep control of their family home.
Lady Featherington succeeds in entrapping Jack in marriage but he has little affection for his cousin Prudence. Although they get along, their relationship is very awkward.
28. Lord and Lady Ledger
Lord Ledger (Keir Charles) and Lady Vivian Ledger (Katie Brayben), the parents of fan-favorite character Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), appear in "Queen Charlotte." We only get a few scenes with them together, but it is very clear they are not a match.
Though they stick together in the miniseries, Lord Ledger openly criticizes his wife and has an affair, which suggests he doesn't have much love for Vivian.
27. Lord Samadani and Francesca Bridgerton
"Bridgerton" season three surprised audiences by giving a central story to Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), a character who was mostly forgotten in the first two seasons.
In this season, she makes her debut and quickly becomes the Queen's favorite of the season. However, Francesca struggles with the pressures of finding love, the social season, and the Queen's obsession with her love life.
In episode three, the Queen introduces Francesca to her friend, Lord Samadani (David Mumeni). Lord Samadani and Francesca are a polite pair, but there is no real connection between them. Lord Samadani loves his big family, while Francesca wants to escape hers.
Thus, it is no surprise that Francesca leaps at the first man she gets along with to get away from Lord Samadani.
26. Marina Thompson and Sir Philip Crane
In "Bridgerton" season one, Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), a distant cousin of the Featheringtons, comes to stay with Lady Featherington and her daughters so she can find a husband. Marina is secretly pregnant so Lady Featherington tries to marry her off before the scandal is revealed.
At the end of season one, Marina does find a husband even after her secret pregnancy is exposed. In the season finale, Sir Philip Crane (Chris Fulton), the brother of Marina's secret lover, Sir George Crane, shows up to tell her that her lover has died while fighting in Spain. However, Philip offers to marry Marina in George's place, and she eventually accepts.
In episode four of season two, we get a glimpse of their relationship after marriage, and they seem quite happy together. They don't seem to share many interests or chemistry, but Philip ensures Marina and her twins are looked after. They seem like a much more amicable pairing than most couples on this list.
25. Cressida Cowper and Jack Featherington
Before Jack Featherington gets paired up with his cousin, he tries to woo Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), the popular mean girl of London high society (also called The Ton).
Jack's charm makes it appear that they're compatible, but it is later revealed in season two, episode four, that Jack only cares about Cressida for her family's wealth.
24. Prudence Featherington and Harry Dankworth
We never see how Prudence Featherington and Harry Dankworth (James Phoon) meet, but they are a married couple in season three.
However, it seems for most of the season, Prudence does not like Harry. She brushes him away at every turn, hates having sex with him, and is generally annoyed by his presence and lack of wealth. Meanwhile, Harry adores Prudence and often states that he will do anything for her.
It is unclear what changes, but Prudence seems to become more affectionate with Harry by the season finale. We may see their love grow in future seasons.
23. Lady Danbury and Adolphus
Lady Agatha Danbury has a third chance at love in "Queen Charlotte" when she meets Queen Charlotte's brother, Duke Adolphus (Tunji Kasim). The pair have some sweet, affectionate moments, but it's clear Agatha is still reeling too much from the pain of both of her previous relationships to commit to this new romance.
22. Benedict Bridgerton and Tessa
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the second eldest Bridgerton sibling, has only pursued casual flings so far in the show.
In the second half of "Bridgerton" season two, Benedict has a casual relationship with Tessa (Emily Barber), a life model and budding artist at his art academy.
We don't see much of them, but they seem to be a good match, even though Benedict is not looking for anything serious.
Though Luke could muster sexual tension with a door, we don't see enough of this couple to place them higher.
21. Benedict Bridgerton and Madame Genevieve Delacroix
Benedict's first relationship in "Bridgerton" is with Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale), the town's dressmaker. In season one, episode five, Benedict meets her at a party and within moments they start making out. This was a fleeting relationship, but the attraction between the two was palpable.
20. Lucy and Henry Granville
In "Bridgerton" season one, Benedict befriends artist Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden) and his wife Lucy Granville (Sandra Teles).
While we don't see a lot of Lucy and Henry, they seem like a couple who love each other very much, even if they are not in love with each other. In episode seven, Henry explains to Benedict that their marriage is for show.
In reality, Henry is in love with Lord Wetherby (Ned Porteous) and Lucy enjoys the privileges of being married to the artist, including having affairs herself during a party in episode five. Overall, the couple seems happy and supportive of each other.
