- This page is about the Netflix character. For the book character, see Eloise Crane
Eloise Bridgerton is the fifth Bridgerton child and second daughter.
History[]
Daphne's Debut[]
At the start of the 1813 social season, Eloise accompanied her family as her eldest sister, Daphne, made her social debut. Eloise herself had been allowed another year before her debut. Eloise took no pleasure in attending balls and other social events, preferring instead to focus on her studies.[1]
When Penelope told Eloise that she knew an unmarried woman who was pregnant, though she pretended it was a maid, Eloise became concerned it could happen to her, as she was unaware of exactly how women became pregnant. She went to her family and asked her mother, though her mother refused to tell her, so she went to her brothers. Colin started to tell her, using farm animals as an example, but Benedict stopped him with a smack to his head. She then went to Penelope to find more information about the maid and was horrified to learn that the maid wanted to run away and marry her lover.
One evening, Eloise went outside and sat on a swing, smoking a cigarette. Benedict found her, but instead of scolding her, just sat with her and they both talked about wanting things other than what society expected of them. Eloise then went to Daphne. She was shocked that Daphne actually wanted to get married and have babies. Hearing their mother give birth to Hyacinth had horrified her. Daphne admitted that she was frightened, but saw the light at the end of the tunnel, which for their mother had been Hyacinth. Eloise believed she was lying.[2]
Eloise again found herself outside on a swing smoking with Benedict. She talked to him about his artwork and told him that, since he was a man, he should go for something if he wanted it, as he had the freedom to do that and she, as a woman didn't. They also talked about Lady Whistledown and Eloise's admiration of her, writing even though she was a woman and had to publish under a pseudonym. Benedict asked her if she was Lady Whistledown. She said she wasn't, but admitted she wouldn't tell him if she were.[3]
At an event, Eloise talked to Penelope about Daphne's relationships. She wasn't looking forward to Daphne being engaged because she knew it would put pressure on her to be next. She was envious of Lady Whistledown, who was living the dream in her mind. She wanted Penelope to help find Lady Whistledown's true identity, but Penelope said she didn't have the time, but cheered Eloise's efforts.
While working on figuring out Lady Whistledown's identity, Eloise was questioned by Hyacinth, who wanted to know what she was doing. She didn't tell Hyacinth what she was doing, instead pretending she was writing to Francesca about what a busybody Hyacinth was.
Believing Lady Whistledown might be a servant, Eloise went through Mrs. Wilson's things. Mrs. Wilson caught her and questioned her. When Eloise admitted why she was there, Mrs. Wilson laughed at the idea that a servant would have the time to be Lady Whistledown, or would continue being a servant if they had the money Lady Whistledown had.
She then went to Penelope with her updated theory that Lady Whistledown was a widow. Unbeknownst to Eloise, Penelope had just gotten bad news and eventually snapped at Eloise, saying she didn't care, causing Eloise to start crying and leave.[4]
When Daphne became engaged, Eloise denied that she would ever follow in Daphne's footsteps. She attended Daphne's wedding to Simon and then the reception. At the reception, she ran into Penelope, with whom she shared an awkward moment. Eloise went to Lady Danbury, believing her to be Lady Whistledown. Lady Danbury denied it, but said she would be interested to know who she was if Eloise figured it out. The queen overheard this conversation and asked Eloise what evidence she had about Lady Whistledown's identity. Eloise started to explain it to her.
Eloise went with the rest of her family to see Daphne off at the end of the reception. Daphne spoke to Eloise, giving her her empty bedroom and said that while they didn't have a lot in common, she knew that Eloise would make her own way in the world.[5]
With Daphne married, Violet told Eloise it was time for her to start preparing for her own debut, though Eloise was not interested. She said she wasn't good at any of the things she needed to do, but Violet said she might be better if she spent as much time on them as she did on writing in her journal. However, she did go with her mother to the modiste to get her hems lowered.
When Penelope ended up heartbroken due to Marina becoming engaged to Colin, she came to Eloise, who comforted her.[6]
When the news that Marina was pregnant and had been since before her arrival broke, her engagement to Colin was abruptly called off. Eloise went with her mother to the modiste, where she suggested she take a few more years before her debut to prevent it from being tarnished by the scandal. Her mother assured her that wouldn't be necessary as everything would be fine and they needed only to keep smiling. She was dismayed that while they would escape unscathed, Prudence, Philipa, and Penelope's reputations were ruined. When Genevieve made a comment about not wanting to get on Lady Whistledown's bad side, Eloise realized that if she could destroy a reputation, she could also restore one.
At the queen's luncheon, Eloise was summoned to speak to the queen privately. She reported that she didn't know Lady Whistledown's identity, which made the queen impatient. Eloise then went to talk to Penelope, who told her that her mother believed they were ruined and they hadn't had a caller in three days. Eloise believed Lady Whistledown had gone too far with this and promised that when she found Lady Whistledown's identity, she would force her to print a retraction.
After more investigation, Eloise went back to Penelope and said she believed Lady Whistledown to be a tradesperson, information she wanted to pass on to the queen quickly, which Penelope said she could do at an upcoming concert. Eloise surprised her mother by wanting to attend the concert, and her mother expressed regret for putting so much pressure on Eloise to do things she wasn't ready for.
