# Mrs. Finn — The Duke’s Children character guide > Mrs. Finn in The Duke’s Children by Anthony Trollope. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Mr. Finn, Finn, M. P. This Mrs. Finn **First appearance:** 0000-i-when-the-duchess-was-dead ## Snapshot The Duke's sharp-witted confidante, once Lady Glencora's closest friend, now left fuming over his silence and her own thankless loyalty. ## Who they are Mrs. Finn moves through the Palliser circle as a woman of political experience and unsparing judgment, the one Tregear seeks out when he needs someone to plead his hopeless suit. She has written to the Duke on the young man's behalf and received nothing back — a slight she feels keenly, since she cannot even complain to her own husband without risking his career. Her wounded pride and stubborn honesty make her the novel's most clear-eyed witness to the Duke's coldness, and a crucial go-between for the lovers he refuses to hear. ## Relationships ### [The Duke of Omnium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/the_duke_of_omnium) _friendship_ Mrs. Finn is a trusted friend and confidante to the Duke, offering wise counsel and emotional support after his wife's death. ### [Lady Mabel Grex](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lady_mabel_grex) _friendship_ Lady Mabel and Mrs. Finn share a cordial friendship, with Mrs. Finn acting as a sympathetic ear for Mabel's romantic troubles. ### [Lord Silverbridge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lord_silverbridge) _friendship_ Silverbridge respects Mrs. Finn as a family friend and often seeks her advice, especially regarding his father. ### [The Duke of Omnium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/the_duke_of_omnium) _friendship_ Mrs. Finn is a trusted friend and confidante to the Duke, offering wise counsel and emotional support after his wife's death. ### [Lord Silverbridge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lord_silverbridge) _friendship_ Silverbridge respects Mrs. Finn as a family friend and often seeks her advice, especially regarding his father. ### [The Duke of Omnium](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/the_duke_of_omnium) _friendship_ Mrs. Finn is a trusted friend and confidante to the Duke, offering wise counsel and emotional support after his wife's death. ### [Lady Mabel Grex](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lady_mabel_grex) _friendship_ Lady Mabel and Mrs. Finn share a cordial friendship, with Mrs. Finn acting as a sympathetic ear for Mabel's romantic troubles. ### [Lady Mabel Grex](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lady_mabel_grex) _friendship_ Lady Mabel and Mrs. Finn share a cordial friendship, with Mrs. Finn acting as a sympathetic ear for Mabel's romantic troubles. ### [Lord Silverbridge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/lord_silverbridge) _friendship_ Silverbridge respects Mrs. Finn as a family friend and often seeks her advice, especially regarding his father. ## In the story ### [When the Duchess Was Dead](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/i-when-the-duchess-was-dead) The Duchess's close friend who stayed with her during her final illness; discusses Lady Mary's future with the Duke before departing. ### [Lady Mary Palliser](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/ii-lady-mary-palliser) Torn between loyalty to the late Duchess and duty to the Duke; arranges to meet Tregear to discuss the secret. ### [Francis Oliphant Tregear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/iii-francis-oliphant-tregear) The Duchess's friend, who has written to Tregear requesting a meeting, presumably to discuss the engagement. ### [Park Lane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/iv-park-lane) Hosts Tregear in Park Lane; insists the Duke must be told about the engagement. ### [It Is Impossible](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/v-it-is-impossible) Mentioned by Tregear as having known of the engagement; the Duke reacts with anger, feeling betrayed by a woman he had trusted. ### [Conservative Convictions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/vii-conservative-convictions) Implicated as having known about the relationship between Tregear and Lady Mary. ### [He Is a Gentleman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/viii-he-is-a-gentleman) The Duke suspects her of promoting the relationship between Tregear and Lady Mary. ### [At Richmond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xii-at-richmond) Visits Lady Mary to defend herself against the Duke's accusation of concealing the engagement; explains she urged Tregear to reveal it. ### [The Duke's Injustice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xiii-the-duke-s-injustice) Feels cruelly unjustly treated by the Duke's letter; resolves to demand an explanation and writes to request a meeting. ### [The Duke Receives a Letter—and Writes One](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xv-the-duke-receives-a-letter-and-writes-one) Writes a long, earnest letter to the Duke defending her actions regarding Lady Mary's engagement, seeking to clear her name. ### [The Duke in His Study](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xxii-the-duke-in-his-study) Subject of the Duke's apology; her letter accuses him of injustice and tenacity in believing ill of her. ### [Frank Tregear Wants a Friend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xxiii-frank-tregear-wants-a-friend) Receives an apology letter from the Duke; refuses to help Tregear due to her loyalty to the Pallisers. ### [Ischl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xli-ischl) Encountered by chance in Ischl; she advises the Duke that Mary's persistence may force him to relent. ### [There Shall Not Be Another Word About It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/xlv-there-shall-not-be-another-word-about-it) Travels with Phineas and the Duke on the Rhine; will go down to Matching soon after their return. ### [Miss Boncassen Tells the Truth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/lii-miss-boncassen-tells-the-truth) Present among the guests at Matching. ### [LIII: “Then I Am as Proud as a Queen”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/liii-then-i-am-as-proud-as-a-queen) Walks with Lady Mabel, observes the romantic tensions, and comments on the difficulties of young ladies. ### [No One Can Tell What May Come to Pass](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/lix-no-one-can-tell-what-may-come-to-pass) Present at Matching as a guest with the two girls. ### [I Believe Him to Be a Worthy Young Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/lxiv-i-believe-him-to-be-a-worthy-young-man) Acts as confidante to Lady Mary, receives news of Tregear's accident from her husband, and tries to comfort Mary while keeping her own knowledge secret. ### [The Three Attacks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/lxvi-the-three-attacks) Mrs. Finn boldly pleads with the Duke, warning that Mary may wither from a broken heart if he persists in refusing Tregear. ### [The Second Wedding](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/chapters/lxxx-the-second-wedding) Attends the wedding with her husband Phineas; reflects on Tregear's success in winning Mary. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters/mrs_finn - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_duke_s_children_se/characters