19. Daphne Bridgerton and Prince Friedrich
Prince Friedrich (Freddie Stroma), the nephew of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), was another suitor for Daphne in "Bridgerton" season one.
This pairing was amicable and it's possible to imagine that if not for the existence of the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), they may have had a long, happy life with lots of children. The prince was a perfect gentleman and even willing to skirt convention by inviting Daphne to the boxing match in episode four.
However, one thing this couple lacked was passion. In most of their interactions, Daphne was either looking for the duke or thinking about him, and thus, she would never be truly happy settling for the prince. That being said, the prince deserved better, and it would be nice to see Queen Charlotte carry through with her comment in the second season's finale and introduce Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) to Friedrich.
18. Cressida Cowper and Lord Debling
Lord Debling (Sam Phillips) catches the eye of two rivals in season three, Cressida Cowper and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
Cressida sees Lord Debling as a means of escaping her unloving family, so she initially lies about liking nature to win him over. Eventually, they have one honest moment, bonding over their difficult relationship with their families.
But before anything can develop between them, Lord Debling disappears after episode four.
17. Penelope Featherington and Lord Debling
In season three, Penelope Featherington, the youngest Featherington child, finally pursues her own romance instead of watching from the sidelines. This leads her to Lord Debling, another man who becomes a social outcast, because he is a vegetarian.
They have a more honest connection than Lord Debling and Cressida. Though they have different interests, they have similar values, and both are willing to settle for a relationship that is more practical than loving. In episode three, they have great banter, and Lord Debling also risks his own life to save Penelope from a hot-air balloon.
Unfortunately, Penelope's feelings never grow deeper because she has feelings for another. Lord Debling notices and steps out of her way.
16. Colin Bridgerton and Marina Thompson
Before Marina Thompson meets Sir Philip Crane, she spends a lot of season one trying to make Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), the third Bridgerton sibling, fall in love with her.
On the one hand, Marina spent most of season one trying to entrap Colin into marriage before she gives birth which means part of the relationship was based on a lie. On the other, these two do look cute together.
However, when Luke meets a married Marina in episode four of season two, it becomes clear why their relationship would have never worked. He's still an immature boy masquerading as a man and what Marina needed was a stable husband for her children.
15. Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger
Out of Lady Agatha Danbury's three relationships in "Queen Charlotte," she had the best chemistry with Lord Ledger. From the first encounter during Lady Danbury's ball in episode three, the pair get on splendidly, and Lord Ledger is clearly trying to flirt with Agatha. In episode five, their connection goes deeper as they go on walks ("ramblings") together following Lord Danbury's death.
This couple isn't placed higher in the ranking because of how abruptly their relationship ends when Lord Ledger breaks off the affair. We'll never know whether he truly loved Agatha or took advantage of her vulnerable widow situation. But Agatha deserves better than a cheap one-night stand.
14. Benedict Bridgerton, Lady Tilley Arnold, and Paul Saurez
Season three introduces Benedict Bridgerton's third lover, a widowed woman named Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). They are a perfect pair since they are both looking for aimless, casual fun.
Later in the season, Tilley expands their relationship by adding her other friend with benefits, Paul Saurez (Lucas Aurelio).
There is a lot of sexual chemistry between this trio, and fans loved the fact that "Bridgerton" finally confirmed Benedict's bisexuality. But there isn't much non-physical chemistry between the throuple.
Also, Benedict seems more interested in Paul than Tilley during their sex scenes in episodes seven and eight, but the men aren't given the opportunity for romance to develop. Meanwhile, Tilley's confession that she likes Benedict as more than a friend in the season finale seemingly comes out of nowhere since their relationship was shown to be more playful than serious.
13. Edwina Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton
In "Bridgerton" season two, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling, is on the hunt for a wife. He eventually picks Edwina Sharma, a new member of the Ton who becomes popular after the Queen gives her the biggest honor, the "Diamond of the Season" title.
The couple doesn't have the best start in terms of chemistry. From day one, it's clear that Anthony Bridgerton sees his courtship of Edwina as a chore. While Edwina is infatuated with Anthony from the start, she does not like his competitive nature.
Anthony finally sees Edwina as a person in episode three when they bond over reading.
After that, there are a few conversations where it seems they might share some interests or have chemistry, but that moment does not last long due to Anthony's love for Edwina's older sister, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
12. Brimsley and Reynolds
In "Bridgerton," Queen Charlotte is always shadowed by her most trusty aide, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs), but we don't learn much about him until "Queen Charlotte." In the miniseries, where he is played by Sam Clemmett, we discover that Brimsley is secretly dating King George's head servant, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis).
