‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: Will Daphne and Simon Welcome a 2nd Child?
Bridgerton, a Shondaland production for Netflix, is a passionate love story series set in England during the Regency era. The plot centers on the wealthy Bridgerton siblings, who are part of London’s high society. The first season of the steamy, sexy show is about Daphne Bridgerton’s romance with Simon Basset, the dashing Duke of Hastings.
The Duke spends most of the first season putting his pride ahead of romance and making a solemn vow that he will never have kids, despite marrying a woman who has expressed a strong desire to have children.
The couple finally welcomed a son at the end of the first season of Bridgerton after a lengthy period of difficulty in their marriage. Now, fans are curious whether Simon and Daphne will have more children.
Simon and Daphne have five children in the ‘Bridgerton’ books
There’s no telling how many more children Simon and Daphne will have or what gender they will be because of all the changes Bridgerton has made from the books.
In “After the Rain,” the last episode of Bridgerton’s first season, Simon and Daphne welcome their firstborn, a baby boy. The couple then decides to keep the Bridgerton family tradition of naming children alphabetically by choosing a name that starts with “A.”
In the second season, Daphne casually reveals her son Augie’s name, proving they stuck with Simon’s wish to continue the Bridgerton family custom of giving children alphabetical names.
In Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I, the first book that served as an inspiration for the Netflix show, Simon and Daphne’s first child is a girl they named Amelia. This is only one of the numerous instances in which the Bridgerton TV show deviates from the book series.
Simon and Daphne eventually have five kids in The Duke and I. Their firstborn is Amelia, followed by daughters Belinda and Caroline, and finally, boys David and Edward Hastings.
When their first son, David, is born, Simon is forced to separate his role as a parent from his own father, and he soon discovers that he loves his son just as much as his three daughters.
Will Daphne and Simon welcome a second child in Bridgerton Season 3?
While nothing official has been released about Daphne and Simon’s growing family, it’s possible the two will welcome a second child — and likely, too. By the time we meet Augie, Daphne and Simon’s firstborn son, he is apparently six months old. Season two seemed to end with a slight time jump (we see Anthony and Kate settling into their marriage).
It is very likely season three will begin with a major time jump, as the Netflix series is now deviating from the book series’ order, meaning it could be set months to a year or two after the end of the second season. Many fans have insisted a time jump is necessary to illustrate how Penelope and Colin’s relationship has evolved and to set up Benedict’s story properly.
According to Moorgate Books, women in the Regency era typically married at 21 and had kids every two years (give or take) until turning 39. Since Daphne was 21 when she was married and had her first child, it’s not unlikely Daphne and Simon will have another child in season three, especially if there’s a time jump of some kind. It’s also likely Daphne could be pregnant in the third season and welcome a baby in season four.
The Duke of Hastings originally vowed never to sire an heir
In the first season of Bridgerton, Daphne and Simon tied the knot, but their marriage was anything but blissful. The fact that the Duke does not want to have children is the primary source of tension in their relationship. Simon is hesitant to start a family because he promised his abusive, dying father their line would end with him.
In vengeance against his father, the Duke swore to end his family’s line of succession. Simon’s father disowned him when he was young because of his speech impediment, which was embarrassing for the family for a number of reasons. First, the Queen gave the Hastings a position in the royal family, but that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to keep it.
Second, as a Black man in late 18th-century England, Lord Hastings is determined to preserve his heritage and stature in society. In the third episode of the first season of Bridgerton, titled “Shock and Delight,” a grown Simon tells his dying father that he intends to end the family line.
Later, Daphne learns about Simon’s vow and comprehends his reluctance to start a family. Eventually, the two have an emotional moment near the end of the season, and Simon chooses to reconsider his previous decision never to have children.
It’s clear Simon warmed to being a father at the end of season one, and it’s likely the Duke and Duchess of Hastings will welcome more children in the future — and hopefully soon!
