15+ Romantic British Period Dramas for a Cozy Night

Just in time for Valentine's Day, your 'favourite' Anglophile has rounded up her top romantic, British period pieces, for a cozy night in.

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Looking for a romantic British period drama to stream tonight?

If you need guidance on the best British period dramas to fall in love with tonight, you've come to the right place. 


In the late 1990s, I received my first 8-pack of the BBC's British period drama DVDs, marketed precocious teenagers in the United States, started my love affair with all things British. Now you'll find me sipping Fortnum & Mason's tea and watching Midsomer Murders, and this is where it all began. From Jane Austen adaptations to historical romance based on a true story, to anything by Julian Fellowes, my love for period romances has not faded.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I've decided to give the British period drama fans what they want! I've rewatched some of the best period dramas, double checked how to stream them (yes, I still have the aforementioned DVDs, I'm ashamed to admit), and compiled a list just for you! So let's dig in - pour yourself a cup of tea, and get ready for some heaving bodices, charged country line dances, and more intense stares than you'd ever imagined could be fit into one period piece.

15+ Romantic British Period Dramas for a Cozy Night

I thought I'd start with the new releases and work our way down the list of epic love stories.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Bridgerton (2020-Present)

Based on the original popular novel by Julia Quinn, and subsequent series, Bridgerton has, thankfully for me, reignited interest recently in period romance. One of the most romantic tv shows in recent memory, the first season (arguably the best), follows the romance of the Duke of Hastings and the first of the Bridgerton children to be married, Daphne.

Shonda Rhimes' fresh take on Quinn's series has introduced a new element into the series - drawing on the rumors surrounding the real UK Queen Charlotte's racial heritage, Rhimes asked what society might have looked like if the Queen, who is Black in the series, elevated a number of Black Brits into the aristocracy.

Queen Charlotte, a Bridgerton Story, loosely based on historical events, including the degeneration of George III's mental condition, is a similarly addictive, easy, and surprisingly romantic, watch.

Romantic British Period Drama: 
​The Crown, Seasons 1 & 2

Staring Matt Smith and Claire Foy, the first two seasons of The Crown follow the true story of the relationship of Queen (then, Princess) Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Elizabeth shows her early mettle by insisting on marrying the little-known Philip, of illustrious, yet slightly dubious royal lineage, who's definitely not British enough for the post-WWII public. Their early matrimonial wrangling, including a power dynamic that defied traditional 1950s gender roles, is well-done, heartwarming, and enthralling. Every time I rewatch, I find myself bingeing the two seasons straight through.


The later seasons 'level up' the actors to Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies, and feature other well-known Royal romances across their respective time period, including both Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki as Lady Di and Josh O'Connor and Dominic West as Prince Charles. Much less romantic, given how it all went down, it's still an excellent series.

Movies and TV Shows about the British Royal Family

Romantic British Period Drama:
Downton Abbey (2010)

And before there was Bridgerton, there was Downton Abbey, the British series that launched a thousand seasons, movies, and...careers! maintaining most of its original cast through six seasons and 2 feature-length films, Downtown Abbey follows the story of the Crowley family.

Headed by the Earl (Hugh Bonneville) and his American Countess (Elizabeth McGovern), the next generation's Lady Mary navigates the pressure placed upon her to marry well and save the family estate, as well as handle the fact the eponymous estate is supposed to be inherited by an attorney "Cousin Matthew" (Dan Stevens) after the man they considered more suitable to the role drowned on the Titanic.

​Featuring the ever-quipping Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, Downton will keep you engaged, season after season.

Romantic British Period Drama:
Belgravia (2020-Present)

Staring many of my favorite British faces, including the inimitable Harriet Walter, Belgravia was adapted by Julian Fellowes from his own book of the same name.

​It's an epic, romantic saga, starting with a flashback to Waterloo and moving into mid-19th century London, where fortunes are made and lost and social climbing is the name of the game. If you loved Downtown, you'll adore Belgravia.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Emma (2020)

The last movie we saw before "the event" and wow did I enjoy it! Austen remakes are always tricky, but Emma is a triumph.

​Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn are a match made in heaven - or the middle of the British countryside. And a special appearance by Bill Nighy really makes the film.

