Alnwick Castle in the time of Bridgerton - the 3rd Duke and Duchess of Northumberland
Inspired by Julia Quinn’s captivating Bridgerton novels, the Netflix series has brought the glamour, intrigue and romance of the Regency period to audiences around the world. While the series offers a fictional glimpse into life among Regency society, it also provides an opportunity to explore what was happening in the real world at the time.
So, while the Bridgerton family navigated the social season, what was happening at Alnwick Castle during the Regency period, from 1813 onwards?
Let’s step away from the Bridgerton cast and turn our attention to the illustrious family history of Alnwick Castle, discovering the people and events that shaped life here during this fascinating period.
Introducing The Percy Family
In 1813, the 2nd Duke of Northumberland and his Duchess Frances were resident at Alnwick Castle. Though they had been married since 1779, Frances was the Duke’s second wife, and may have known him for a while before their marriage - her sister Isabella had married the Duke’s brother Algernon in 1775.
Hugh Percy, the future 3rd Duke, was their fourth child, but first son. Described as “a chattering good humoured civil young man”, in 1817, at the age of 32, Hugh became the 3rd Duke of Northumberland; he had also married Charlotte Florentia Clive earlier that year.
As a couple, Hugh and Charlotte were described by the author Walter Scott, who had dined with them at Alnwick Castle, as “formal and old-fashioned by such visitors as claim to be the pink of the mode [the very height of fashion]”. They might not have fit into the stylish world of Bridgerton!
Homes Of the Percys
The 3rd Duke and Duchess split their time between Alnwick Castle, which they visited every summer, and their houses in London. The annual trip to Northumberland was usually by coach or ship, but the Duke was sometimes known to travel in his yacht instead!
At Syon House, one of their main London residences, Charlotte was a major influence in Hugh’s redecoration of rooms like the Long Gallery. Marble busts of the couple are still displayed at Syon, and because the house was used as a Bridgerton filming location, if you look closely you can see these sculptures of Hugh and Charlotte in the background of some scenes.
Work, Leisure & Pastimes
The 3rd Duke and Duchess were both keen botanists and plant collectors. As well as commissioning architect Charles Fowler to build Syon’s Great Conservatory, Hugh grew pineapples in the garden hothouses at Alnwick and introduced asparagus to the gardens. Charlotte, meanwhile, created an Italian-style flower garden, which opened one day a week to “ladies and gentlemen” from Alnwick and the surrounding area. Visitors from further afield were only admitted if the gardener felt they had “the appearance of gentlefolk”!
Charlotte’s surviving letters also reveal some of her other interests. In 1821, she described a dairy she had established near Alnwick Castle to produce butter and cream, as well as a school for up to 50 girls. She was also an accomplished artist, with her views of Alnwick and Warkworth castles published in 1824.
The 3rd Duke also pursued a political career as an MP. In his first speech in 1806, he expressed strong support for the abolition of the slave trade and the gradual abolition of slavery in Britain’s colonies. Although gradual abolition may seem at odds with modern perspectives, Hugh was navigating the political realities of his time, using his position to argue that emancipation could be progressively achieved while protecting the interests of those affected.
Royal Celebrations
In 1825, Hugh was chosen by George IV to be ‘Ambassador Extraordinary’ at the upcoming coronation of King Charles X of France. After purchasing and refitting a carriage from the royal stables (which is still in the Coach House at Alnwick Castle today), Hugh and Charlotte left for Reims in France, where the new king would be anointed.
Novelist Victor Hugo records the events of the coronation in his diaries, and mentions the Duke of Northumberland’s reputation in France as being “fabulously wealthy… long before his arrival, [he] was popular and legendary in Reims”.
When the coronation was announced as taking place in Reims, described Hugo, “there was great rejoicing in the city. Notices of rooms to let were immediately hung out everywhere”. One large house facing the cathedral caught the eye of the Duke’s steward as the perfect place for Hugh and Charlotte to lodge for three days. The proprietor, who suspected the steward worked for the “fabulously wealthy” Duke of Northumberland, managed to hire the house out for 30,000 francs (a rate of 400 francs an hour) which was particularly impressive as, at the beginning of their conversation, he would have sold the property completely for a third of the price!
The house, and the Duke, played host to a spectacular evening ball during the coronation celebrations. It was so magnificent, Hugo reported, “every woman found a diamond in her bouquet”. We think that the Bridgerton siblings would have approved!
The Percy Family Legacy
In 1847, many years (and annual summer trips to Alnwick) later, Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland, died. Charlotte, who had gone on to be a governess to Princess Victoria, survived him by nearly 20 years, but the couple had no surviving children. The dukedom, and Alnwick Castle, passed to Hugh’s younger brother Algernon. As 4th Duke, Algernon restored Alnwick Castle, creating the State Rooms as visitors to the castle see them today, but portraits of the 3rd Duke and Duchess still hang in the Dining Room. We may not see them as characters on Netflix any time soon, but their influence can still be seen two centuries later.
To find out more about the fascinating history of The Percy Family and to discover the history of the Castle's State Rooms, as well as its impressive collection and archive, make sure to book your tickets online. Visiting Alnwick Castle is a must for anyone looking for things to do in Northumberland, especially history lovers. Any ticket bought online on the Alnwick Castle site will automatically become a twelve month pass, meaning you can pay for a day and visit free for a year.