The Princess and the Goblin · Character

The Old Lady

Irene's great-great-grandmother, who sits spinning in a tower room no one else can find and gives the princess a thread to follow in the dark.

major

Also known as The Old Lady, the old lady

First appearance: XI: The Old Lady’s Bedroom

As a major figure in The Princess and the Goblin, The Old Lady is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Reveals herself as Irene's great-great-grandmother, spins thread, keeps pigeons, and cares for Irene.

In the storyIII: The Princess and—We Shall See WhoOpen this moment free

She appears only to Irene, in a high chamber reached by stairs the household has forgotten, and she spins and weaves with a patience that unnerves as much as it comforts. Her gifts, a ring that glows and a thread that leads, demand trust rather than explanation, and the princess must believe her even when the evidence of her own eyes says otherwise. She is the story's quiet center of gravity, the one who knows what the goblins are doing long before the miners do.

See The Old Lady in III: The Princess and—We Shall See Who Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how The Old Lady sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Friendship
Psychological
Social
Other

Character groups

Human Royal Household
Protagonist

+1 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
Aftermath
Closing

In this scene, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when Princess Irene, despite being confronted by an…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Princess Irene
family · positive
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her… How this plays out →
Curdie
friendship · positive
Lootie
psychological · negative
Nursie
social · positive
Princess Irene
family · positive
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her… How this plays out →
Princess Irene
family · positive
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her… How this plays out →
Nursie
social · positive
Lootie
psychological · negative
Curdie
friendship · positive

Princess Irene
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her from her hidden tower room.
Curdie
The Old Lady guides and tests Curdie, helping him grow in courage and wisdom to better serve Irene.
Lootie
Lootie is frightened and skeptical of the Old Lady, unable to see her and dismissing her as a fantasy.
Nursie
Nursie is aware of the Old Lady's existence and treats her with reverent, quiet respect.
Princess Irene
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her from her hidden tower room.
Princess Irene
The Old Lady is Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother, who guides and protects her from her hidden tower room.
Nursie
Nursie is aware of the Old Lady's existence and treats her with reverent, quiet respect.
Lootie
Lootie is frightened and skeptical of the Old Lady, unable to see her and dismissing her as a fantasy.
Curdie
The Old Lady guides and tests Curdie, helping him grow in courage and wisdom to better serve Irene.

Relationship notes

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

See The Old Lady in XI: The Old Lady’s Bedroom

In the story

The Old Lady appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

III: The Princess and—We Shall See Who
Reveals herself as Irene's great-great-grandmother, spins thread, keeps pigeons, and cares for Irene.
The Princess Lets Well Alone
Not physically present; Irene thinks about her and wonders if she dreamed of her, but resolves not to bring the nurse without permission.
XI: The Old Lady’s Bedroom
Spinning spider-silk thread by moonlight in her tower room; she explains why Irene couldn't find her sooner and sets a trial for Irene to return in a week.
XIV: That Night Week
The old lady is the object of Irene's promise; her lamp is seen as a guiding light that helps Irene find her way home.
XV: Woven and Then Spun
Appears as a beautiful young woman, spins the invisible thread, gives Irene the ring, and explains the magic of the lamp.
XX: Irene’s Clue
Referenced as Irene's grandmother; her advice and thread guide Irene, though she is not physically present.
The Escape
Referenced as Irene's grandmother; her thread guides them; Irene wants Curdie to meet her.
The Old Lady and Curdie
Appears in a beautiful room with a fire of roses; explains that Curdie cannot see her yet; bathes Irene in a magical bath.
XXIII: Curdie and His Mother
Referenced as Irene's grandmother; Curdie dismisses her existence based on the empty garret he saw.
The Goblins in the King’s House
Appears in Curdie's dream, tending his wound with a silver box and rose-scented ointment.
XXVIII: Curdie’s Guide
Referenced as the grandmother who healed Curdie's leg and sent the thread; not physically present but central to the events.
Masonwork
Referenced indirectly through the princess's mention of her grandmother and the lamp.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Old Lady unlock in the free preview.

See The Old Lady in XI: The Old Lady’s Bedroom

See The Old Lady in III: The Princess and—We Shall See Who