A Letter to Lady Whistledown

Writer: Shivani Singh

3rd Year, BA Psychology Honours

Editor: Vasvi Singhal

Dearest Lady Whistledown, 

It is with the utmost admirer on, and a touch of envy, that I pen this le er to you. Your chronicles of the Bridgerton era have inspired me, a lowly reader of the 21st century, to ponder the art of scandal and storytelling. In truth, no writer today possesses quite the flair, the audacity, or the anonymity with which you so masterfully wield your pen. 

Your writing delivers each scandal with such refined precision—a skill painfully lacking in our modern-day gossip mills. Here, our ‘Lady Whistledown’s are splashed across social media, capturing love affairs and feuds in blurry images and has penned tweets, missing the beauty of the intrigue itself. Would a mystery lose all its allure if posted online within moments? I suspect you would answer with a resounding yes! A er all, imagine if the Duke and Duchess’s ruse had been met with trending hashtags rather than raised eyebrows at the ball!

I can only imagine what amusement you might find in our present-day scandals. The affairs of dukes and debutantes have now been replaced by squabbles between reality stars, and secret trysts unfold not in gardens but on vaca on islands, broadcasted for all to see. How would you comment on our present “influencers,” who wield fans and followers rather than reputa on and family name? I daresay, your quill would run dry from the sheer volume of material! 

Despite the occasional amusement, I long for the sophistication with which you craft each reveal. Today, the urge to be seen overwhelms the art of withholding; secrets slip through the cracks before they can even brew. You proved that the most tantalizing secrets are those whispered in corridors, not plastered across billboards. 

Still, there remains one universal truth, whether in the world of the Bridgerton’s or the chao c present: society cannot resist a well-med revelation. And if a new Lady Whistledown were to emerge today, I have no doubt she would have quite the following. Perhaps she might even teach us all a thing or two about mystery, restraint, and the power of a well-kept secret. Un l that, we will cling to your tales and marvel at a me when scandal was as refined as it was delicious. 

Yours, in curious amusement, 
A 21st Century Admirer