The Truth About The Marriage Mart On 'Bridgerton: The Official Podcast'

On this episode of Bridgerton: The Official Podcast, host Gabrielle Collins, along with writer Jess Brownell, historian Dr. Hannah Gregg, and executive producer Betsy Beers, dive into the real-life history and purpose of the “the Marriage Market” in the Regency era – and how it compares to matchmaking and dating today. On Bridgerton, our heroine Daphne Bridgerton is the eldest sister in her family, and while it may seem self-serving for her to try to marry the richest, most eligible bachelor out there, it was truly anything but. Just like men in those times, women faced heavy pressure from their families to marry well – and if they didn’t, the consequences were truly enormous.

The London season was a six-month period when the rich and titled descended onto their London mansions “to Parliament and to party,” as Gabrielle says. Debutantes like Daphne attended balls and routs to meet men and hopefully make a match. Marriage was about status, as much for the women as for the men; both were under pressure from their families to make the right match and have children. For Daphne, the pressure was doubly strong: How she behaved during her Season could make or break her younger sisters’ chances, as well as help her own family’s fortunes. 

Women also had very few options besides marriage to make their place in society. As Eloise Bridgerton points out, high society ladies weren’t allowed a higher education or a career; their only chance to make a place for themselves in society was an advantageous marriage. Her husband’s status, circles of friends and influence, his fortune and authority, all became something she could trade on to create a position of her own. Without that, a woman’s future was pretty bleak: She would be relegated as a spinster, a drain on her parents' resources, or worse, a ruined woman, shunned by society. But for all that, there isn’t much that different from the Marriage Mart and the way we date today: There are just as many inscrutable rules and judging eyes as ever. Join Gabrielle, Hannah, Jess, and Betsy as they dissect the marriage mart and the everyday life of ladies in Regency London on this episode of Bridgerton: The Official Podcast. 

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