In Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown (aka Penelope) talks with Madam Delacroix in the parlor.

‘Bridgerton’: How Much Money Does Penelope Make as Lady Whistledown?

Lady Whistledown's gossip pamphlets captivate the ton throughout 'Bridgerton,' but how much money does the writer make for her efforts?

by Erica Scassellati

Published on February 1, 2023

2 min read

Lady Whistledown writes gossip pamphlets in ‘Bridgerton’

Throughout Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington writes a social pamphlet about the gossip of “the ton” under the pseudonym Lady Whistledown. Although some scoff at Whistledown’s writing, it seems no one in the town can help but be affected by her words.

The final episode of Bridgeton Season 1 revealed Lady Whistledown’s identity. Season 2 explored more details about how Penelope manages to live her double life. Penelope is more than a wallflower. She is an observer, quietly gathering gossip and information at every ball she must attend.

Penelope is a brilliant businesswoman. She distributes her first copy of Lady Whistledown’s gossip papers for free, hooking the ton on her scandalous words. After that, most people are more than willing to pay for her pamphlets.

How much money does Penelope make as Lady Whistledown?

Season 2 reveals that Penelope uses a printing shop in a poor part of town to create her pamphlets. She dons an Irish accent and pretends that she works for Lady Whistledown (although she herself is the writer), so she can negotiate with the printer.

After paying the printer and her delivery boys, Penelope takes her money and hides it in a box under her floorboard. In one scene from season 2, Penelope walks away with £10 in profits after paying her workers.

Season 2 of Bridgerton takes place in 1814, so we can use this year to get a rough estimate of how much money Penelope brings in. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator, £10 pounds in 1814 has an equivalent value of £1,018.84 pounds today.

This makes Penelope a very wealthy woman indeed. It’s unclear exactly how often Lady Whistledown’s pamphlets are published, but even if she wrote as little as once a month, Penelope would still bring in a great deal of money.

Here’s why Penelope keeps her wealth a secret

This revelation has led some fans to an important question. Throughout the series, the Featheringtons struggle financially, yet Penelope has a lot of money hidden in the floorboards. Some viewers have questioned why Penelope hides her wealth, but it actually makes a lot of sense.

If Penelope were to reveal her income, she would likely have to tell her family that she is Lady Whistledown. It’s also clear that Penelope’s parents aren’t the best with money, so Penelope likely doesn’t want to risk her family squandering her wealth. Penelope’s family also treats her pretty poorly, and it’s hard to blame her for keeping it a secret.