A Bridgerton Hot Take: Portia Featherington Is a Great Mother Against All Odds

Summary

• Portia Featherington is one of the most hated characters on Bridgerton.
• She is the true matriarch of her family, taking great care of her daughters.
• Portia's only comfort in life are her children.

Since its debut in 2020, Bridgerton has told the stories of many interesting characters. Daphne and Simon's and Anthony and Kate's romances, Eloise's struggle to find her own place in the world, Penelope's Lady Whistledown enterprise, Violet's coping with her husband's death and caring for her eight children alone, and Lady Danbury's long journey in the Ton – Netflix's hit period drama has seen many fascinating arcs.

At the same time, Bridgerton also features some unpleasant personalities. Cressida Cowper, for example, has irritated audiences throughout the show's two-season run, and Nigel Berbrooke's brief appearance in the first installment of Bridgerton left many viewers disgusted. Even the Queen is often disliked for her behavior and treatment of her children. Still, it's Portia Featherington who takes the most heat from fans. But despite her many flaws, she should be given credit for being a pretty good mother.

A Mother Bear

On Bridgerton, Portia Featherington is often portrayed as a mischievous, Machiavellian woman who's willing to go to great lengths to get what she wants. She is also constantly scheming and spreading gossip to undermine her rivals and advance herself in the Ton. It should be noted, however, that Portia does this largely for the sake of her family and her daughters.

Since the Featherington matriarch knows that her family cannot afford to have unmarried daughters because they are running out of money, her main goal in life is to marry off her three girls: Prudence, Philippa and Penelope. And it seems she's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, including destroying anyone who stands in her way – even the Bridgertons.

Tough Love

Slightly cold and reserved, Portia may not seem like a great mother. Her relationship with Penelope is less than ideal, as they constantly butt heads and argue. But despite her seeming lack of affection, Portia's daughters are the only people she loves, the only people who matter to her. And that's the philosophy she tries to pass on to her girls, who, she says, don't have to love their husbands because they'll definitely have children to love.

Ultimately, Portia takes great care of her daughters and wants them to be taken care of for the rest of their lives, which seems to be the best thing a parent can do for their children. Sure, she does it in her own weird way, but she's definitely a good mother – especially by early 19th century standards.

Bridgerton will return with Season 3 on May 16.