At the concert, Eloise told the queen her new theory, but the queen had grown too impatient and said she'd hired Bow Street Runners to do a proper investigation, find her, and silence her, which horrified Eloise.
Distressed, Eloise went to Benedict, who recognized her desire to leave the event and left with her. On their way home, Benedict insisted on stopping to pick up a friend, which ended up meaning Genevieve. During their carriage ride, Eloise had a revelation that Genevieve was positioned to know all the things Lady Whistledown knew, making her believe that Genevieve was behind Lady Whistledown's papers.[7]
Eloise interrogated Benedict about Genevieve, though he believed that was due to her disapproving of Genevieve for him. After Genevieve's shop had closed for the night, Eloise went there under the guise of needing a dress for Daphne's ball and began to ask Genevieve leading questions, hoping to get her to admit to being Lady Whistledown.
When Penelope came to see Eloise at her home, Eloise told her about Genevieve.
At the ball Daphne and Simon threw, Eloise chafed under men's attention and was uncomfortable in her corset and dress. Daphne thanked her for coming, but said she wouldn't be upset if Eloise spent the rest of the night in the library. Eloise in turn thanked Daphne for being perfect so she didn't have to be. However, when Eloise learned that the queen was at the ball, she instead approached her, wanting to learn more about the queen's progress on identifying Lady Whistledown. As she approached, she was stopped by Brimsley, who said she couldn't approach the queen. He then revealed to her that the Bow Street Runners had figured out where Lady Whistledown had her letters printed and were planning to unmask her that very night. Eloise immediately went to Benedict, asking him to make sure Genevieve stayed home that night. Then she bribed the footman to take her somewhere. She went to Lady Whistledown's printer and when she saw Lady Whistledown's carriage approaching, she warned her off just in time to keep the Bow Street Runners from catching her.
Eloise later went to console Penelope, whose father had died. Penelope asked her what happened with Whistledown and Eloise told her that she'd saved Genevieve and now she could put right what she'd broken. However, when Eloise later tried to send regards to Genevieve through Benedict, he told her Genevieve had left the previous night to go to France, meaning she couldn't be Lady Whistledown after all.[8]
1814 Social Season[]
The 1814 social season was Eloise's social debut.
On the way to the presentation, Daphne gave her some tips, but it only stressed Eloise out more. She grabbed Francesca's fan and frantically fanned herself. Eloise tried to persuade Violet not to have her debut, but Violet assured Eloise that she would always be a diamond to her. Eloise wished that Penelope was there with her. At the presentation, Eloise stepped into the room, but before she managed to make her way to the queen, her presentation was interrupted by the queen receiving a new issue of Lady Whistledown. Eloise was delighted to be free and ran out of the room.
In the drawing room, Gregory and Eloise danced as Francesca played the piano. Hyacinth remarked that Eloise was not a very good dancer, which Eloise heard. She stepped on Gregory's foot and asked to be done, but her mother insisted she must be perfect to catch the queen's attention. Upon hearing that her brother Colin had decided to add Albania to his tour, Eloise commented that it must be nice that men can simply decide to do what they want.
Eloise complained to Penelope about being pushed to find a husband. She told her that she had stopped reading Colin's letters because he rambled. Eloise then said that all Lady Whisledown did is repeat what she heard, and that she did not mind Lady Whistledown's silence as it freed her up to read other articles.
Later at Lady Danbury's ball, Eloise was approached by Marquis of Ashdown, but Benedict pulled her away before he could say anything. Several suitors invited Eloise to dance with them, but Eloise claimed that her dance card was already full. She walked out with Penelope, who found that the names on her dance card were fake.
In the drawing room, Eloise and the Marquis of Ashdown sat on opposite sides of a couch. Eloise was completely disinterested and upon seeing the Marquis of Ashdown's interest in Gregory and Hyacinth's game of marbles, she asked to go read instead. Hyacinth commented that Eloise would make a brilliant diamond, much to Eloise's annoyance.
At a ball, Eloise met the queen. Eloise nervously joked that she preferred emeralds over diamonds and inadvertently charmed the queen, since her favorite necklace is made of emeralds. This conversation was overheard by Cressida Cowper, who later invited Eloise to refine her circle of friends, but Eloise retorted that she would rather die.
She later met up with Penelope in the gardens and confessed her woes, lamenting how Lady Whistledown's sheets, once a source of escape for her, now only reminded her of her hopeless situation, and how hard it is trying to live up to Daphne, the perfect debutante.[9]
Eloise read an issue of the latest Whistledown and said she hoped Lady Whistledown would talk about things she had more interest in, like women's issues. She felt that she could convince Lady Whistledown to do more if she could track her down.
At the races, Eloise pulled Penelope aside and told her she had figured out Lady Whistledown's new printer. The pamphlet she was holding was made with the same paper as Whistledown's pamphlets.
Footman John brought Eloise to the printing press so that she could find Lady Whistledown. After he let Eloise out of the carriage, he tried to warn her about the city being unsafe for a lady like herself, and even offered to return her money. However, Eloise handed him more money and told him to keep an eye out. Eloise knocked on the door of the printer's shop, but there was no reply. Behind the shop, she found Theo Sharpe, who claimed to not know anything about Whistledown. Theo questioned her motives and Eloise explained she wished to find Lady Whistledown to discuss women's rights. Theo handed her a pamphlet entitled "Appeal in Defense of Women's Rights."
