“Bridgerton” Author Julia Quinn 'Grateful' for Fans' 'Understanding' After 'Huge Change' in Francesca's Love Story

"I think we are going to end up with two stories, one on page and one on screen, and they will both be beautiful and moving," Quinn wrote in a statement

The author of Bridgerton has officially weighed in on the major change to Francesca's story that shocked fans at the end of season 3.

Julia Quinn put out a lengthy statement on Instagram on June 24 as she detailed the behind-the-scenes work that went into switching the gender of Francesca's (Hannah Dodd) love interest, who was introduced in the season 3 finale episode as Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza).

"Many Bridgerton fans have expressed their surprise, and for some, disappointment in the twist at the end of Bridgerton season 3 — that Michael Stirling, with whom Francesca eventually falls in love in When He Was Wicked, would instead be Michaela," Quinn wrote, referring to the original plotline of the sixth book in her book series.

Noting that she is "deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen," Quinn acknowledged that "switching the gender of a major character is a huge change."

Related: Bridgerton Season 3: The Biggest Differences Between the Netflix Show and Bestselling Book

Jess Brownwell, who took the helm as the Netflix series' new showrunner, originally broached the topic with Quinn, but the author "wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters" before committing to anything.

"Jess and I talked for a long time about it. More than once. I made it clear that it was extremely important to me that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen," Quinn wrote, referring to John Stirling (Victor Alli), who Francesca marries in season 3. "When I wrote When He Was Wicked, I actually had to fight to have the first four chapters, which establish that love, included. My publisher was worried that writing about Fran’s love for John would take away from Michael’s role as the eventual romance novel hero.”

Quinn continued, "I'm confident now that when Francesca has her Bridgerton season it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show, just like When He Was Wicked, has always been the true tear-jerker of the Bridgerton book series."

She concluded the statement with a message of gratitude to fans of the books and the show, and asked for "some faith as we move forward."

“I think we are going to end up with two stories, one on page and one on screen, and they will both be beautiful and moving.”

Related: Who Does Francesca Marry in the Bridgerton Books? All About Her Love Story

Victor Alli, who plays Francesca's husband, John, and was introduced to fans in season 3, told PEOPLE that he thought the decision to gender-swap Michaela was "really cool."

"I was told that they're going to switch up a bit before we did any of that filming, and it was quite nice. It was really pleasant to sort of read that introduction," he said. "I'm really glad and I was really excited.”

As for how his bride will navigate the forthcoming loss of her husband, Alli said, “It's going to be quite tough. Someone who she loved or still loves maybe, is gone. That's tough.”

“And she becomes a widow really early on, and it's going to be so hard. We've never seen anything like that for any of the siblings, any of the Bridgerton siblings," he said. "I don't know how she's going to handle that. I don't know what she's going to go through or the challenges she may face, but my hope is that she is able to get through.”

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Bridgerton seasons 1, 2 and 3 – as well as the spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – are now streaming on Netflix.

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