It’s been a year since Queen Charlotte was released on Netflix and sent us all into a pit of despair. With some of the most heart-wrenching storylines in the Bridgerton universe, Queen Charlotte provided us with plenty of backstory for the likes of Lady Danbury, and surprisingly, Violet Bridgerton’s dad.

Some of these, of course, included romance, they all included drama, and many included scandal they would lay down their lives to avoid getting out and facing the judgment from the ton. So I’ve taken on the role of judger: here’s a ranking of all the couples in Queen Charlotte.

7. Lord and Lady Danbury

via Netflix

Queen Charlotte gave us a devastating look into the backstory of the ton’s most forbidding widower, Lady Danbury, revealing that the poor woman had been betrothed to the archaic Lord Danbury since the age of THREE. It was a jumpscare every time I looked at the man. Horrible horrible horrible.

6. Lord and Lady Ledger

via Netflix

Obviously, this is not to say that Lady Ledger deserved to be cheated on, but she was a right cow to her husband and her daughter. It was clearly a loveless marriage, the only bonus of which was the creation of the icon that is Violet Bridgerton.

I guess the relationship was somewhat beneficial in the sense that Lady Ledger got her social status and Lord Ledger got his loving daughter though?

5. Lady Danbury and Prince Adolphus

via Netflix

I didn’t hate the idea of Lady Danbury marrying Queen Charlotte’s brother, especially since he offered to provide for the Danbury children, but he was doing too much. He obviously didn’t know what Agatha’s life had been like wit Lord Danbury, but give the poor woman some SPACE.

If Lord Danbury hadn’t literally ruined her life, they could have been very cute and her and Charlotte as sisters-in-law would’ve been great, but then we wouldn’t have the older Lady Danbury in all her glory in the main Bridgerton timeline.

4. Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger

via Netflix

Again, I do not condone cheating in any sense, but I do kind of love this relationship for Agatha. The poor girl just needed a shag that didn’t scar her for life.

I also respect Lord Ledger for doing the right thing and ending it before word got out and Lady Danbury was ruined. Not cool to hide from your friend of decades that you shagged her dad though.

3. Prince Edward and Princess Victoria

via Netflix

For some reason, the Queen’s only successful match for her children really gives Philippa Featherington and Mr Finch vibes. I’m not sure why but the match seemed cute and wholesome, even if we didn’t see much of them at all.

The match made my girl Charlotte happy at least, and secured her and George’s line a little longer.

2. George and Charlotte

via Netflix

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely ADORE George and Charlotte and I do think their spicy scenes are some of the best in the show. The final scene of them older and younger under the bed right at the end is the only one that’s made me cry in all of Bridgerton so I do have to give them points for that.

I’m also an absolute sucker for the arranged-marriage-turned-unconditional-love trope, but the thing keeping them from the top spot is their terrible communication at the start of the show.

1. Brimsley and Reynolds

via Netflix

Taking the lead in the ranking of all the Queen Charlotte couples, then, is none other than Brimsley and Reynolds. While we may never know what happened to them in the end, their relationship while it lasted was full of angst and longing and sexual tension. Besides, I love a good ambiguous ending and that’s what makes this couple the most devastating – and therefore my favourite – in the whole show.