At Lady Danbury's soiree, Eloise watched as suitors performed their talents.
While reading an issue of Lady Whistledown, Eloise found another clue that she had indeed visited Lady Whistledown's printer. She told Penelope that all the letter Ks in Lady Whistledown's pamphlet were misshapen in the same way as the pamphlet on women's rights.[10]
While the Bridgertons fawned over Daphne's baby, Augie, Eloise was completely disinterested. Violet handed Augie to Eloise, and Augie started to cry, so Colin took him from her.
Eloise played a game of Pall-Mall with her siblings and the Sharmas.
Eloise walked outside to read and saw Kate. Kate was worried that she had upset Anthony during the game of Pall-Mall, but Eloise assured her that he was in a bad mood because they were near Edmund's grave. Eloise then asked Kate whether it was her choice to not marry, since her brothers had told her that being a spinster is awful. Kate explained that being a spinster was not ideal.
Eloise found a letter for Benedict from London, and brought it to his room. Inside, she found Colin and Benedict, who was high on drugs. Benedict opened the letter and found that he had been accepted to the Royal Academy of Art. Eloise asked if Colin had heard from Marina, and told him that she did not live far away.[11]
At the Bridgertons' ball, Eloise stood on the sidelines with Penelope and noticed her mother approaching them with a man. Penelope encouraged her to dance with the suitor, but Eloise wasn't sure. She tried to escape, but couldn't as her mother introduced her to Lord Morrison. Lord Morrison talked to Eloise as they danced, but Eloise was busy counting her steps. After hearing Lord Morrison say that young ladies are intellectually inferior to men, the two bickered. Lord Morrison then invited Eloise to spike the punch with her, but Eloise decided to leave the dance floor instead, before the dance was even over. Lord Morrison felt embarrassed that their bickering was attracting the attention of others and tried to grab Eloise to prevent her from walking away, but Eloise retorted that he should not compliment a woman by insulting her entire sex.
Violet stopped Eloise from walking away, saying that she invited Lord Morrison specifically for her because he shared her rebellious spirit. Eloise explained that her rebellion isn't just her playing a part to attract a suitor. Through tears, she said that she knows she's a disappointment to her mother and just wanted to go to bed. Penelope tried to follow her, but she asked to be left alone.[12]
While they were discussing Anthony and Edwina's marriage, Hyacinth asked if Kate would be coming to live with them as well as Edwina. Eloise said it would be nice to have another intelligent woman in the house. Violet asked Eloise to help with the planning, but Eloise made an excuse of attending a lecture about flower arranging with Penelope.
Eloise had her maid take her back to Bloomsbury with the excuse that she was getting something for Anthony's wedding. But she quickly ran away from her maid and went to an assembly room where Theo was among the audience watching a woman speak about not relying on fathers and brothers for education. Theo was surprised to see her there and asked if she was there to ask about Lady Whistledown. She told him she was actually there to talk to like-minded individuals, something he had invited her to do. They introduced themselves, but she told him she already knew his name. She also said she wanted to tell him about the errors in his arguments.
When she returned home, Penelope tried to tell Eloise everything she missed at the lake, but Eloise said she'd already heard about it. She said she was occupied with wedding errands and had more to do that day, so she couldn't walk with Penelope. Instead, she went back to see Theo again.[13]
Anthony and Edwina's Wedding[]
Eloise attended Anthony and Edwina's wedding with her family. Before the wedding, she talked to Colin and Penelope about how opulent the wedding was. Eloise and Penelope then talked about Lady Whistledown and Penelope chastised Eloise for continuing to visit Theo. Eloise said she was only interested in his thoughts, that it was only friendship.
After the wedding was abruptly halted in the middle, Eloise talked to Penelope again. She wondered how she would know if Theo felt more for her than friendship. She hated not knowing for sure. Later, Penelope spotted Eloise leaving to visit Theo again and tried to stop her, but Eloise just asked her not to tell anyone, saying she'd only told Penelope because she valued her friendship and didn't want secrets to come between them.
Eloise went to Theo and said she wanted to share her thoughts. She also told him how she had begun to think about him when she read things. She asked if he thought about her as well. He brought out a stack of books and said he'd set them aside for her to read so they could discuss them. She took the books from him.[14]
Harmony Ball and Scandal[]
In the aftermath of the aborted wedding, Violet and Anthony agreed that the family needed to present a united front, starting by promenading together. Eloise said she needed to buy new gloves and would be late. Instead, she planned to visit Theo, but was stopped when the queen's carriage pulled up outside their house as she was leaving. The queen summoned Eloise into her carriage and then accused Eloise of being Lady Whistledown. Eloise was shocked and tried to defend herself, but it was no use. The queen gave her three days to confess and agree to be the queen's ally or she would ruin Eloise's family.
Eloise told Penelope about the queen's accusations. She knew that she'd been spotted visiting Theo and told Penelope that. She also said she wanted to warn Theo, but Penelope said she needed to stay away from Theo until the next Whistledown came out. Then she'd have proof it wasn't her.