Throughout the season, they sneak off to have sex, find opportunities to hold hands and talk about their future together. Their relationship isn't perfect because their jobs keep getting in the way. Since Reynolds has to keep King George's illness a secret, he keeps Brimsley at arm's length until the end of the season. Yet despite their fighting, they always find themselves together again.
Brimsley and Reynolds have quickly become a fan-favorite couple, and we hope the "Bridgerton" creators eventually answer what happens to their relationship after the events of "Queen Charlotte."
11. Jack Featherington and Lady Featherington
Toward the end of "Bridgerton" season two, Jack Featherington sets his sights on Lady Portia Featherington, and honestly, these two schemers are weirdly perfect for each other. Jack and Portia are not related by blood, making their relationship less unsavory than other couples on this list. Their relationship may be slightly toxic, linked together only by the scheming in season two, but when they work together, it's magic, and the actors play off each other well.
However, their relationship was doomed because Portia would always love her daughters more than anyone else, and Jack never really cared for the Featherington siblings. When the moment arrives to make that choice, after the pair's investment scam is exposed in the season two finale, Portia throws Jack under the bus.
Portia did make the right decision to choose her family over Jack. This woman has been through a lot during the first two seasons, so we hope she finds someone better soon.
10. Lord Marcus Anderson and Violet Bridgerton
In "Queen Charlotte," older Violet Bridgerton vows that she will try to find love again after the death of her husband Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans).
Violet has a first shot at this in "Bridgerton" season three when she meets Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), the estranged brother of her closest friend, Lady Danbury. Marcus is incredibly charming. His beauty often makes Violet stutter and stare, and he relates to her grief because he lost his first wife.
But their relationship never gets a chance to shine because they have to deal with drama in their respective families. Hopefully, their chemistry can improve next season with fewer obstacles in their way.
9. Anthony Bridgerton and Siena Rosso
In "Bridgerton" season one, Anthony Bridgerton rides a roller coaster of emotions during his love affair with opera singer Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett). He finds himself trapped between his duty to his family and his love for Siena.
Not only is this love born of joy rather than conflict, but in both episode four and the season one finale, Anthony is also prepared to discard his family and duty for that love. While the second season never explicitly states this, it is likely Anthony was adamant about finding a wife and fulfilling his familial duty because of Siena's rejection.
This initially made us rank this couple higher than Anthony's love match with Kate in season two. But on further examination, Anthony's feelings for Siena were entangled with his desire to escape his life and duty. This is why he tries to rekindle his romance in episode four when he believes he must flee the country after his duel with the Duke of Hastings.
Anthony cares a lot for Siena but doesn't truly see her, so their breakup is inevitable.
8. Will and Alice Mondrich
For the first two seasons, Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) are couple goals. Completely supportive and honest in all their endeavors, Alice often challenges her husband for his betterment.
They are nothing more than a happy couple minding their business in a town where everyone is involved in a scandal or two.
This changes in season three when they become nobility and have their first proper conflict. Alice wants to embrace their new roles but Will is stubborn and still wants to run his Gentleman's Club that he built up in the previous season.
In episode six, Will spontaneously gives in and sells his club. While Will seems supportive of his wife for the rest of the season, he is never truly happy about selling his club. The season did not give enough space to address this conflict. Will and Alice won't rise up our ranking unless this is resolved.
7. Eloise Bridgerton and Theo Sharpe
Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch) is arguably a more believable enemies-to-lovers storyline, or rather rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, in "Bridgerton" season two. On her hunt for Lady Whistledown's identity, Eloise meets Theo, who works in Whistledown's printer shop.
While the pair first duel through mocking jabs at each other, they quickly form a friendship through their shared interest in politics. Their relationship is not as sexual as the others on the list, but the flirting mockery worked because you could tell they weren't arguing just for the sake of arguing.
Unfortunately, their love is cut short by the Queen and Penelope's meddling.
6. Philipa Featherington and Albion Finch
Phillipa Featherington (Harriet Cains), the final Featherington daughter, quickly finds a lover in the first season after Albion Finch (Lorn Macdonald) courts her.
In season one, episode four, the odd pair bond over cheese, and if that doesn't spell couple goals, I don't know what does. In the following seasons, they continue to be one of the most loving couples in the entire show.
