TV & Movies
“I am yours, Daphne. I have always been yours.”
Ever since the series was released to Netflix in late 2020, Shondaland’s Bridgerton has remained a hot topic. Its ever-growing fanbase reportedly spans over 82 million households, according to the streaming service, and viewers are loving how the Regency drama has already been renewed for a whopping four more seasons. And considering it’s based on a series of novels by author Julia Quinn, it's expected that the show will be picked up for a full eight seasons to match the number of books in the series.
Each of Quinn’s books focuses on a different member of the elite Bridgerton family, so viewers will get to know each character in-depth onscreen. Season 1 followed Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor, as she entered the marriage market and subsequently began navigating a pseudo-relationship (that becomes real) with Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page. Both actors shot to stardom following the series’ release, with Dynevor earning a lead role in an upcoming Netflix period drama film titled The Colour Room and Page appearing as the host of a recent Saturday Night Live episode.
But with newfound fame comes more opportunities for breakout actors, and Page recently shocked fans by announcing that he will not be returning for Season 2, which will shift its focus to Anthony Bridgerton’s character. While we all mourn Page’s presence in Bridgerton, let’s reminisce on some of his character’s most memorable quotes from Season 1.
Simon & Daphne’s Pseudo-Romance Begins
After deciding to embark on their stint as a faux couple, Simon and Daphne attempt to convince the town their relationship is real by publicly dancing together at a ball. Before they bow and begin dancing, he tells her: “Stare into my eyes. Here. Closer.”
Simon Basset Shows Off His Charm
While promenading with Daphne, she suggests that if they were truly dating, the Duke would realistically buy out every florist in town. He responds: “If I were truly courting you, I would not need flowers. I’d need five minutes alone with you in the drawing room.”
The Duke’s Proposal
After rejecting Prince Friederich’s proposal, Daphne and Simon have a romantic moment in the garden. But under the threat of Cressida Cowper exposing them — and after Anthony Bridgerton challenges Simon to a duel — Daphne and Simon discuss their potential lives together. “You deserve nothing less. You deserve everything your heart desires," the Duke says to Daphne in the same episode he informs her that he’s unable to have children.
Simon’s Speech To The Queen
"Romance was entirely out of the question for both of us. But in so removing it, we found something far greater: We found friendship," Simon tells the Queen while asking for permission to marry Daphne.
Simon Asks For The Queen’s Permission
"To meet a beautiful woman is one thing, but to meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart," says Simon, continuing to profess his love in exchange for the royal’s approval.
The Duke Convinces Anthony Of His Love For Daphne
“Her wellbeing is my responsibility now, and I take that duty with the utmost seriousness,” says the Duke of Hastings to Daphne’s brother and his best friend, Anthony, while discussing her dowery.
Simon Tells Off Lord Berbrooke
“You don't deserve to breathe the same air as her,” Simon says to Lord Berbrooke, who insulted Daphne but also wants to marry her. In this scene, the Duke punches and headbutts him — aka the second time Berbrooke received a jab in Season 1.
The “Burn For You” Scene
After the pair gets married and moves to the Duke’s estate, they profess their feelings to each other. In one of the series’ most memorable romantic scenes, Simon tells Daphne: “Everything I told the queen was true. I cannot stop thinking of you. From the mornings you ease, to the evenings you quiet, to the dreams you inhabit, my thoughts of you never end. I am yours, Daphne. I have always been yours.”
Simon Confesses His Post-Wedding Nerves
Following their marriage ceremony, the Duke confesses his nerves to Daphne. “I do not want to be alone. I know that now. But what I do not know is how to be the man you need me to be… the man you truly deserve. I do not know how to do this,” Simon tells her. She replies, letting him know they’ll make it work together if he commits, and the two share a passionate kiss.