Despite this, Eloise went to see Theo. He'd also been questioned by the queen and was upset that Eloise thought it was safe to come back to see him. Eloise said she wanted to get their stories straight, but Theo said she was privileged and had her family's protection, which he did not. He told her to return to Mayfair before she got them both in more trouble.
Eloise told Penelope she'd decided to confess. She'd pretend to be the queen's ally like she wanted. Penelope said she wouldn't be able to keep that up and it would become clear soon that she wasn't really Lady Whistledown. Eloise didn't care, as she just wanted to buy more time to find the real Lady Whistledown and make her pay.
Eloise then attended the Harmony Ball her mother had planned, but no one outside the two families showed up, leading them to dance together. After a lively dance, Violet remarked how odd it was that no one believed their story. Then Lady Danbury noticed the maids reading and suggested asking them. They showed her the latest Whistledown, which reported that Eloise had been associating unsupervised with political radicals. After reading that, Eloise ran upstairs to her room.[15]
Learning the Truth[]
In the aftermath of the scandal, Eloise stayed away from Penelope, as being associated with Eloise would be bad for her reputation. One day, a footman brought Eloise a package containing a book and a note. Eloise went to see Theo at the shop, asking why he didn't tell her sooner that Whistledown was using his shop to print her pamphlets. He said he couldn't as long as she was still watching him, but that's why he ended things with her despite not wanting to. He didn't want her to write more cruel things about Eloise. He said Whistledown had taken her business elsewhere, but Eloise said she'd stopped writing entirely, which made it the perfect time to find her. She was sure they could do it working together. Theo started to tell her everything he knew.
Eloise went to see Genevieve, asking her about working with Whistledown. Genevieve denied it, but Eloise laid out the evidence that supported her claim. Genevieve said it would be foolish for her to work with Whistledown, just like Eloise poking around was foolish. When the Featheringtons came in, Eloise asked Penelope to meet her outside.
Outside the shop, Eloise told Penelope what Theo had told her and said she was going to find Lady Whistledown. Penelope said there had been gossip about Eloise for weeks and she needed to move on, as her family would be ruined if Whistledown wrote any more about her.
Eloise went back to Theo and they tried to work out who Whistledown was. After they shared a brief touch while picking up pamphlets Theo had knocked down, Eloise said they couldn't keep meeting like that. She apologized for wasting his time and left. People were already talking about them and normally, she didn't care, but she didn't want Theo to face consequences for her actions. Theo wished her luck and said she could go back to her privileged life while he went back to his.
Eloise went home heartbroken, where she talked to Benedict. She asked him how the academy was going and he said Anthony bought him his place. Eloise said that didn't mean he wouldn't have been accepted on his own. She also shared that she sometimes felt like an imposter, at balls. She didn't want to go to the Featherington Ball, even knowing that Penelope would be there, so Benedict offered to escort her.
Eloise went to the ball with her family, but tried to leave when they immediately drew whispers. She said she didn't want to disappoint her mother, but Violet said she'd only be disappointed if Eloise started to care what others thought. She didn't want Eloise to keep things from her anymore and encouraged Eloise to move forward. Eloise took Benedict's arm and entered the ball.
Eloise found Penelope and they chatted awkwardly for a moment. Eloise said it was a mistake to get involved with Theo, so she'd ended things. She was also done searching for Whistledown. Penelope shared the gossip she'd just learned with Eloise.
Eloise later went to Penelope's room, where she discovered the money Penelope had made as Lady Whistledown. When Penelope returned, Eloise confronted her about it and they argued. Eloise was angry that Penelope had betrayed her to make money. Eloise accused her of sequestering herself away to write because she couldn't stand up for herself in reality. Penelope said that at least she did something, while Eloise was all talk and who never does anything to change things telling her that she is a coward and a hypocrite and that she cannot tolerate the fact that she has done what she never dared to do. Eloise said she never wanted to see or talk to Penelope ever again and left. Eloise then went home and ripped up all of her copies of the Whistledowns.
Six months later, Eloise joined her siblings for another game of Pall Mall, where they bickered as usual. Eloise was upset that Anthony and Kate were late to the game.[16]
1815 Season[]
During the summer, Eloise's family traveled, along with the other families, to the countryside. There, she found an unexpected friendship with Cressida Cowper which continued as they returned to Mayfair for the start of the 1815 season, where Francesca was making her debut. She also changed her style to keep up with the current fashions.
However, things between them started to fracture when, upon seeing Penelope, Cressida began making disparaging remarks.
When Colin tried to give Eloise a new book he'd purchased for her, she said she was already reading a book and found her fiction books more realistic than the non-fiction books she'd previously read.
During a trip to the modiste, Eloise ran into Penelope. Penelope tried to defend herself, but Eloise stopped her. She said she had kept Penelope's secret because she didn't want to keep revisiting the past, but wanted them to live their separate lives.
At Lady Danbury's Four Seasons ball, Eloise grew bored talking to several other young ladies about embroidery. When asked if she had a favorite stitch, she said the switch stitch, the stitch that would change the conversation to another topic. When Cressida stepped on Penelope's dress, purposely ripping it, Eloise tried to tell Penelope she was sorry, but Penelope just walked away.
Later, Eloise told Cressida that what she'd done to Penelope was cruel and unnecessary. Cressida admitted that she'd always struggled to make friends, including with Eloise herself her first year. The marriage mart made it hard for ladies to make friends, as there was a lot of competition.
