It's no secret that Bridgerton, the hit Regency Netflix series, is a hit among royal fans. And, it turns out that the show has more than one link to the British royal family. Of course, there's the character of Queen Charlotte, but last year, Bridgerton's creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen revealed that Bridgerton House, the home of season one heroine Daphne and her family, was inspired by Althorp House, the Spencer family's ancestral home.
Althorp House is the home of the Earl of Spencer; formerly the residence of Princess Diana's father and now, her brother, Earl Charles Spencer. The former Lady Diana Spencer lived in the home from the age of 13 and her father inherited the estate from her grandfather. While he was developing Bridgerton, Van Dusen visited the property and gathered his inspiration. The estate is open to the public in the summer.
"The interior of Bridgerton House was inspired by my visit to Althorp when I was developing the show. Elegance. Opulence. And that #staircase," Van Dusen tweeted.
Charles Spencer, Diana's brother and the current Althorp resident, recently saw Van Dusen's tweet and responded, honoured by the reference.
"Just seen this, below - such a compliment to those of my family who went before me, making @AlthorpHouse what it still is today," Charles wrote.
Charles is the ninth Earl Spencer and inherited the home in 1992, when his and Diana's father passed away. The property includes 90 rooms and 550 acres and has been in the Spencer family for over 500 years.
Viewers will be able to return to the Althorp-inspired estate next year, when Bridgerton returns to Netflix for its second season. Season two will turn its central focus to another member of the Bridgerton family - Anthony, Daphne's older brother, and his "quest to find a Viscountess".
