We’ve done some sleuthing, you can thank us later

Good news Bridgerton fans: season five is on the horizon, and we’ve caught wind of some veeeeery juicy details. Namely, the fifth season will centre on the romance between widowed Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling. (Cue: sapphic yearning).

Another surprise twist? The show will take a two year time-jump: taking us from Lord John Stirling’s shock death at the end of season four, to the point at which his widow Francesca is considering entering the marriage mart once more.

Now, this all poses the question; how old, exactly, are the Bridgerton characters supposed to be in season five? Below, we go deep on the supposed ages of the Bridgerton clan and other familiar faces from the Ton.

What are the ages of Bridgerton’s Francesca and Michaela following season 5 time jump?

The new season will centre on Francesca and Michaela, so, what ages will they be, and what does the series have in store?

Francesca Bridgerton

Played by Hannah Dodd, who is 30, Francesca is 18 when she makes her society debut in season three. That would make her 19 in season 4, and 21 when we catch up with her in season 5.

When we leave Francesca at the end of season 4, she’s reeling over the death of her husband Lord John Stirling. When we revisit her story in season 5, she’s deciding to look for a spouse once more for ‘practical’ reasons. However, she can’t deny the growing chemistry between her and Michaela, her late husband’s cousin. We can’t wait to see how this pans out, but we’ve already been told that we expect plenty of ‘queer joy’.

Michaela Stirling

When we meet Michaela Stirling, she’s more focussed on her whirlwind travels than any serious commitments, but how old is she supposed to be? Well, in the show she’s described as being in her mid- to late- twenties. So, after a time jump, we can presume that Michaela is 28 or 29.

Played by Masali Baduza, who is 29 IRL, the end of season four sees Michaela jet off on her travels once more rather than stay with Francesca. Can we see the beginning of an enemies-to-lovers plot emerging?

What are the ages of the Bridgerton characters following season 5 time jump?

Other characters who we’re keeping a watchful eye on in season four? Eloise, Gregory and Hyacinth, all currently unmarried. We’ve done some mental maths on their ages, as well as some of the show’s other beloved faces.

Eloise Bridgerton

Eloise is 17 in the show’s first season so, if we add on 5 years, that makes her 22 in season five. Fun fact: Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise, is 36. Fans are increasingly desperate to see Eloise’s love story with Sir Phillip Crane play out, and maybe we’ll get some glimpses in the next season (we can but hope)!

Gregory Bridgerton

When we meet Gregory, he’s 12. By season three, he’s off to Eton. Then, at the end of season four, he must be around 15 or 16. When he returns home from boarding school, he’s teased about his facial hair and develops his first crush on Miss Rochelle. So, after a time-jump, he would be 17 or 18. We’re wondering what the next season has in store for Gregory as his love plot will be on the cards in the next few years.

Hyacinth Bridgerton

In season one, Hyacinth is 10. This means that we can place her at roughly 15 or 16 in season 5, so we’ve still got a season or two before she makes her debut in society. We got a lot more screen time with Hyacinth in season four, as we delve into her backstory. Realistically, this will continue into season four.

So, what about the ages of the Bridgerton clan who’ve already found their match? We run it down below…

Benedict Bridgerton

Benedict is between 29 and 30 in season 4, so, he’ll be 31 or 32 in season five.

Sophie Bridgerton

Sophie, Benedict’s love interest, is 22 in the books, so there’s a bit of an age gap. By season five, Sophie would be 24.

Penelope Bridgerton

Penelope is 19 years old in season three and would be roughly 20 years old in season four, given there’s no time jump. That would place her at 22 years old in season five. Famously, Penelope is played by Nicola Coughlan, who is 39: making her 17 years older than her character.

Colin Bridgerton

Colin is 24 in the third season. So, applying some quick calculations, that makes him 27 in season five.

Anthony Bridgerton

At the beginning of Bridgerton, we learn that Anthony is 29. So, that means we have to add on five years (three seasons taking place once a year, plus a two-year time jump) which would make him 34.

Kate Bridgerton

Kate is in her late twenties in season 2, a fact which often leads to her being referred to as a ‘spinster’ (ouch). This would place her in her early 30s after time time jump. Simone Ashley is 30, which means she’s one of the few actors who are younger IRL than the Bridgerton character they play.