When the new Whistledown came in, commenting disparagingly about Colin's drastic personality change, Eloise tried to hide it from him. When he insisted on seeing it, he told her he didn't care about what Whistledown said about him, but would never forgive her for what she said about Eloise and Marina and pledged to ruin her if he found out who she was.[17]
Eloise was upset when, upon returning from the modiste, she spotted Penelope at her house. While riding to the ball with Colin, she asked him about it and he said he was helping her find a husband. Eloise wanted them to remain friends, as she didn't want Penelope to be friendless, but asked him to keep her away from their house. Eloise warned Colin that it would be a scandal if the ton found out he was helping her, but he said someone had to and she didn't have any male relatives to fill that role.
At the ball, Violet encouraged Eloise to get to know the other young ladies, so she would have friends other than Cressida. Eloise obliged and socialized with Miss Hallewell and Miss Malhotra. Later, while talking to Cressida, she told Cressida about Colin and Penelope's arrangement. Some other ladies approached and asked Eloise if she had any talents she was going to show off for the queen and Eloise claimed to have none, aside from saying the wrong thing and the wrong time. After hearing Eloise speak, the other ladies agreed that she was an entertaining speaker.
The other debutantes were sad when the queen left, but Eloise saw it as an opportunity to stuff her face with chocolates without seeming impolite. When Eloise learned that word of the arrangement had spread through the room, she followed Penelope out. Colin stopped her and asked if she'd told anyone. She was forced to admit she'd told Cressida, believing she could trust her.
The next morning, when Whistledown published the news, Eloise confronted Cressida, but Cressida said she hadn't told anyone, but had noticed Clara Livingston nearby when Eloise told her and then saw her whispering around the room. In this case, Eloise was the cruel one, not Cressida.[18]
Eloise went to see Penelope and apologized, saying it was her fault the news had gotten out, but she hadn't done it on purpose. Penelope invited her in, but Eloise declined, saying she was meeting a friend. She said she hoped Penelope found what she was looking for that season and then left. Eloise then told Colin she'd apologized to Penelope, which he appreciated.
Cressida told Eloise she'd decided she'd marry Lord Debling and asked Eloise for her help, as Lord Debling had an interest in nature. Eloise offered to lend her some books. At the hot air balloon debut, Cressida said she'd prepared some remarks about the great auk, a bird Lord Debling was working to save from extinction. Eloise watched as Cressida competed with Penelope for Lord Debling's attention, each of them exaggerating their love of nature.
After the ropes holding the hot air balloon came loose, forcing some men to grab them and pull to keep it from hitting Penelope, Eloise expressed relief that no one had been injured. Cressida then faked an ankle injury to get Lord Debling to help her to a seat.
At the Innovations Ball, Eloise tried to approach other ladies, but was put off when she heard them talking about their future wedding days. Finally, she found Cressida free. When she saw Cressida watching Penelope talk to Lord Debling, she said it might be for the best as a diet of vegetables didn't suit Cressida.[19]
Eloise sat with her family, waiting for callers for Francesca. When John Stirling came and sat in silence with Francesca, Eloise was impressed, thinking it a far more efficient way to dissuade suitors than her strategy of wit and banter.
Eloise then went with her family to the opening of Lord Fuller's collection. She tried to talk to Cressida but Cressida was worried about her father marrying her off to one of his aged friends.
Eloise called on Cressida the next day and Cressida admitted she'd never had a friend come to her house before. Their conversation was interrupted by Lord and Lady Cowper and as Eloise left, she overheard Lord Cowper telling Cressida that she must not be seen with Eloise anymore.
Despite this, Cressida found Eloise at the next event. She said she understood if Cressida needed to keep her distance for a while, but Cressida said her father would just have to deal with it. Eloise started to explain how she saw the world differently from most people, but Cressida was distracted by Lord Debling and Penelope dancing and then by Colin cutting in and she stepped away to dance with Lord Debling herself.[20]
Eloise was shocked when Colin came home with Penelope and announced they were engaged. She left the room and when Penelope followed, she insisted that Penelope needed to tell Colin about Lady Whistledown before they were married. Penelope promised she would tell him when she found the right moment.
Eloise then went to Cressida to rant about it to her, believing that Penelope had used their friendship to get closer to Colin. Cressida confessed that her parents were arranging a marriage for her with a man three times her age. Eloise said she was sorry and she never would have ranted if she had known.
Eloise sat down with Colin, who said he was sorry he didn't tell her sooner about his feelings for Penelope, but said it would mean a lot to them to have her blessing. He then told her about the queen offering a monetary reward to anyone who helped her unmask Lady Whistledown.
Eloise went to Penelope at her and Colin's betrothal party and said she'd give Penelope until midnight and if she hadn't told Colin by then, Eloise would do it herself.
During a game of charades, play bounced back and forth between Penelope and Eloise for the first few turns, not allowing anyone else to play. After play passed to someone else, Eloise left the room, along with Cressida, who told Eloise she was planning to unmask Lady Whistledown and live off the reward money to avoid marrying Lord Greer. Eloise didn't believe Cressida could do it, offending Cressida.
