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'Bridgerton' Season 1: Netflix's Shondaland show wins praise for diverse cast, fans say 'hyped royals are POC'

'Bridgerton' delivered in more ways than one. Not only was the first season as juicy as promised, but it also gave us people of color in prominent roles

Christmas Day 2020 came with a nicely wrapped gift from Netflix and Shondaland — the first season of 'Bridgerton' based on the best-selling novels by Julia Quinn. The first season is based on the first book of the series, 'The Duke and I', and follows the story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett (Rege-Jean Page). Presumably, more seasons will follow based on the following books.

We have been waiting for some time for a Regency period drama — the last one being 'Sanditon' that was of prominence and 'Downton Abbey' before that. However, 'Bridgerton' delivered in more ways than one. Not only was the first season as juicy and scandalous as promised, one particular aspect stood out — the presence of Black people and people of color in prominent roles.

Some of these roles include Simon, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe), and Genevieve Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale).

Standing out among these roles is, of course, the roles of royalty occupied by Black people. Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte and Simon are all members of the regency and, adding to that, Simon is the male lead for the first season. While people may doubt the veracity of the depiction, in the matter of Queen Charlotte, the Netflix show's depiction could be more accurate than history lets on.

The diversity in the cast was also one of the things appreciated by fans most as they reveled in the presence of people of color. One fan tweeted, "When 2020 have us struggle but also gave us black royalty #Bridgerton hellllooo." Another wrote, "So. Many. Black. People. #Bridgertonbrunch #Bridgerton."

One fan wrote, "Beyonddd hyped that the royals are POC #Bridgerton," with another specifying Simon, writing, "Black Man Royalty coming through. Make room for Simon his grace #Bridgerton." Some fans got emotional, with one writing, "Thank you @shondarhimes for giving us the gift of #Bridgerton today. The beauty of it, is absolutely stunning. Being able to see those like me in it...no words can explain or express how that feels. So again, thank you. #BridgertonNetflix."

'Bridgerton' Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.