'Bridgerton' Season 4 Theory: Who Is the New Lady Whistledown? 

Season 4 of Bridgerton saw everyone being really sad after some terrible news hit the Bridgerton house. I did predict it from the trailer, with Francesca wearing a black dress while Benedict complained about society. Now, we have the context to that situation, and it’s nice to see how emotionally driven Benedict’s life is, especially in comparison to his other, less emotionally intelligent brothers; yes, that includes Anthony, too. In the meantime, I did have one pressing question about the show, mainly about what the next mystery the show tackles would be, since the big shocker was revealed so early on in the story. With so many seasons left, surely we wouldn’t be left with no Whistledown. Now, Penelope tried to keep her wallflower personality even after becoming a Bridgerton, the literal crown jewel family of Mayfair. This completely changed things up for her and for the whole place. The whole point of gossip is for it to be spread through someone anonymous, like Penelope, before everyone found out it was her. It’s about discretion, not learning the latest news from your neighbor as a favor to get features in the paper. Lady Whistledown was not about spreading word; it was about sharing truths, helping people, and lending a voice to those who didn’t have one, but in a fun way. 

Penelope, too, realizes this early on in season 4, and finally, in part 2, at Cressida’s ball, she decides to retire the quill. This doesn’t mean she’s going to stop writing entirely. She’s done with Whistledown, but she’s an ambitious woman still. Anyway, this leaves room for someone to take over the role of Whistledown. Theories abound in plenty, and it’s impossible to narrow it down just yet, but at least we can theorize. So that’s what we’re going to do here.

Spoiler Alert

This season saw Alice take her role as the Queen’s lady-in-waiting very seriously after Lady Danbury entrusted her with it. Alice and Will got to make something of their lives after suddenly coming into money. At first, Alice struggled to be proper, but really, she has enough zeal to run the town. In this season, we saw how Alice wanted to go from being just a pretty, rich woman to being someone who can make decisions that help the Queen in the long run. Particularly when she decides to help Sophie and Benedict, who were presumably in a relationship between a maid and a nobleman, she is using the power she wields for good while still keeping the Queen happy. This moment alone makes it seem like Alice can be the next Lady Whistledown. She even expresses at one point how the queen loves gossip, and who better to give it to her than herself?

A previous candidate for the role of Whistledown, Eloise managed to clear her name by becoming the queen’s personal detective. However, this season saw her go from absolutely despising the marriage mart to being more understanding of women who don’t have the privilege of choosing spinsterhood for themselves. Seeing Eloise’s mind change makes it obvious that she’s been very observant after what happened with Hyacinth. Particularly when she speaks to Cressida and Posy, there’s a sense of immense growth in her, which makes me wonder if she feels again that being Whistledown would help her make a change in society. But there’s also the chance the show is simply setting us up for the next season, which is clearly going to be Eloise’s.

As the housekeeper at the Featheringtons’, Mrs. Varley went through a lot, even switching to Penwood House mid-season because she wasn’t getting paid enough. At the end of the season, when Araminta decides to fire her, she goes straight back to the Featheringtons, because she misses her family and friends. Portia also misses Mrs. Varley and finally apologizes. Even if it’s barely an apology, Mrs. Varley happily accepts it and returns to the household that she’s loved for so many years. But interestingly, when she makes her return, she tells Portia that she’s left some books behind. Even though Portia mentions how the two of them used to make fun of Penelope for her books, it’s interesting to note that Mrs. Varley comes up with the lie that she left some books behind. I thought maids didn’t know how to read. But if Mrs. Varley can actually read, she knows just as much as Penelope, likely more, enough to be able to be the next Lady Whistledown.

Posy is in many ways a lot like Penelope and Eloise. She’s the rebel sister, and that also allows her to stick to the shadows. Already, we know that Araminta is going to be struggling financially after everything that went down, so there’s a chance Posy wants to help in her own way. Though the girl seems too sweet to actually be Lady Whistledown, that could simply be a disguise of some sort. Also, Posy managed to escape out a window, avoiding all the maids and defying her mother, only to spend her afternoon reading a novel, so that also makes me think she might be Lady Whistledown.

This is half a joke and half genuine speculation, but I keep wondering if the new Lady Whistledown could be a man; it’s the perfect disguise, because men can be everywhere all at once without people questioning them. Brimsley specifically is the Queen’s butler, and has all the information that you could imagine she needs. This makes him the perfect candidate to be the next Lady Whistledown. While he seems to disappear into the walls of the palace, I think he’s the perfect source for interesting news. However, I don’t think he has the time to write by himself, so maybe he’s got a co-conspirator. Maybe it’s even one of the gentlemen of the ton, Colin Bridgerton, perhaps? Or the younger Gregory (quite unlikely)?

This is a long shot, and it’s mostly not possible, considering what happened with Cressida last season. But given she’s the only character who has returned after a long time and knows enough about the people to be able to come up with enough material for a new Lady Whistledown, she’s still a candidate nonetheless.

Alternatively, it could be Francesca Bridgerton, but considering the voice of the writer is rather tongue-in-cheek, seeing her current state, it doesn’t make full sense that it’s her. Still, your guess is as good as mine, so tell us in the comments down below: Who do you think the new Lady Whistledown is?