I'd be surprised if at some point over the last two years you you hadn't heard just how excruciatingly sexy Netflix's hit series Bridgerton is. Although season 1 aired way back in 2020, if we're being honest, we can't stop thinking about the intricate dating scene and raunchy sex scenes. But, how historically accurate are they actually..?
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What is Bridgerton about?
Both Season 1 and 2 of Bridgerton follow the love (and courtship) stories of two members of the Bridgerton family, Daphne and The Duke, aka Anthony, and all the near scandal that comes along with them.
Spoiler alert: In Season 1 we see young and naive Daphne's sexual awakening in classic good girl gone bad style, whereas Season 2 climax's with a pre-marital sex scene between Anthony and his will-they-won't-they love interest Kate. But would either of these storylines really have happened in 19th century Britain?
How accurate are Bridgerton's sex scenes?
In short, they're not as unrealistic as you might think as Regency Britain was actually going through a bit of a sexual revolution!
Although ladies of the upper class were kept in the dark about sex, as is the case with Daphne, in this era, premarital sex was not just tolerated, but a common practise. Around 40% of pregnancies, in fact, occurred outside of marriage, particularly amongst the lower classes.
Nevertheless, Bridgerton is groundbreaking on its depiction of female pleasure and the female gaze. Whilst we can't comment on whether or not oral sex took place on stairways (if you've seen the show you'll know which scene we mean), since sexual practises have always been dependent on the individuals present, here are some historical courtship rituals that have actually taken place in the past.
The armpit apple
Offering your crush an apple slice soaked in your sweat was quite the hot activity amongst women on the marriage market in England and Austria during the 19th century. Ladies would place the peeled apple piece under their arms before spending the evening dancing, then offer the slice to the gentleman they had their eye on. If he ate it: it's a match!
The knife and sheath
This extremely unsubtle historical practice comes from Finland and sees young women of a marriageable age wear empty knife sheaths on their belts. If a man wanted to court said lady, all he had to do was buy a knife and put it in her sheath (the metaphor speaks for itself)...
If the lady accepted his offer, she would keep the knife or rejected young men would have their knife returned to them.
The bedtime bundle
Primarily an American practice, but sometimes documented in Europe, young couples might get to experience bundling during the courtship phase. This sees the young man sleeping in the same bed as his would-be betrothed at her house for one night in order for the couple to get to know each other better. But there's a catch! A wooden board would be placed down the centre of the bed to ensure no body parts touched. Moreover, the couple would have to remain fully clothed all night, and the woman might even have been sewn into a sleeping bag-style material cover from the waist down!
Sources used:
Refinery 29: '5 Old-Timey Courtship Rituals That Will Make You Cringe'
The age of revolutions: 'A SEXUAL REVOLUTION IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY?'
The Culture Shift: 'Sex, Drugs And No Birth Control: How Accurate Is Netflix Drama Bridgerton?'
Tatler: 'Why the raunchy world of Bridgerton is more accurate than you might think'