As the clock struck midnight, Eloise went to tell Colin about Penelope, but he sent her to get a cool towel for Penelope, who was in distress. They were all shocked when Cressida stood up and declared herself Lady Whistledown and then Penelope collapsed.[21]
Eloise was reading in the drawing room when Francesca called the family's attention to her and announced that she and John were getting married, news they all celebrated. Later, Eloise found Colin writing in the study and he asked if she knew that Cressida was Lady Whistledown. Shocked at the claim, Eloise said no and she wouldn't have befriended her if she had. Eloise asked Colin about his previous claims of what he'd do to Lady Whistledown if she were unmasked and he said love had softened him, but he would still go after Whistledown if Eloise wanted. Eloise said she might be able to get Lady Whistledown to go away so she couldn't hurt them anymore.
Eloise went to Penelope, who was attempting to write the next issue to discredit Cressida. Eloise said that she couldn't tell Colin, despite what Eloise had previously said, as it would destroy him. She said Penelope had to let Cressida take the credit and put Lady Whistledown to bed.
Later, outside the church, Cressida came to Eloise and asked for her help with Lady Whistledown, as she knew Eloise enjoyed words. Eloise declined and also said she couldn't be friends with Cressida anymore, reminding Cressida of all the things Lady Whistledown had written about her.
At the Mondrich party, Cressida showed up despite not being invited and brought with her a well-written announcement that Lady Whistledown would be back soon. After reading it, Eloise immediately went to Penelope, who pulled her out of the room. Eloise said she was reckless to get involved with Cressida and said she couldn't let Cressida take the credit after all. Penelope said she could publish again, one last column to discredit Cressida. She'd started the column because she felt like she had no say in her life and could have used it to give voice to the voiceless. She regretted it and asked Eloise to let her use her pen one last time to make it right. Cressida said she'd need to get the issue out before Cressida did.[22]
After Penelope's issue promptly discredited Cressida, Eloise admitted that she was happy for the first time to have Penelope publish. Penelope in turn admitted that Colin knew as he'd caught her at the printer's. Eloise said she couldn't help Penelope and she felt torn already between her brother and her best friend. Penelope said she understood, as it was her mess to clean up.
Later that night, Colin confronted Eloise and asked how long she'd known. She admitted to knowing since last season and said it had broken her heart to learn him and she wanted to spare him the same heartbreak. When he asked if she'd forgiven Penelope, she said she wanted to.
Eloise attended Colin and Penelope's wedding. After the ceremony, Benedict came to her because he'd noticed her crying during it. She said it was because she was losing another friend to marriage, but he assured her that love wasn't finite and she had enough for both of them as both of them did for her. At the wedding breakfast, the queen came in and dismissed everyone except the Bridgerton, sure one of them was Lady Whistledown and pushing her to come forward. Penelope stayed silent and after Anthony assured the queen he would have shut it down a long time ago if it were happening in his house, the queen backed off, but said she'd figure it out soon. After the queen left, Eloise followed Colin and Penelope out and, after hearing Colin tell Penelope he couldn't accept that she couldn't give up Lady Whistledown, Eloise hugged her and said it would be okay.[23]
The next day, when Colin came to Bridgerton House for breakfast, Eloise told him the family survived the queen accusing her of being Whistledown and they'd survive this, too. Then Portia and Penelope came in and told them Cressida was blackmailing Penelope. Colin told them not to pay Cressida and he would speak to her himself instead. Colin did do, but instead of fixing things, made them worse.
At John and Francesca's wedding, Eloise noticed Marcus's interest in Violet and asked her siblings if they noticed it. Benedict said they were happy, so it wasn't for them to judge.
One night, Benedict found Eloise on the swings and they talked about how she didn't know where she was going. She wanted to change the world, but she needed to see it first. This led to her asking Francesca if she could go to Scotland with them. She promised to give them their space and said she just wanted to see the world for a while. Along with John's cousin, Michaela, they left to make their journey to Scotland. Eloise promised to be back the next year, in time for her mother's Masquerade Ball.[24]
Personality[]
Whip-smart, brazen and rebellious, Eloise Bridgerton is definitely not here for turning into just another young simpering and mincing debutante. She believes she's destined for something much greater, though she's quite rapidly approaching marriageable age.
Relationships[]
Romantic[]
Theo Sharpe[]
She and Theo grow close after they met outside the print shop. They bonded after she found out he was also an advocate for women's rights, loves books, and is willing to help her find out who Lady Whistledown is. They ended up developing mutual crushes on each other. However, due to the fact that he is from the lower class and she is from the upper class, they ended up arguing and falling out.
Familial[]
Violet Bridgerton[]
Eloise and her mother share a complicated relationship. Unlike her older sister Daphne, Eloise is very much opposed to the idea of being a debutante or a wife, and instead dreams of a life as an independent, unmarried woman. Eloise was upset when Daphne attracted the attention of the Duke of Hastings, because she knew that once Daphne was married, Violet would be pressuring Eloise to debut and wed. Sure enough, very shortly after Daphne's wedding to Simon, Violet started preparing Eloise to debut the following season. When Eloise kept resisting, Violet seemed okay with Eloise waiting a little longer to debut, but Eloise agreed to anyway.
