Up until Bridgerton season 3, Francesca Bridgerton has often been absent from Netflix’s period romance. Bridgerton is based on romance novels by Julia Quinn, with each book telling the love story of a different Bridgerton sibling during the Regency Era. The first book, The Duke and I, and Bridgerton season 1, follows the fourth eldest, Daphne. Bridgerton season 2 centers on the eldest, Anthony. And now, Bridgerton season 3 is shaking things up by focusing on Colin Bridgerton and his long-time friend, Penelope Featherington, and also, finally offering a glimpse at the most mysterious Bridgerton child, Francesca.

Knowing that Francesca is the sixth Bridgerton child, many find it odd that, during seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton, she was not at home with the rest of the younger family members. Not many explanations are offered in the wake of Francesca’s absence either, other than that she is simply “away.” In the books, this absence does not even occur. Netflix simply decided to axe most of her minor book storylines in Bridgerton. Therefore, with Francesca being the least familiar Bridgerton, many audiences want to know who she is and what she has been up to before season 3.

Where Was Francesca During Bridgerton Season 1?

Francesca was spending time with family

At the end of Bridgerton season 1, in the episode “After the Rain,” it’s noted that Francesca Bridgerton spent most of her time that year in Bath. Lady Bridgerton receives a letter from Aunt Winnie saying Francesca will return home soon. Francesca was likely spending time with extended family, possibly for educational purposes, not unlike Marina Thompson. The latter had been sent by her own family to live with the Featheringtons (though for entirely different reasons). Francesca appears only briefly in season 1, but the showrunners may have had other (more practical) reasons for keeping Francesca out of the spotlight.

Is Francesca Bridgerton In Season 2?

Franceca makes brief appearances with the family

Francesca Bridgerton is largely absent from Bridgerton season 2. Though she appears in scenes where the whole family is gathered, she can be found nowhere else. She only appeared in 3 episodes of Bridgerton season 2, a scant one more than the previous season. In her final episode, she traveled to Aubrey Hall with her family, then promptly disappeared. Given that she’s much more present in the Bridgerton books, her storylines being scrapped for the series don’t make much sense. In reality, it has little to do with the show itself, but instead, with the availability of actress Ruby Stokes.

Why Francesca Was Recast For Bridgerton Season 3

Ruby Stokes had other commitments

While being a recurring actor in Bridgerton, Ruby Stokes was also a lead in Lockwood & Co., which filmed at the same time. Therefore, she was forced to pull out of Bridgerton and was recast with Anatomy of a Scandal‘s Hannah Dodd for Bridgerton season 3. Considering that the stories of the Bridgerton children occur when they are adults, it’s reasonable to expect that several of the younger Bridgertons would be recast. Ruby Stokes, the actress who played Francesca, is not much younger than Phoebe Dynevor (the actress who plays Daphne Bridgerton), however, she was recast due to outside commitments.

Hannah Dodd plays Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton season 3, and fortunately, the transition has been fairly seamless. Dodd boasted an impressive resume long before she came to Bridgerton, with projects such as Eternals, Enola Holmes 2, and Harlots. In this way, she offers a strong performance, and it is perfectly timed as well, because Bridgerton season 3 offers much more Francesca. Where the sixth Bridgerton was largely absent in seasons 1 and 2, she finally is getting a slice of spotlight in the third and newest installment.

Francesca Has A Much Bigger Role In Bridgerton Season 3

Francesca officially enters court

Though Francesca has long been a minor character , she finally gets her own story in Bridgerton season 3.

This season sees Francesca’s first courting season, and with this, the opportunity to appear in front of the Queen and become the diamond of the season. However, Francesca’s story is not like that of her older sister Daphne. Early on, Francesca proves that her personality is a lot less social than her siblings, and if anything, she would rather play piano all day than attend balls or meet potential husbands. Overall, Bridgerton season 3 offers the characterization Francesca has been lacking.

Who Does Francesca Bridgerton Marry In The Books?

Francesca marries Michael Stirling

Francesca Bridgerton’s story should occur during Bridgerton season 6, just after Eloise’s. In the series, Francesca eventually marries a man named Michael Stirling. Stirling is the 9th Earl of Kilmartin, and the couple end up having two children together. Michael is said to be a sly playboy, but his cool unravels once he lays eyes upon Francesca Bridgerton. The snag is that they meet at a dinner celebrating her upcoming marriage to his cousin. He tries to keep his feelings for her a secret but ultimately fails.

Francesca has been described as a more mysterious and enigmatic Bridgerton than her other siblings, so it’s also fitting that Bridgerton would maintain some mystery around her character. Still, it’s surprising that Francesca wasn’t included in season 1 and was jarringly absent from season 2. However, with her recast, more of Francesca’s story is revealed in Bridgerton season 3. Fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels should be eager to see Francesca’s story told and will likely see more of her in the future.

What The New Francesca Thinks About Joining The Bridgerton Cast

Hannah Dodd explains her thoughts on Francesca

Bridgerton surpassed all expectations and has become a cultural phenomenon and one of the strongest offerings in Netflix’s original content. As such, there are big shoes to fill for actors joining the show, such as Hannah Dodd, the new Francesca Bridgerton. After being recast as Francesca Bridgerton for the Netflix series, Hannah Dodd has told interviewers she read six of the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn to better prepare to take on the role. Dodd has reportedly said that she understands how much Bridgerton novel fans love Francesca and that she’ll “do her best” with the role.

Dodd also, however, has admitted in interviews that, “I didn’t know what I’d got myself in for” with regard to the Regency-era soap. The series is known for its explicit depictions of romance among its main characters, but if the show follows its current timeline, it could still be a few seasons before Francesca’s romance is brought to the forefront of the storylines. Dodd has called Francesca Bridgerton’s storyline “beautiful,” and she’s eager for the chance to bring the sixth Bridgerton child to life in the Netflix series.