From what we've seen in the first three seasons, this pair is one of the most perfect matches in the show. However, their lack of visibility, makes it hard to match up their chemistry against some of the other couples.
Honorable mention: Violet and Edmund Bridgerton
Before we get to the top five couples, it is worth mentioning that Violet and Edmund Bridgerton may be the best couple in the show that we never get to see. Edmund appears in one flashback in episode three of the second season, but you can sense their love for one another in the way Violet talks about him throughout the show.
This is a one-sided retelling, so you can't completely determine the chemistry between the parent Bridgertons, but it is undeniable that they had a love like no other, and we are begging for more flashback scenes.
5. Francesca Bridgerton and John Stirling
Though "Bridgerton" season three was about Colin and Penelope, Francesca and John Stirling (Victor Alli) stole the hearts of many fans.
In episode three, Francesca tries to escape the chaos of the ball and stumbles upon John, the Earl of Kilmartin, standing alone in the back garden. The pair immediately click in the most unusual way, connecting over their quiet, calm energy. In fact, there are a few comical scenes when they flirt by saying nothing at all.
This pairing showed that chemistry is not only about sexual tension, grand displays of affection, or even steamy sex scenes. True chemistry is when a pair can match each other's vibe and embolden one another to step outside their comfort zones.
The only reason Francesca and John are not higher on the list is that the finale leaves multiple clues that her true love might be someone else.
4. Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton
We finally get some progress with Penelope and Colin's relationship in season three. Previously, Penelope has been obsessed with Colin, but Colin only sees her as a friend and publicly mocks the idea of courting her.
Things change in season three when Colin realizes his feelings for Penelope have always been romantic, and they finally marry.
Coughlan and Newton have natural chemistry, which makes you believe that the characters are obsessed with each other. Penelope and Colin have one of the best sex scenes of the series in episode five, showing the perfect mix of pure adoration and lust for each other.
And once Colin is onboard with marrying Penelope, he is truly obsessed with her.
However, fans have complained that their relationship was rushed this season. Plus, they're not able to fully connect until the season's end because they both hide their true selves to avoid putting each other off.
Now that all secrets are laid bare, we can hope to see better intimacy between the pair in season four.
3. Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton
The original winners of this ranking were Simon Bassett, the Duke, and Daphne Bridgerton. There are enticing, passionate looks between them throughout season one, even when they're not courting each other.
We see their chemistry tested multiple times and somehow get stronger. Also, while season two was a tad more drama than romance, the main hook of the first season was the sparks between Daphne and Page.
What sold it for us was actually their dance at the end of the first episode (picture above). The love in those looks was so clear, and it is no wonder that some fans thought the two actors, Dynevor and Page, were actually dating in real life. This set an astronomically high bar for future romances. But future seasons have allowed other couples to take the top rankings in our list.
2. Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton
Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma may be one of the best relationships in the main "Bridgerton" series.
There was clear attraction between them from their first meeting. Has a man ever been so infatuated with a woman as when Anthony sniffs the air around Kate?
But it was hard to say they were truly in love until the end of the first season because they spent more time bickering than giving longing stares, and they both let Anthony's courtship with Kate's sister, Edwina, go on a little too long.
Now married, Kanthony is stronger than ever and there is no competing with their chemistry in season three. In almost every scene, Anthony and Kate are seeking out a moment to talk to or even touch each other. Every other scene, Anthony is declaring his love in the most extra way possible.
They also communicate a lot better and warmly support each other throughout the season compared with season two.
They enjoy the kind of marital bliss we are yet to see from earlier "Bridgerton" couples and it is so gratifying to watch.
1. Queen Charlotte and King George
Dearest reader, Queen Charlotte and King George are the winners of this "Bridgerton" couples ranking.
Their love story in "Queen Charlotte" is one of the most sophisticated and developed romances in the Bridgerton franchise. Corey Mylchreest and India Amarteifio, who play young Charlotte and George, have impeccable chemistry from their first encounter. Even when they're fighting, it is hard not to see passion and love in their eyes every time they look at each other.
The scene in episode five when Charlotte and George finally confess their love is one of the most poetic and beautiful confession scenes from "Bridgerton." The scene in the series finale where the older Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and King George (James Fleet) are under the bed clearly shows that the passion and chemistry continue for their entire lives.
Many relationships in this ranking are sexy, inspiring, or pleasing to watch, but Charlotte and George's love story is the only one that left audiences in tears at the end. And that's why they deserve the chemistry crown.