The Identity of Duchess R and Jacquelyn

During the events of Season 3 of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events, it was stated several times that Jacquelyn had gone to Winnipeg due to the fact that she had inherited the throne as Duchess of Winnipeg.

The Duchess of Winnipeg is mentioned several times in the books, namely the Ersatz Elevator and The Unauthorized Biography, as R. The mention of Jacquelyn becoming the Duchess of Winnipeg has lead several theories to commence, some more likely than other.

Theory 1: Duchess R. is Jacquelyn's Mother

Due to the fact that there is a noticeable age gap between Jacquelyn and R, it is possible that R. is Jacquelyn's mother, and passed away, causing Jacquelyn to inherit the throne of Winnipeg. However, there are two theories as to how R is Jacquelyn's mother.

The majority of people who follow this theory believe that R is Jacquelyn's mother by adoption. The reasoning behind this is that the age gap doesn't exactly line up for her being her biological mother, and there is roughly a 15 year age gap between the two. Many theories include the fact that Jacquelyn's house burned down as a small child and R found her in the ashes and took her in as a late teen.

In the Slippery Slope, it was stated that among the Snow Scouts was a descendant of the Duchess of Winnipeg, R. It is possible that in the show Jacquelyn was aged up to an adult rather than being a teenager and the descendant of R. At the VFD party, Jacquelyn is acting like she is hosting the party; instead she's acting like a guest to the party that her theoretical mother.

However, there is a theory that R is her biological mother, but this seems unlikely due to the time gaps, as the chances of her having a teen pregnancy are slim.

Theory 2: Jacquelyn and Duchess R are the Same Person

Because it was never explicitly stated that Jacquelyn was R's descendant, many people decided that they were the same person, possibly due to the fact that a popular headcanon is that Jacquelyn is lesbian and that R. is implied to be so. While this theory is plausible, the timelines do not add up correctly, as there is the age gap stated above, and the reason for Jacquelyn going by Jacquelyn Scieszka instead of R would be unclear.

Theory 3: Jacquelyn and R are Lovers

This is the least common theory of the three, and has no evidence supporting it as nothing ever implied that the two were romantically involved with one another. if this theory is true, than the above two would be false, but seeing as there is little evidence and largely just fandom speculation, this theory is extremely unlikely.

Sources:

Why Jacquelyn Is R's Daughter and Not R