Lord Anderson In ‘Bridgerton’, explained

Excuse me while I dip into some much-needed old English flair, but the eve of Bridgerton’s third season is upon us, and everyone in the Ton is positively aflutter!

For those not fluent, that’s fancy-speak for the fact that Bridgerton season three is hotly approaching and fans are in a right tizzy. The latest instalment of the period Netflix drama lands on April 16, 2024, and while we do know that it will focus on staple characters Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), there looks to be some newcomers set to cause a stir. 

While there will be a swathe of returning castmates, including Jonathan Bailey, Julie Andrews, Golda Rosheuvel, and Adjoa Andoh, there is one new face who has fans spouting multiple theories about season three storylines, and he goes by the name of Lord Marcus Anderson. The character, portrayed by Stay Close star Daniel Francis, appeared in a recent trailer and in promotional materials for Bridgerton’s third season, but who exactly is the man behind the impossibly cumbersome cravat?

Lord Anderson in Bridgerton, explained. 

So far, all we know of Lord Anderson is that he will play a role in season three of Bridgerton. As for what exactly that role might entail, fans have been looking at a new moving portrait clip posted to Bridgerton’s official Instagram page, in which the character can be seen alongside Lady Danbury (Andoh) and Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). 

To the untrained eye, it might seem as if the trio is simply posing for a Regency-era-style portrait, but a closer inspection finds that Lord Anderon is giving a flirtatious smirk to Violet, much to Lady Danbury’s annoyance. In the accompanying caption for the post, Lord Anderson is described as a “charismatic gentleman.” 

This has led fans to believe that a romantic arc is finally in store for the Bridgerton matriarch, and Gemmell herself has commented on this possibility. The actress told First for Women that Violet’s season three arc will see her “getting to dip her toe back into society and embrace life,” perhaps spelling a romance with newcomer Lord Anderson. 

Needless to say, but given that much of her time has been devoted to marrying off her children, Violet is certainly deserving of her own flirtatious attention. In terms of his relationship to the broader Bridgerton web, fans have suggested that he might either be Lady Danbury’s son — though the different surname might debunk this — or her brother, which would add a layer of irony given that Lady Danbury once had a tryst with Violet’s mother. 

Of course, others are suggesting that the newcomer could be entirely unrelated to any characters, but that slight smirk in Violet’s direction has us all but certain that love is on the cards in one way or another.