the Duchess

the Duchess, fictional character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll. The Duchess, an ugly old woman who is a member of Wonderland royalty, appears twice in the story. In the first instance, she is dealing with a baby who cries and frequently sneezes (because of the Cook’s heavy use of pepper, which fills the air). The Duchess shakes the baby violently while attempting to placate it with loud lullabies, notably When she...