Mrs. Gardiner is a supporting character in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice.
Biography[]
Mrs. Gardiner is Elizabeth Bennet's intelligent aunt, and the wife of Edward Gardiner, with whom she has four children: two girls age six and eight (as of July) and two younger boys.
Her given name is M---. The 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries gave her the name "Madeleine," but this is unlikely for the era.
Her primary residence in London is on Gracechurch Street, somewhere near Cheapside, and within view of her husband's warehouses.
Character analysis[]
Mrs. Gardiner is an intelligent, amiable, sensible, elegant, and generous woman. She is also a good listener whose discretion can typically be counted on and an excellent source of good advice. She does not have as much endurance for walking as does Elizabeth. Her age is never stated, but she is several years younger than her sisters-in-law Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Phillips.
What to Call Her[]
Mrs. Gardiner & Georgiana Darcy
- Mrs. Gardiner - pretty much everyone except close friends and family.
- Aunt Gardiner - this is how the Bennet daughters typically refer to her; they would have addressed her directly either as "Aunt" or "Aunt Gardiner."