What we know about Lady Violet Bridgerton ahead of Netflix spin-off

This article contains spoilers from seasons one to four of Bridgerton.

In previous seasons of the Netflix and Shondaland series Bridgerton, Lady Violet has expressed a great affection for her late husband Viscount Edmund Bridgerton.

She experienced intense heartbreak and sorrow when he died.

Now, fans of the television show will get to see their love story.

In the same way Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story delved into the early life of Queen Charlotte, a yet untitled series will chronicle the early life of a young Lady Violet.

It promises to tell the story of Violet's romance with Edmund (Rupert Evans).

There have been two actors so far who have taken on the role of Lady Violet.

Ruth Gemmell plays her in the main series and appeared in the Queen Charlotte spin-off, in which Connie Jenkins-Greig played a younger version in flashbacks as a then Violet Ledger.

Lady Violet is depicted in Bridgerton as kind, warm and wise matriarch with the interests of her family at heart.

As we gear up for the spin-off, here's a trip down memory lane exploring some of what we already know about Lady Violet and her relationship with Lord Bridgerton.

'True love is worth it'

Violet Bridgerton (née Ledger) holds the title the Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton.

A Dowager Viscountess is the widowed wife of a viscount who retains her aristocratic rank after her husband's death.

Violet was pregnant with Lord Bridgerton's eighth child Hyacinth when he died from anaphylaxis.

He'd suffered a severe allergic reaction after being stung by a bee.

He was in his late 30s at the time.

He'd been out hunting with eldest son Anthony and was picking hyacinths for his wife when it happened.

In a conversation with Anthony in season two, episode eight of Bridgerton, titled The Viscount Who Loved Me, Violet tells her son she would go through the pain of losing her husband again because the beauty of love overpowers the risk of grief.

"Losing Edmund was the most difficult time of my life," Violet said.

"And the pain that I felt … beyond description.

"But there is one thing that has given me at least some modicum of solace.

"It's knowing that I would still choose the life I led with him, each and every time.

"And I would undoubtedly feel the same pain I felt all over again if I had to because real, true love is worth it no matter what."

Violet is keen to see each of her eight children marry, but she wants them, too, to experience true love, rather than marry for the sake of it.

While no marriage is perfect, the union between Violet and Edmund is so idealised that each of her children aspire to live a similar fairytale.

In season one, episode eight called After the Rain, Violet points out to her daughter Daphne that marriage is hard, and the reason why hers worked was because they chose to love each other through each obstacle.

"It is a rarity, I have come to realise," Violet said.

"That is not to say it was without its trials.

"Your father and I faced many difficulties, indeed, but we overcame them.

"We made a decision early on to do so.

"We chose to love each other every single day.

"It is a choice, dearest, one that is never too late to make."

Lady Violet moves on … sort of

Lady Violet remains devoted to her late husband throughout the first few seasons of the television series.

That is, until Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) catches her eye.

He is Lady Agatha Danbury's (Adjoa Andoh) younger brother, and they meet in season three of Bridgerton.

In season four, they kick it up a notch into a steamy, passionate, but secret dalliance.

Finally, Violet is exploring her own desires after mostly focusing her efforts on matchmaking her children.

But the romance doesn't last.

Lord Marcus wants to marry her, but the "not yet" response to his engagement turns into a "not ever" in his eyes.

With Queen Charlotte being as juicy as it was stunningly heartbreaking, this author cannot wait for the Lady Violet spin-off, dearest gentle reader.

The spin-off will be written by showrunners and executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Nicholas Nardini.

Bridgerton is based on the popular historical romance novels written by Julia Quinn.

The TV show debuted on Netflix in 2020 and captivated global audiences.