“Costly season for these two”: Bridgerton’s Golda Rosheuvel and Adjoa Andoh talk about the friction between their characters in Season 4

Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), the seasoned matchmaker and annual hostess of the first ball of the ton, stepped away from her hosting duties in the Bridgerton Season 4 premiere to make room for Violet's highly anticipated masquerade ball.

Much to Queen Charlotte's (Golda Rosheuvel) disappointment, Lady Danbury's stepping away was not a one-time thing. As Charlotte's former Lady-in-waiting revealed, she has decided to step away from society and visit her birthplace. While Her Majesty repeatedly denied Lady Danbury's request, it culminates in a tense moment at the palace, where Charlotte angrily refers to Lady Danbury as her subject, insulting their decades-long friendship and understanding.

Like many iconic pairings in Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury have been through thick and thin since the former arrived in London after her marriage to King George.

In an interview with Deadline, Andoh unpacks this pivotal moment between the pair in Bridgerton Season 4 and how it almost broke them apart:

“It’s a costly season for these two women...She makes herself so vulnerable, and the shock of it means that the Queen is quick in her ‘Nope, absolutely not.’'

More on this in our story.

Bridgerton Season 4 tests the depth of Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte's friendship

While Bridgerton has partly explored Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte's dynamics across its three seasons, its spin-off series Queen Charlotte brings their friendship into focus. The spin-off series follows a Young Charlotte as she marries King George and forms a wholesome relationship with a young Agatha, who eventually becomes her Lady-in-waiting.

Over time, Agatha becomes more than the Queen's subject and supports her during difficult times (especially King George's worsening health). However, Bridgerton Season 4 tests the strength of this friendship when Lady Danbury expresses her desire to leave society and visit her ancestral home.

After spending the better part of her life by Queen Charlotte's side, Agatha expected generosity, understanding, and kindness from her friend. However, Queen Charlotte had the opposite reaction and declined Agatha's request to leave her, even calling her 'a subject' in the process.

Fans worrying if Bridgerton is potentially setting up an exit arc for Andoh's character, worry not. As Season 4 showrunner Jess Brownell clarified to Deadline, Lady Danbury's desire to leave society was especially written to test the strength of her friendship with the Queen:

“We have no intentions of Adjoa stepping back. It was more about wanting to explore the dynamic between a friendship in which there’s a power imbalance...The Queen and Lady Danbury are real friends, but because of the power imbalance, it was interesting to explore what happens when Lady Danbury wants to do something for herself. It was an opportunity to explore new depth for their friendship.''

Bridgerton Season 4 humanizes Queen Charlotte

While Charlotte was quick to fire back at Agatha (and call her a mere subject), her reaction jolts her out of her status. Naturally, upon hearing her friend's fiery insult, Agatha bows down like a subject and prepares to take leave of her Queen, when Charlotte immediately realizes the error of her ways and apologizes.

While Bridgerton rarely showed Charlotte's human side (explored in the spin-off series), the fourth season shifted gears with this incident.

Rosheuvel notes how her character plays the status card and denies Lady Danbury the break she clearly deserves:

''She plays the status card, that childlike, brat-ish ‘I’m going to fight with my best friend for the best toy.''

However, Lady Danbury's bow brings her to a grave realization and she apologizes for her mistake. The actress added how these moments bring out Charlotte's humanity:

''You see Charlotte’s humanity...That realization of losing someone you desperately love and you desperately need.”

While the series has always projected Queen Charlotte as an authoritative figure, she breaks down in tears for the first time, begging her friend not to leave her alone, especially with her sick husband. This cathartic confrontation strips Charlotte of all her titles and status and she redeems herself as Agatha's friend, setting up a renewed dynamic between the characters.

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Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 will arrive on Netflix on February 26.

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