The next year, Violet brought Eloise to the palace to debut before the Queen. Eloise begged her mother to make an excuse to let her go away, but Violet reassured her that no matter what, Eloise would always be a diamond to her. Eloise had a rocky start to her season, as she felt like her mother and the rest of the ton were secretly comparing her to Daphne, the diamond of her season. Violet tried to find suitors that she thought Eloise might like, but Eloise took this as pressure and snapped at her mother, bursting that she knew she was a disappointment. Violet later corrected her that she loved Eloise as she was, and it was her unique self that made her special. Violet only wants what is best for Eloise, even if her idea of her best future is different than the one Eloise wants for herself.
Daphne Basset[]
Eloise and her elder sister are very different in many ways, something that Daphne has brought up herself. However, it is also evident that the two care for each other deeply and want the best for the other. Eloise was concerned when she realized that Daphne wanted to be wed and have children. Likewise, Daphne has appeared concerned when Eloise mentioned wanting the opposite. Despite having a good relationship with Daphne overall, Eloise often feels as though she is in her older sister's shadow after making her own debut, as Daphne was the perfect debutante while Eloise is awkward and uninterested in the season.
Benedict Bridgerton[]
It is clear that Eloise and her elder brother Benedict are extremely close and like-minded. Both of them wish for something more than what they can have and they find themselves bonding over this several times. Benedict also seems to be able to read Eloise better than the rest of his family, noticing that she is uncomfortable on more than one occasion and also making her laugh. She also refers to him as her 'most favorite brother' when he gets her out of listening to an opera.
Colin Bridgerton[]
Colin expressed his hatred of Lady Whistledown openly to Eloise, not just for exposing Marina Thompson's pregnancy, but for posting the scandal about Elois'’s 'radicalism,' and vowed to ruin her the same way she ruined Eloise and Marina.[17] Eloise worried for her brother after he started spending more time with Penelope, since she knew that Penelope was in fact Lady Whistledown.[18] When Colin announced that he was engaged to Penelope, Eloise threatened to tell him Penelope's secret identity if Penelope herself did not, as she did not want her brother to enter a marriage with her without knowing the whole truth.[21] However, when Cressida Cowper claimed herself to be Lady Whistledown, Eloise saw a way to keep peace in her family without anyone she loved getting hurt, including Colin, and she begged Penelope to abandon writing her column and let Cressida take the fall, so as to protect Colin from getting his heart broken.[22]
Friendships[]
Penelope Bridgerton[]
She and Penelope are best friends and look out for each other. Eloise is usually the person Penelope turns to when in need of comfort. Penelope starts to lose her patience with Eloise's investigations into Lady Whistledown and urges her to stay away. Unbeknownst to Eloise, Penelope was the one behind the scandal sheet. An intense argument upon Lady Whistledown's revelation leaves their friendship in tatters.[16]
Penelope was very hurt when she found out that Eloise had become friends with Cressida since their fallout. However she still cares for Penelope and wishes no actual ill towards her, as seen when she disapproved of Cressida ripping Penelope's dress and trying to persuade her to be kinder towards Penelope.[17] When Colin started spending more time with Penelope, Eloise pressed him for answers, and learned that he was helping her find a match for the season. Eloise, worried for her brother, told Cressida what was going on, but unbeknownst to her, someone overheard her and spread the word around the ton, for which Eloise felt immensely guilty for once she found out that she had leaked the news albeit by accident.[18] She visited Penelope to apologize, and told her that she sincerely wished that Penelope would find what she was looking for that season.[19]
Eloise was shocked and horrified when Colin announced that he and Penelope were engaged, as she knew of his open hatred for Lady Whistledown. She even worried that Penelope had simply been pretending to be her friend from the very beginning, since she had met Colin before Eloise. She warned Penelope that she was to tell Colin the truth about Lady Whistledown by midnight at the date of the engagement party, or else Eloise threatened she would expose her to Colin herself. When Penelope hadn't told Colin by midnight, Eloise tried to say something to Colin, but was interrupted when Penelope had a panic attack over having to tell her secret and collapsed.[21]
After Cressida Cowper claimed to be Lady Whistledown, Eloise begged Penelope to abandon her writing permanently, so that Cressida would take the fall for her criticisms and Colin would never learn the heartbreaking truth. However, Penelope came to Eloise's rescue when Cressida announced that she would be writing her own scandal sheet defaming Eloise's family. Penelope once more printed as Lady Whistledown, exposing Cressida as a fraud and rendering her ill accusations against the Bridgertons completely null and void.[22]
When Cressida tried to blackmail Penelope, Eloise offered Penelope her support and comfort. The two reconciled their friendship and had a heartwarming goodbye as Eloise left for a visit to Scotland with Francesca and her new husband, John Stirling.[24]
Kate Bridgerton[]
The two first met at a party for all of Edwina's suitors and two got along right away. When they came to Aubrey Hall, Kate was impressed that she and Eloise share the same spirit. When Kate had some tea outside and Eloise came out to read, the two had a nice conversation. When she asked Kate if she is happy not being married, Kate said she was happy, but admitted being a spinster is not an ideal life for any woman.
