There are a good many ways in which us regular folk can’t relate to Queen Camilla—you know, the whole royalty thing, for starters—but Her Majesty was endlessly relatable when she revealed, during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, that she, too, watches Bridgerton. (As Us Weekly smartly put it, “Looks like Queen Charlotte isn’t the only royal who keeps up with Lady Whistledown’s society papers.” The character of Queen Charlotte, by the way, was inspired by the real-life wife of King George III, People reports.)
Camilla said as much while being given a special tour of a Bridgerton-inspired garden sponsored, appropriately, by Netflix (the streaming service that airs the hit show) and designed by Holly Johnson; it is inspired by Nicola Coughlan’s character, Penelope Featherington.
“I watched the first lot,” Camilla said as she was ushered through a stone arch into the secluded garden (and as captured by royal correspondent Rebecca English). Just in case you somehow missed this, the first half of season three of the show dropped on Netflix this past Thursday, May 16, with the second half expected on June 13.
Queen Camilla reveals ‘I watched the first lot’ of @bridgerton Who knew?! pic.twitter.com/yJ67jOXaIPMay 20, 2024
The Bridgerton Garden at the famed Chelsea Flower Show was designed to “reflect Penelope’s personal journey,” according to the Royal Horticultural Society, which organized the event. “The garden’s initial focus is a moongate which leads to an ornate water feature and sunken seating area in the heart of the garden. A shaded space down one half of the garden alludes to themes of mystery, turmoil, and defiance; layers of groundcover, ferns, and ivy are intended to represent a woven network of secrets. In contrast, the other half of the garden graduates to a brighter palette of sophisticated colors. This ‘full bloom’ effect is symbolic of Penelope’s embracing of her true self and coming into the light.”
Camilla and her husband, King Charles, got the royal tour of the Chelsea Flower Show the day before it opened to the public (so, today). And, back to Bridgerton, Camilla isn’t the only member of the royal family who is a fan: Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, told Us Weekly back in 2021 that she was so “obsessed” with the show that she watched it twice.
Of the Penelope-inspired garden, Johnson said “This season of Bridgerton is about Penelope Featherington, who in previous series has been known as a ‘wallflower,’” Johnson told Country Living. “She’s somewhat overlooked in society, but this season we get to see her step into the light. The whole context and theme [of the garden] is that even a wallflower can bloom.”
Johnson added “I envisioned it being a safe, personal, and intimate space for her, and I imagined this young woman running away to this garden, whenever she was having a hard time being Penelope and Lady Whistledown.” She continued “The atmosphere I wanted to create was really important. I want people to feel something when they enter a space. For this space, in particular, it’s a place of safety. It’s meant to be the personal space of a young woman [Penelope]. It needed to feel enclosed and secluded—a place that she could be vulnerable in, as she houses so many secrets and fears. I wanted it to feel welcoming and wrap its arms around you—a place you can feel at one with yourself, reconcile all the parts of yourself and just relax.”
