Bridgerton is one of the most talked-about shows in recent times. The series has led to many viral moments and has revived interest in period drama and romance. Created by Chris Van Dusen, the series is based on the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn. The show is set in the 19th century and presents an alternate London Regency Era where racial equality has been established.
The series mainly focuses on the siblings of the Bridgerton family as they try to find suitors for themselves in highly competitive social circles. The show also showcases the beautiful friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington. They are not from the same social class but are neighbors and become the best of friends. Their friendship has had its ups and downs throughout the course of the show, and here are 5 best and 5 worst moments from their relationship in Bridgerton.
Best and Worst Moments in Eloise and Penelope’s Friendship on Bridgerton
Eloise supporting Penelope during the Marina scandal, Penelope exposing Eloise secrets and other such are some of the best and worst moments in the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton.
Best moments
1. Being there for each other

The bond between Penelope and Eloise is extremely strong in Bridgerton. The two best friends always made sure they were there for each other. While other debutantes were busy hunting for grooms and brides, the two best friends were not looking for suitors in the early seasons of the show. Therefore, they could enjoy their friendship much more.
Both Penelope and Eloise were not the eldest in their families, so they didn’t have as much pressure as others like Daphne. While Eloise’s mom did want her daughter to find a husband, Penelope’s mom was more laid-back. The two preferred spending time with each other rather than mingling with strangers and suitors. Eloise was not interested in meeting a man, and Penelope was secretly in love with Colin. While other women of their age joked about the two outcasts, the duo in Bridgerton didn’t care.
2. Eloise standing by Penelope after the Marina’s scandal

When the Marina scandal rocked the Featherington household in Bridgerton, Eloise could have easily distanced herself from Penelope to protect her own reputation. Instead, she remained firmly by her friend’s side. Despite the rumors and disgrace surrounding Penelope’s family, Eloise didn’t flinch. Eloise from Bridgerton proved that she valued her friendship with Penelope over everything. This was an act of subtle yet powerful loyalty, especially at a time when society was conservative and class-conscious. Eloise refused to leave Penelope’s side, and she understood her friend’s pain.
Eloise’s rebellious spirit turned into genuine empathy. For a young woman like Eloise, who is so concerned with justice and fairness, standing by a tarnished name was a quietly radical act. This moment underscored the emotional intelligence Eloise rarely got credit for. It was a deeply human moment in their relationship that strengthened their friendship in Bridgerton.
3. Dissecting art and eating chocolates as best friends

One of the most important aspects of the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton is the fact that both of them could enjoy carefree company with each other. While everyone else around them was running around to get married, the duo embodied abandon and enjoyment. Whether the two were at home or at a ball, they shared many close moments that even best friends today can relate to.
In one of the scenes, Eloise and Penelope can be seen dissecting art and rightly observing that women were objectified in art, as most of the painters were men. In another moment, the two also joked about being human vases. During the first season of the show, Penelope and Eloise would also enjoy eating chocolates and gossiping about Lady Whistledown’s identity. Therefore, the two had one of the most normal and relatable friendships in Bridgerton.
4. Eloise was there for Penelope when she went through a heartbreak

Even though Eloise and Penelope were the best of friends in Bridgerton and had lots of fun moments together, they also juggled personal problems. While Eloise felt like she couldn’t live fully because of society’s expectations of women, Penelope struggled because her family was financially poor. During one of the heartfelt moments in the first season, the two friends had been fighting over Lady Whistledown and had not spoken for a few days. However, Penelope approaches Eloise while she is on a swing and begins to cry her heart out.
Penelope had been battling various issues—Colin, her family, and Marina—and she felt alone and miserable. Eloise leaps up to comfort her friend and doesn’t give a second thought to the argument they had earlier. It was a warm, affirming moment of friendship in Bridgerton.
5. Penelope was there for Eloise during the Lord Morrison incident

