Hadrian the Seventh · Character

Mrs. Crowe

Rose's former landlady, a chatty, status-conscious Englishwoman in Rome who finds herself oddly excluded from the Pope's indiscriminate charity.

supporting

Also known as XI Dear Mrs. Crowe

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Hadrian the Seventh, Mrs. Crowe is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Another member of the Liblab deputation, thrilled by her encounter with the Pope.

In the storyXIOpen this moment free

See Mrs. Crowe in XI Book page

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Mrs. Crowe arrives in Rome expecting to bask in her old connection to George Arthur Rose, only to discover that the Pope's generosity flows to blind boys, weeping prostitutes, and threadbare strangers rather than to her. She calls his charity 'disgusting' and 'highly improper' at the hotel table, yet privately burns with envy as one grateful recipient after another describes the mysterious windfall that saved them. Her wounded vanity and her scheming attempts to reach him through convents and English residents make her a comic and quietly cutting mirror of how grace looks to those who feel entitled to it.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Mrs. Crowe sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Mrs. Crowe in i

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Mrs. Crowe sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Social
Other

Character groups

Papal court and allies
Protagonist

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

In this scene, Hadrian reaches an emotional and psychological peak by violently rejecting his own past efforts…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Jerry Sant
professional · ambivalent
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. How this plays out →
Pope Leo
social · ambivalent
Father Dawkins
social · ambivalent
Jerry Sant
professional · ambivalent
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. How this plays out →
Jerry Sant
professional · ambivalent
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. How this plays out →
Father Dawkins
social · ambivalent
Pope Leo
social · ambivalent

Jerry Sant
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. Crowe as the employer and Jerry Sant as a household worker.
Pope Leo
A distant acquaintance, likely through Church social circles, with little personal warmth.
Father Dawkins
Casual acquaintances within the same social circle, sharing occasional conversations.
Jerry Sant
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. Crowe as the employer and Jerry Sant as a household worker.
Jerry Sant
A servant-mistress relationship, with Mrs. Crowe as the employer and Jerry Sant as a household worker.
Father Dawkins
Casual acquaintances within the same social circle, sharing occasional conversations.
Pope Leo
A distant acquaintance, likely through Church social circles, with little personal warmth.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Mrs. Crowe in i

In the story

Mrs. Crowe appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XI
Another member of the Liblab deputation, thrilled by her encounter with the Pope.
XII
Observes Hadrian's charity, becomes a Catholic, and spies on Hadrian's private visit.
XVI
Mentioned as wanting Jerry Sant elsewhere, but he compels her services through financial control.
XVII
Confronts Jerry Sant about the Catholic Hour attack, worried about George.
XIX
Accuses Hadrian of secret debauchery, alleging a clandestine tea meeting with women, and supports Sant's blackmail attempt.
XXI
Breaks with Jerry Sant after the failure of their schemes, feels mortified and angry, and seeks to return to obscurity.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mrs. Crowe unlock in the free preview.

See Mrs. Crowe in i

See Mrs. Crowe in XI