Cressida Cowper[]
Eloise initially kept her distance from Cressida, even crassly refusing her offer to be friends when Eloise first debuted on the marriage market.[9] However, after her falling out with Penelope, Cressida showed kindness to Eloise, who was recovering from her recent disgrace at the hands of Lady Whistledown. The two became friends, much to Penelope’s dismay. Eloise seems to believe that there is more to Cressida than meets the eye, and encourages her to be nicer and less brash towards Penelope, and appear more pleasant to attract a husband in her third season.[17] Eloise tries to help Cressida win over Lord Debling by lending her books about nature so she could impress him, and consoles her when Lord Debling chooses Penelope over her.[19] As the season progresses, Eloise tries to offer support for Cressida, who is being threatened with an arranged marriage to one of her father’s aging friends. When Lord Cowper forbids Cressida from socializing with Eloise, Cressida defies him, valuing her newfound friendship over her father’s wrath.[20]
Notes and Trivia[]
- It is hinted that she likes the romantic poet Lord Byron since there is a portrait of him on her bedroom wall and she used his name on her dance card as an excuse not to dance at a ball.
- She has read the works of Mary Wollstonecraft,[9] a feminist writer who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792 and was also the mother of Mary Shelley, the author of the novel Frankenstein.[25]
- She doesn't like horses.[21]
- In some episodes of season 3, Eloise wore a muff, or hand warmer, despite it being summer, to conceal a cast on Claudia Jessie's wrist. Claudia had broken her wrist on set while trying to do a celebratory high-kick in a tight dress.[26]
- Claudia Jessie, who portrays Eloise, originally auditioned for the role of Penelope.[27]
- Some articles from the press falsely reported that Nicola Coughlan, who portrays Penelope, originally auditioned for Eloise.[28]
- Whenever Eloise wears a dress that exposes her back, a make-up artist needs to cover up Claudia's large tattoo of flowers on her back using a tattoo cover and prosthetic.[29]
- Eloise's favorite sibling is Gregory.[23]
- Claudia thinks there is a misconception that Eloise is anti-love, because of Eloise's defiance in her idea of what she thinks she should have or want. Claudia loves that season two showed that Eloise can have a connection with someone, like Theo.[30]
Gallery[]
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A more complete gallery with pictures of Eloise Bridgerton (Netflix) can be found here. |
Memorable Quotes[]
- Eloise: And having a nice face and hair is not an accomplishment! You know what is an accomplishment? Attending university! If I were a man, I could do that, you know! Instead, I will have to stand by and watch dear Mama peer proud because some man would like to admire my sister's face, and fill her up with babies![2]
- Eloise: How does a lady come to be with child? I thought one needed to be married. Apparently it's not even a requirement.[2]
- Eloise: Can I ask you something? Was it your choice you never married? My brothers tell me I have a habit of being rather direct. But everyone tells me it is fate worse than death to end up a spinster.[11]
- Kate: There seems to be no place in society for us, except at the edge of things.
- Eloise: That rather seems to be society's flaw, not a woman's.[11]
- Eloise: Your assumptions are not the least bit surprising. After all, a woman is allowed to have but two interests. Marriage or spewing slander about her peers, apparently. It would certainly never occur to you that I am, in fact, hoping to find the writer so that we may discuss much more intellective matters. The rights of women. The exploration of her mind, a mind which, I can already discern, is far, far superior to yours.[10]
- Kate: Can I ask you something, Miss Eloise?
- Eloise: Did I purposely make the third wicket two inches narrower than last year? Yes, I did.[11]
- Eloise: I watch Daphne prepare for these balls with all of those dresses and the many suitors, and I am exhausted. Suppose I want a different life, that I truly believe I am quite capable of something more, even when I am not allowed to have anything else.[2]
- Eloise: Why must our only options be to squawk and settle or to never leave the nest? What if I want to fly?[4]
- Eloise: Every time I walk into a ballroom, I know they are comparing me to Daphne. She was so good at being the diamond and it made my mother so happy. I can never live up to that. I do not want to live up to that, but it does not make it any easier to know you are constantly disappointing people just by walking into a room.[9]
- Eloise: Lady Whistledown nearly ruined me last season. I lost the battle, and I have no appetite for the war so I've joined the winning side.[17]
- Eloise: I am already roasting.
- Francesca: Are you to complain the entire day, Eloise?
- Eloise: Surely, I cannot be expected to bear these fashions all day.[1]
- Hyacinth: I feel like a princess. Do I look like one?
- Eloise: Do you truly wish to know what I think you look like?[1]
- Eloise: I look like a prize calf, trussed up for auction.
- Benedict: Moo.[9]
Appearances[]
| Bridgerton, Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "Diamond of the First Water" | #04 | "An Affair of Honor" | #07 | "Oceans Apart" |
| #02 | "Shock and Delight" | #05 | "The Duke and I" | #08 | "After the Rain" |
| #03 | "Art of the Swoon" | #06 | "Swish" | ||
| Bridgerton, Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Capital R Rake" | #04 | "Victory" | #07 | "Harmony" |
| #02 | "Off to the Races" | #05 | "An Unthinkable Fate" | #08 | "The Viscount Who Loved Me" |
| #03 | "A Bee in Your Bonnet" | #06 | "The Choice" | ||
| Bridgerton, Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "Out of the Shadows" | #04 | "Old Friends" | #07 | "Joining of Hands" |
| #02 | "How Bright the Moon" | #05 | "Tick Tock" | #08 | "Into the Light" |
| #03 | "Forces of Nature" | #06 | "Romancing Mister Bridgerton" | ||