Who Does Charlotte Marry in ‘Sanditon’? Colbourne or Ralph?

Sanditon Season 3 Episode 3 on Masterpiece on PBS ended with Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) declaring his love for Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams). The only problem? Charlotte is already engaged to be married to sweet farmer Ralph Starling (Cai Bridgen). While Charlotte has been putting off her return to Willingdon and the altar by sticking around in Sanditon, time is running out. Colbourne shot his proverbial shot, but it seems like it didn’t work. Charlotte is committed to marrying Ralph. Or is she? Is there a future for Charlotte and Colbourne? Who does Charlotte marry in Sanditon Season 3?

If you’re watching Sanditon Season 3 in weekly installments on Masterpiece, you might not want to read on. There are spoilers ahead! Then again, maybe you’re getting nervous about Charlotte getting her happily ever after in the end and you want to know what’s going to happen. Of course, hardcore Sanditon fans already know who Charlotte marries and that’s because all six episodes of Sanditon Season 3 are now streaming on the PBS Passport app.

Dying to know who Charlotte marries in Sanditon Season 3? Here are your Charlotte and Colbourne spoilers…

Who Does Charlotte Marry in Sanditon?

So who marries Charlotte? Is it humble, but boring farmer Ralph, or wealthy, rich, and brooding farmer Colbourne? Well fairy tales can come true! Charlotte marries Colbourne in the Season 3 finale of Sanditon.

By the end of Sanditon Season 3 Episode 5, it’s clear to Ralph that Charlotte doesn’t love him. They agree to amicably break off the engagement. You would think that clears a path for Charlotte and Colbourne, but Charlotte leaves Sanditon believing that Colbourne is engaged to Miss Lydia Montrose (Alice Orr-Ewing). It’s only when their friends realize what a misunderstanding has occurred that Colbourne has the opportunity to rush after his one true love.

Colbourne intercepts Charlotte’s carriage as it’s traveling over one of the many romantic cliff sides in Sanditon. She expects to relive the Season 1 finale she had with her first love, Sidney Parker (Theo James), but the opposite happens. Instead of hearing from Colbourne that he must marry another despite being in love with her, Colbourne reveals they are both free to marry. They become engaged on the spot and kiss before the show cuts to their dreamy wedding.

The final scene of Sanditon shows us that a year later, Colbourne and Charlotte have a baby and Charlotte has a career. She has become the schoolmistress at the school Colbourne insisted on funding for the Old Town of Sanditon.

Sanditon EP Belinda Campbell told Decider that it was “vital” to give Charlotte an ending that not only gave her romantic fulfillment, but personal agency.

“Charlotte was always a character who wanted to have a life less ordinary. I mean, that was our starting position with her as a character,” Campbell said, referencing the fact that Jane Austen’s work “showed that women were intelligent and capable and could have agency.”

“This is a show about women overcoming enormous obstacles, whether or not they’re sort of internal or external, as well as the happy ever after,” Campbell said. “It’s about being true to yourself. It’s about holding on to your dreams. It’s about sort of, you know, not giving up.”

Take heart, Sanditon fans, because Charlotte and Colbourne didn’t give up on their love and got their happily ever after. Never give up! Never surrender! (Well, maybe you can surrender your heart…)