Violet Bridgerton (AKA Mama Bridgerton) has plenty of good qualities, such as loving all of her eight children unconditionally, supporting their choices, and treating the servants exceptionally well in comparison to other members of the Ton. However, one of her most significant shortcomings is her failure to properly educate her children—particularly her daughters—about sex and intimacy. This omission has serious emotional and ethical consequences throughout the series.
- Season One: Daphne’s Problematic Lack of Knowledge
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As early as season one, the lack of knowledge about sexuality among the Bridgerton daughters becomes an issue. Daphne Bridgerton, the Queen’s “Diamond,” is intelligent and socially polished, yet entirely uninformed about her own sexuality. When she meets the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, she is confused about the new feelings of attraction she has with the duke. Because Violet never provides her with clear sexual education, Daphne must rely on Simon to explain basic concepts of physical intimacy. Their physical attraction is undeniable, and succumbing to it is what eventually leads to them being forced to marry. Her autonomy in deciding who to marry was stripped away from her as a result of not knowing how to adequately manage her sexual urges.
Daphne wanted nothing more than to have children of her own to complete her “wifely duties,” but was met with an obstacle, the duke’s insistence on his own infertility. Daphne is desperate about not being pregnant and confides in Rosie, one of the servants, about conception. She admits to the maid, “her mother told her nothing.”
In response to finding out about Simon’s infertility lie, she forces a sexual encounter in which he cannot withdraw consent. Her assault on Simon created tension amongst the couple, and she later on confronts her mother when questioned about her married life. “You set me out to the world no better than a fool,” Daphne remarked to her mother as, on her wedding night, her mother fails to educate her on the “marital act” accurately by instead using vague flowers as an analogy for conception. This confrontation highlights the real consequences of parental silence around sexuality.
- Season Four- Francesca’s Pinnacle
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Francesca is one of the quieter Bridgertons and enjoyed a quiet love with her husband, John. Despite a loving relationship with her husband, Francesca Bridgerton struggles with sexual fulfillment and associates her inability to reach a “pinnacle,” orgasm, with failure as a wife. She would rather have asked Pennelope how to achieve an orgasm than her mother’s ongoing discomfort and silence within the Bridgerton family regarding sexuality. Like Daphne, she has an outburst directed at her mother about her inability to relate to her, as she feels like she failed as a wife by not being able to give John kids.
- Giving Mama Bridgterton Grace
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It is also worth noting that Mama Bridgerton is not fully to blame. To contextualize Violet’s behavior within the norms of the Regency era, women and their sexuality were considered a taboo topic, something scandalous that women were shamed for experimenting with or even discussing. It is extremely likely that growing up in a healthy relationship with Edmund, she felt as though sex was something natural that was learned later on during the marriage, rather than something her daughters needed to be aware of ahead of time. Her belief that her children should marry out of love is what led her to believe that she could avoid discussing a taboo topic with them, since her own love story turned out fine.
- Modern Relevance
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The issue presented in Bridgerton extends beyond historical fiction. Mothers not educating their children about sex out of shame and embarrassment is an issue that is overlooked in the Bridgerton franchise and is still very relevant in modern society. When parents avoid these conversations due to discomfort or stigma, young people may enter relationships without the knowledge necessary to make informed, safe decisions. This can lead to unintended pregnancies, unhealthy relationships, and misunderstandings about consent.
Sexual Health Education | Adolescent and School Health | CDC