The first word that comes to mind when I think about Bridgerton''s Lady Danbury is 'compelling.' She is a force to be reckoned with, which became more evident as each season premiered on Netflix. But, it was the introduction of the younger Agatha Danbury in Queen Charlotte that made our hearts ache and swell with pride as we watched her turn lemons into lemonade.
These characteristics are something that actress Adjoa Andohis well aware of and takes great joy in — alongside the West African influences Lady Danbury brings to the story. "When Shonda decided she wanted to situate young Lady Danbury as coming from West Africa, which has quite a tradition of posh people joining with posh people in [Europe], it’s not fantasy, as some people have said," she shared with Shondalandlast week. "...as a viewer, an actor, as a cultural consumer, for Shonda to bring that historical element in, it’s like, ‘Thank you. We can be in the story.’”
Even Arsema Thomas, the actress who played a young Agatha Danbury, knows how important this character is. She told The Hollywood Reporter, "...to see that this woman was just so engaging, so mysterious — but in a way that didn’t detract from her complexity, but rather added to it in a beautiful way … I was like, ‘I want to be this woman when I grow up.'"
If anyone were to ever have a masterclass on the art of being, it should be Lady Danbury. Since we know that doesn't exist outside of the many lessons we learn from her in the Bridgerton timeline, here's how Lady Danbury's broken several barriers that have allowed her to become the well-loved character we know today.
Young Lady Danbury Found Ways to Make the Most of Her Unwanted Situation
Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix
We live in a society where women have a little more freedom than those who lived during the Regency era. Not many of us have been promised to wed older men by our families so that's something that immediately stood out to me about young Agatha Danbury.
Here you have this young woman who's betrothed to a man she would've never chosen for herself, but has no say so in the matter. But yet, she never undermines her husband — especially not in public. Never mind the fact he doesn't always value what she says. Even then, Agatha uses reverse psychology to show her influence in subtle ways. It's the same quiet strength we fully got to see in grander ways in Bridgerton.
Of this, Arsema Thomas said she called upon her grandmother and mother to help show the first seeds of the Lady Danbury we know today. "Both of them are women who have been in extremely difficult situations and have come out not being bitter or holding a grudge against the system, but rather understanding that there is a purpose larger than their own comfort," she said during her interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
This is same young woman who gained the respect of Queen Charlotte and King George's mother, Princess Augusta. Yes, the same woman we initially thought to be too cold and calculating to care about anything other than securing her son's position as king.
If I'm being honest, Princess Augusta nudged Lady Danbury to truly tap into how powerful she is instead of giving into despair.
She Is a Friend to Many, Especially Queen Charlotte and the Bridgertons
Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix
One thing that's evident about Lady Danbury is that she understands the power of friendship. She has consistently moved the needle about what that means for the Ton whose lives are governed by what's socially acceptable for the time they're living in.
She consistently looks after the Bridgertons, but she's also extended her friendship to the Sharmas and Penelope Featherington, though the latter was cut from the series.
She Knows What It Means To Find Love and Passion In Unexpected Places
Image via Nick Wall/Netflix
This is a controversial take because we're not going to ignore the fact Agatha Danbury had an affair with Violet Bridgerton's dad when she was younger. I'm not condoning extramarital affairs whatsoever, but I am acknowledging that Lady Danbury did discover love and passion in her lifetime. Prior to this, she was in a loveless marriage that was void of wanted passion. Remember how she described sex to a young Queen Charlotte?
Her outlook on the two changed after the moments she and Lord Ledger shared. To be fair, they didn't spend all of their time with their limbs, uh...entangled. Their conversations held the intimacy that both seemed to be craving.
Though Lady Danbury ultimately opted not to get married again, there's no doubt that she still thinks about the moments she shared with Lord Ledger — likely leading to her passion for love that finds its way into every new Bridgerton couple in some way or another.
She Revels In Seeing Others Find Love and Passion Too
Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix
Speaking of, Lady Danbury's fervor for love and real romance is one of the things we love most about her. We know Queen Charlotte truly loves seeing others fall in love underneath what's perceived to be a steely exterior, but so does Lady Danbury. It's one of the other reasons we see her and Queen Charlotte deliberating about who is worthy of being known as the Diamond of the season along with trying to find suitable suitors.
And while this translates to the younger couples throughout the seasons, I love how Lady Danbury doesn't let age create a barrier for romance. Just look at how she nudges Violet Bridgerton to explore her own interests and passions! By allowing others to consider their own romantic possibilities, she encourages love to course through every corner of the show.
Now I'm just waiting to see how she'll respond to Lord Anderson and Violet Bridgerton's potential romance in Bridgerton Season 3, Part 2. Hopefully this doesn't test their friendship!
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Lead image via Liam Daniel/Netflix