Romantic British Period Drama:
Jane Eyre (2006) 

Ruth Wilson and the aforementioned Dame Maggie Smith's son, Toby Stephens, star in Jane Eyre, this now-not-so-recent adaptation of Bronte's famed novel. Thornfield Hall is the setting for this classic and oh-so-dramatic love story. Set in the early Victorian era, the literal heaving bodies of Jane Eyre has started many a teenager's love love of period movies.

And if you want to know what was on those DVDs I keep mentioning, the first Jane Eyre adaptation I ever watched, staring Ciaran Hinds as Mr Rochester (Jane Eyre, 1997)

Romantic British Period Drama:
Persuasion (1995)

One of my top Jane Austen adaptations, in Persuasion, the aforementioned Ciaran Hinds (seriously, he's just great) and Amanda Root are pitch perfect as Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliott in the story of long-postponed matchmaking, and all the thwarting that got in the way.  The recent remake shall remain unmentioned.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Wives & Daughters (1999)

One of my original period pieces will keep you entertained with hours-upon-hours of "wait, what have I seen that guy in before?" in addition to the tale of 1830s England. Wives and Daughters is the story of Molly Gibson, daughter of a local country doctor, as she navigates her father's remarriage and the changing society around her. Not to mention, her introduction to a few eligible young men. It's charming, quaint, long, and very British.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Outlander (2014-Present)

For a very different vibe, Outlander, the sultry saga of The Rising in Scotland, culminating at the Battle of Culloden, though the story of Claire and Jamie continues past the battle. It's the most sultry offering on our list, even more so than Bridgerton...don't show this to your kiddos, and also one of the darkest and most compelling. It's also the only offering on our list to take place in Scotland.

Romantic British Period Drama:
Pride & Prejudice (2005)

While the battle rages - Colin Firth or Matthew MacFadyen? I'm Team Matthew myself.

The 2005 adaptation of Austen's classic, Pride & Prejudice, stole my heart when I was in school, and hasn't given it back. A much more whimsical, romantic, and slightly looser (certainly shorter) than the 1995 version with Colin Firth, I know you'll love it.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Another of Jane Austen's classic novels that received an excellent 1990's film adaptation, Sense and Sensibility is the ultimate love story.

Featuring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet as the Dashwood sisters, and Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman as their unlikely love interests.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​The Young Victoria (2009)

The Young Victoria, the story of the early years of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, offers a remarkably personal view of one of Britain's most famous marriages, with Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend (of 2005 Pride and Prejudice fame).

Keep an eye out for the cameo by Princess Beatrice, the first member of the Royal Family to appear in a non-documentary film.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Becoming Jane (2007)

Becoming Jane was created to appeal almost exactly to me - Millennials who had grown up with all of those wonderful Jane Austen adaptations in the mid-1990s. And boy, did it ever.

​Anne Hathaway stars as our favorite author, with James McAvoy as Tom LeFroy a lawyer in training with plenty of charm, but no cash or social connections to recommend him to Jane's parents. The film is a blend of information we know about Austen's life with the plot elements and visual influence of her novels and their screen adaptations. It's not a "true" story, but it's not entirely made up either.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​Poldark (2015-2019)

Aiden Turner stars in 5 seasons of Poldark, telling the story of the eponymous hero, who returns home from the American Revolution (oops!) to Cornwall, only to find his family estate in confusion and this true love engaged to another man.

Romantic British Period Drama:
​North & South​ (2004)

If you've been watching anything Harlan Coben on Netflix, you'll certainly recognize a very young Richard Armitage, the star of North and South, northern Mill owner John Thornton.

​When Margaret Hale goes from her rural home in comfortable, southern England, up to Thornton's mill, she's horrified to see the impact of the Industrial Revolution on working families in Thornton's mills.

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope I've inspired you to stream one of these lovely British period dramas tonight. Drop your favorite period piece in the comment section below, and don't forget to check out all of my other British tv series and movie recommendations on the blog!

• 10+ British Comedies You Need to Watch
• 14+ Binge-Worthy British Detective Series with a Female Lead
• 20+ Best British Detective Series to Stream Right Now
• 12+ Addictive Detective Shows Like Midsomer Murders
• TV Shows and Movies About the British Royal Family

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