What happened to Lord Featherington in ‘Bridgerton’?

The youngest Feathrington daughter Penelope has become the co-lead for Bridgerton season 3. But it’s been a while since we’ve last seen her noble father on screen. Wonder where is he?

The Netflix Regency romance Bridgerton feeds on its characters’ lives—mostly their romantic lives as they meddle through London high society in search of true love. Though the titular Bridgerton family of eight siblings is at the story’s epicenter, we’ve met several major supporting characters fueling the narrative through intriguing sub-arcs. After all, without the scandalous newspaper, secret pregnancy, heartbreaks of unchosen lovers, and family secrets, Bridgerton would be plain and boring.

But as the series progressed, we lost track of many beloved characters’ fates—like what happened to Edwina Sharma after Anthony married her sister Kate instead. While many of these lost characters had no crucial role in the story, the head of the Featherington family was one of the main characters in season 1. And now that his youngest daughter is wrapping more around the story’s center in season 3, his absence from the screen seems odd; only it is not.

Who is Lord Archibald Featherington?

Archibald Featherington was a Baron and patriarch of the Featherington family, married to Portia, and father to Prudence, Phillipa, and Penelope Featherington. He is portrayed by Ben Miller and appeared in season 1 of Bridgerton. The book fans might find his inclusion in the cast list odd since the character has been deceased for three years in the books before the narrative starts. But there’s a story to it.

Archibald’s story is intertwined with another important supporting character in the series, Marina Thompson. Unlike other noblemen, Archibald had a gambling addiction and he bet away all fortunes of the family in boxing matches. His habit once led him to sabotage his daughter Phillipa’s courtship with Albion Finch since he had gambled away the dowry money.

By the end of Bridgerton season 1, it was announced that Lord Featherington was dead. His estate was then passed on to his third cousin, Jack, due to the absence of male heirs. But what caused his sudden death?

Why did Lord Featherington die?

After Lady Featherington discovered that Archibald had lost all his money, including their daughters’ dowries, he was visibly ashamed of not being a good husband or a father. However, he became desperate to make things right after the Featheringtons became shrouded in scandal following the news of Marina’s secret pregnancy reaching everyone.

Portia blamed Archibald for their family’s current state, leading the latter to go down a criminal path to make things right. Archibald decided to fix an under-the-table deal with Will Mondrich, a boxer who had an upcoming match with The Beast. He offered Will half his bet-winnings to lose the fight. Secure that Will would accept such a hefty offer, Archibald put a large best against Will and won after The Beast was quickly declared the victor.

However, soon after he was finally content having earned some fortune, Archibald was led to his death trap. Reggie and Tom, the men he placed the bet with over Will and The Beast’s match figured out his match-fixing and lured him into a room in lew of a prostitute awaiting him. The two bookies then murder Lord Featherington. However, the series does not show exactly how he died.

Who is Lord Featherington in Bridgerton season 2?

After Archibald’s death, the Featherington family needed a new patriarch to inherit the estate. However, since Archibald and Portia only had three daughters, a distant family member was awarded the position. The new Lord Featherington is revealed to be Archibald’s cousin, Jack, in Bridgerton season 2. Jack’s father had also died, leaving him as the closest male relative to Archibald.

Jack comes out as charming, engaging, and initially well-meaning. But his questionable intentions are quickly exposed. Though he first impresses everyone by bragging about his mines in America, the truth about his character is unveiled later.

It is revealed that Jack promotes and sells fictitious assets as part of his immoral efforts to replenish the family’s fortune. He’d also covered for his lack of money by paying Philippa’s dowry with a counterfeit ruby necklace. This leads to more trouble in the already struggling Featherington household.