Due to Eloise’s family name and title in Bridgerton, her mother was much more adamant than Penelope’s mother about finding a suitor for her daughter. In one of the episodes, Eloise is surprised when her mother forces her to dance with Lord Morrison. While Eloise is not interested, Penelope is happy for her friend, thinking Morrison is handsome and that her friend might finally get a worthy husband. She even encourages Eloise to dance and give Morrison a chance. However, Eloise quickly realizes that not only is she not good at dancing, but Lord Morrison also has no respect for women.
Uncomfortable and angry, she leaves the dance floor in a hurry and bursts into tears. Without thinking twice, Penelope chases after her best friend and supports Eloise like a true friend in Bridgerton.
Worst moments
1. Eloise overshadowed Penelope

While Penelope and Eloise shared a warm friendship in Bridgerton, there were times when Eloise acted as the ringleader in the relationship. She often discredited Penelope’s worries about marriage because of her privilege. Eloise was more vocal than Penelope and did not fear going against society. She often spoke over Penelope or didn’t care enough about the problems Penelope was going through. Therefore, their friendship felt one-sided at times.
When Eloise mocked Penelope’s urgency to get married, Penelope had to remind her friend that she was not born into privilege like Eloise. She explained that, unlike Eloise, she had to get married to secure a safe future. In another instance, Penelope compared herself to a parched rose at the ball because she had no suitors, and Eloise did not listen to her friend’s distress. Therefore, there were some weak moments in their friendship in Bridgerton.
2. Penelope exposed Eloise’s secrets

Another regrettable moment in the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton occurred when Penelope tried to save herself but sacrificed her friend’s reputation in the process. Eloise began falling for a man called Theo, who worked at the print shop and attended secret radical meetings that Eloise was interested in. The two had a lot of common interests and spent time together. However, when Penelope found out that Eloise was spending time in the same neighborhood where she printed and mailed the Whistledown columns, she became alarmed.
She scared Eloise into ending things with Theo to protect her own identity. To make matters worse, Penelope also exposed Eloise’s secrets of supporting the radicals and meeting Theo in the latest version of Whistledown. While Eloise’s family stood by her in her moment of crisis, she was heartbroken when she found out that it was her best friend Penelope who had done this to her in Bridgerton.
3. Penelope never told Eloise about Lady Whistledown

One of the most important secrets that stayed between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton was the fact that Penelope never told Eloise that she was the one running the scandalous stories in the Lady Whistledown papers. Even though the papers were bringing a lot of infamy to the Bridgertons—Eloise’s family—Penelope did not want to share her secret with her friend. However, Eloise had been hunting down the true identity of the person behind the papers for two seasons, and in the finale of Season 2, she finally realized that Penelope and Whistledown were the same.
While Penelope was at the ball, Eloise quickly went through her room and found Whistledown’s writings and money hidden inside the floorboards. The incident was a big moment of betrayal for Eloise, as Penelope had kept such a major secret from her and was causing problems for the Bridgertons in Bridgerton.
4. Eloise and Penelope had different problems

There were also some cracks in the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton because the two often had very different interests and problems in life. While Eloise was obsessed with finding the identity of Lady Whistledown and often ignored Penelope’s issues, Penelope, on the other hand, was not fully honest with Eloise. She not only hid the secret about being Whistledown, but also never told Eloise that she loved her brother, Colin.
During one incident, Eloise went to Penelope’s house in the middle of the night to share her latest findings about Whistledown. However, Penelope, stressed about Colin and Marina, told Eloise she had more important things to worry about. This caused friction in their friendship.
5. The Featherington sisters mocked Eloise but Penelope stayed silent

Another moment in the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in Bridgerton that revealed the cracks between them occurred when the Featherington sisters mocked Eloise behind her back. Penelope, however, remained silent suring the exchange. Even though Penelope didn’t participate, her silence felt more brutal, especially since Eloise had always defended her. Penelope was torn. She had to stay loyal to her family but also felt uncomfortable with their cruelty toward Eloise. However, the silence felt like a betrayal—not because she joined in, but because Eloise expected more.
Penelope’s hesitation hinted at how much she compartmentalized different parts of her life, including her friendship with Eloise. This marked a turning point in the show, subtle but powerful. Moments like these made viewers question how balanced their friendship really was. The moment underscored how important social dynamics are in the show and how they can often overpower friendships.