Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel series to Netflix’s hit Bridgerton, and the end of its first episode pays tribute to Jacqueline Avant. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Queen Charlotte follows the younger version of the titular monarch as she moves from Germany to England to marry King George III. The series is split between two timelines, a few decades before the events of Bridgerton and the post-season 2 era.
Led by India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, and Arsema Thomas, Queen Charlotte was first announced in May 2021, a few months following the success of Bridgerton season 1. The series consists of six episodes and focuses not just on Queen Charlotte and King George’s love for each other, but how that love united their society. Like Bridgerton, the prequel series has a large ensemble cast of characters who are consistently in the monarchs’ orbit. Queen Charlotte also follows in the vein of other films and television episodes that have paid tribute to those who have passed with connections to the art. The end of Queen Charlotte’s first episode honors Jacqueline Avant, but who was she exactly?
Jacqueline Avant Was Netflix Co-Chief Ted Sarandos’ Mother-In-Law
Jacqueline Avant was a philanthropist who devoted her life to community organizing and aiding underserved communities. Avant was also the wife of famed music executive Clarence Avant, who is also known as “The Black Godfather,” and the mother of Nicole Avant, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, and the mother-in-law of Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who married Avant’s daughter in 2009. Avant was killed during a home invasion and burglary on December 1, 2021. In the spring of 2022, Aariel Maynor pleaded guilty to Avant’s murder and was sentenced to 190 years to life in prison. Avant was a powerhouse and a significant figure in Hollywood.
Why Queen Charlotte Episode 1 Pays Tribute To Jacqueline Avant
Considering Jacqueline Avant was Ted Sarandos’ mother-in-law, it makes sense that Queen Charlotte paid tribute to her at the end of the series’ first episode. What’s more, Avant was “one of the rare women of color to straddle high society [and Hollywood]” according to author and TV producer Susan Fales-Hill (via Town & Country), as she worked with the immensely wealthy and those who were not. Shonda Rhimes likely had a personal relationship with Avant — especially after signing a deal with Netflix to produce several shows in 2018, which forged a working relationship between her and Sarandos — and was inspired by her.
In some ways, elements of Avant’s life are echoed in Queen Charlotte’s own journey throughout the Bridgerton prequel series. Queen Charlotte must also straddle high society and, in this case, those within the royal sphere, such as Princess Augusta, King George III’s mother. Charlotte manages her duties to the monarchy and her responsibilities to the people — notably, bridging the racial divide, starting with the members of Bridgerton’s Ton. It’s likely Avant was specifically honored at the end of Queen Charlotte’s first episode because it’s a Shondaland production, the first since last year’s Bridgerton season 2, and the philanthropist’s fighting spirit is alive within the core of the show.