{"id":116713,"date":"2026-01-29T21:56:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T21:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/116713\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T21:56:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T21:56:17","slug":"what-is-a-lady-in-waiting-explaining-queen-charlottes-job-opening-for-alice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/116713\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Lady in Waiting? Explaining Queen Charlotte’s Job Opening for Alice"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article contains major character or plot details.<\/p>\n

Bridgerton Season 4<\/a> unmasks something the mamas and debutantes of Mayfair never expected: Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson)<\/a>, a known rake, on the hunt for a wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, the shocking revelations do not end at the gates of Bridgerton House<\/a>. Behind her castle walls, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) gears up for an unprecedented face-off with her longtime friend Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). When Lady Danbury surveys the ton\u2019s chessboard, she discerns the key to solving her royal troubles: Queen Charlotte\u2019s ladies-in-waiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ladies-in-waiting have been Bridgerton<\/a> figureheads since the series premiere, serving as Queen Charlotte\u2019s ever-present backup. They\u2019re rarely seen without a pristine white gown or a chic matching fan. Looking to have the freedom to travel the world (including to her ancestral homeland), Lady Danbury realizes she must first procure a suitable lady-in-waiting for Queen Charlotte. The monarch will never allow her closest friend to leave England without a worthy new right-hand woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As viewers come to understand just how important this mysterious role is, they\u2019re likely asking a few questions: What is a lady-in-waiting? What are her duties? And what exactly does Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) have to do with the position? Don\u2019t delay \u2014 we answer all those questions and more ahead of Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2, premiering Feb. 26<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"WomanWhat is a lady-in-waiting?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ladies-in-waiting are essential members of a queen\u2019s court. They are aristocrats, just like the rest of Bridgerton\u2019s ton. In the series, a lady-in-waiting\u2019s job is to be a companion to Queen Charlotte and attend to her day-to-day social needs. They\u2019re consistently on call, whether the royal is at home in her gilded abode, gracing a ballroom, or taking a stroll through the gardens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although Queen Charlotte\u2019s ladies-in-waiting become a major part of Season 4\u2019s storyline, they\u2019ve been hiding in plain sight since the beginning of Bridgerton. In Queen Charlotte\u2019s very first scene, her ladies-in-waiting can be seen behind her, fanning themselves during Daphne Bridgerton\u2019s (Phoebe Dynevor) debutante presentation<\/a>. Queen Charlotte\u2019s court continues to serve as her loyal shadow throughout the rest of the series and in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a constant presence in Queen Charlotte\u2019s life, the ladies-in-waiting\u2019s duties include standing nearby, listening to gossip, and supporting the monarch\u2019s latest ideas. Because of their regular proximity to Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury thinks the next lady-in-waiting needs to be \u201cintelligent and of good character.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are ladies-in-waiting and ladies\u2019 maids the same thing?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A ladies\u2019 maid is another position often discussed in the halls of Mayfair. But the functions of a ladies\u2019 maid and a lady-in-waiting are quite different. A lady-in-waiting is part of high society, and her responsibilities are social. A lady-in-waiting is never expending physical labor. A ladies\u2019 maid, on the other hand, exclusively performs domestic work for the aristocratic household that employs her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The efforts of ladies\u2019 maids are more important than ever in Season 4. In Episode 4, heroine Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha)<\/a> is hired as Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Eloise Bridgerton\u2019s (Claudia Jessie) ladies\u2019 maid, at the request of their older brother Benedict (Luke Thompson). Some of Sophie\u2019s qualifications for her new post include knowing the latest fashions, cleaning, mending, and even speaking multiple languages (French, Latin, and Korean, as Eloise gushes).\u00a0<\/p>\n

As Sophie settles into her position, we see her minding Hyacinth\u2019s embroidery, dressing the youngest Bridgerton daughter, and conversing with both her charges. Though it\u2019s not part of the job, Eloise is charmed by Sophie\u2019s penchant for books and reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AIs Lady Danbury a lady-in-waiting?\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2023\u2019s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story<\/a>, we learn young Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) was one of young Queen Charlotte\u2019s (India Amarteifio) very first ladies-in-waiting. Through the position, Agatha became a true friend to Charlotte and her closest confidant. In the ensuing decades, the duo shaped society together and weathered many hardships. However, as Lady Danbury says in Season 4, Episode 3, she hasn\u2019t been Queen Charlotte\u2019s lady-in-waiting \u201cfor years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lady Danbury\u2019s retirement from the position is evident, since she isn\u2019t expected to tend to Queen Charlotte around the clock \u2014 or don a white wig. Instead, Lady Danbury is free to come and go from the castle and pursue her own passions or social obligations at will.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AWho are Queen Charlotte\u2019s ladies-in-waiting?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Queen Charlotte\u2019s lady-in-waiting problem begins in Episode 2. In the middle of a chess game between Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs) announces the arrival of Lady Baird (Fadillah Othman), a lady-in-waiting. Apparently, Lady Baird is \u201cin a delicate condition,\u201d which is a euphemism for pregnant. Unhappy with Lady Baird\u2019s lack of consideration, Queen Charlotte instantly fires her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the end of Season 4, Part 1, Queen Charlotte has three ladies-in-waiting left. And then there\u2019s Alice \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ThreeIs Alice Mondrich a lady-in-waiting?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Much to Alice\u2019s own surprise \u2014 maybe. The possibility comes about after Lady Danbury brings Alice before Queen Charlotte in Episode 4. Both Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte understand the conversation is a job interview. Alice, on the other hand, merely thinks she\u2019s offering up the latest intel on Benedict, the season\u2019s most eligible bachelor. Queen Charlotte is pleased with Alice\u2019s gossip and happy enough to allow Lady Danbury to recommend her mentee for the role.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alice is the only one vexed by the offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over four seasons, Alice has undergone many forced transformations. In Season 1, she was the happy wife of a boxer. In Season 2, she had to support her husband, Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe), when he decided to open a gentlemen\u2019s club. In Season 3, the Mondriches\u2019 young son Nicky (James Bryan) was raised to the title of baron, pulling the entire family into the ton. In Season 4, Alice is unsure she\u2019s prepared to be a key member of Queen Charlotte\u2019s orbit; only two years prior, Mrs. Mondrich was part of the working class. Thankfully, Alice\u2019s spirits are bolstered by a pep talk from Lady Danbury. \u201cYou will challenge [Queen Charlotte],\u201d Lady Danbury says. \u201cYou will tell her the truth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

By the end of Episode 4, Alice realizes the offer is an opportunity, not a burden. But she still questions whether she will be able to fill Lady Danbury\u2019s shoes. Will Alice find her own unique footing? Will she even accept the role? Find out when Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 debuts on Feb. 26<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And keep coming back to Tudum for even more news out of Queen Charlotte\u2019s castle.<\/p>\n

\"Bridgerton<\/p>\n

Watch the Trailer for Bridgerton: The Official PodcastDive deep into romances, scandals, and familial ties of Mayfair<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article contains major character or plot details. Bridgerton Season 4 unmasks something the mamas and debutantes of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116714,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":{"0":"post-116713","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-queens","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-queens","12":"tag-queens-headlines","13":"tag-queens-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}