Annabelle Cole is Elizabeth Cole's older sister.
Personality and Facts[]
Annabelle is the older sister of Elizabeth Cole and is sixteen years old as of Very Funny, Elizabeth. She has dark hair and dark eyes; this matches her sister's description until the 2005 changes that have Elizabeth become blonde and blue-eyed. She is described as very pretty.
Annabelle is very snobby, proud, arrogant, and proper to a fault. She feels that everything in England is better than it is in the colonies which are wild, provincial, and uncivilized. She constantly belittles both her younger sister Elizabeth and Felicity Merriman, both in public and at their classes held together at Miss Manderly's. Annabelle also initially refers to Elizabeth as "Bitsy," a name which her sister despises, and only when Elizabeth stands up to it does she stop, though Annabelle still uses the nickname on occasion. Elizabeth believes that Annabelle is smart, funny, and sensible under all of her airs, and she hopes she can tease her sister into being her true self.
Annabelle, being older, has already had more lessons that Felicity and Elizabeth. She has in England, by their governess, been taught many skills already such as penmanship, stitching, and tea service, which she seems to like showing off. Annabelle also takes singing lessons--something her sister and Felicity are not yet old enough for--but her voice is quite poor.
Annabelle is a fierce Loyalist and believes the Patriot cause is not only wrong, but foolishness. Despite this opinion, she develops a crush on Benjamin Davidson, and Felicity and Elizabeth exploit this to make fun of her. They also call her "Banannabelle" behind her back.
While initially eager to marry an English Lord and thus leave the colonies, Annabelle finds her future sister-in-law's standards to be overbearingly proper and controlling, which eventually prompts her to end the engagement. Annabelle instead decides to make a name for herself in the colonies and become more assertive and independent-minded.
In the Books[]
Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story[]
Annabelle and Elizabeth are introduced to Felicity at their first lesson. Annabelle rudely says that Elizabeth is so small that they call her Bitsy at home. She recognizes Felicity's last name and that she is the shopkeeper's daughter and, before Felicity can speak up, flounces to the writing desk and says how they had a governess in England and expects they'll have one here too once a suitable one can be found and she never thought they'd take classes with a shopkeeper's daughter.
During the first lesson of polite conversation, Annabelle asks a general interest question: will the three of them always have lessons together? She is glad to hear that this won't be done and that Elizabeth and Felicity are behind her in skills. When Miss Manderly starts to serve tea, Annabelle exclaims that she and Elizabeth know how as they've seen their mother serve tea hundreds of times; she is then chided when Miss Manderly says that she should be quite at ease then.
Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story[]
Happy Birthday, Felicity!: A Springtime Story[]
Changes for Felicity: A Winter Story[]
Felicity's Dancing Shoes[]
Felicity's Valentine[]
Traitor in Williamsburg[]
Lady Margaret's Ghost[]
Felicity eats with Elizabeth and Annabelle at their house one day after Lady Margaret's heirlooms have been stolen and Mr. Merriman doesn't think it's safe for Felicity to eat alone. Mrs. Cole makes Felicity borrow one of Annabelle's old capes to walk home in the drizzle.
Very Funny, Elizabeth[]
Annabelle is eager to be married and becomes incredibly excited when Mr. and Mrs. Cole announce that Lord Harry and Miss Lacey are visiting from England to arrange a marriage between Annabelle and Lord Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Cole remind her of the practical side of marriage, including leaving Virginia for England and managing a large house, but Annabelle is still eager. Elizabeth plays pranks on Annabelle to make her appear much less proper to Miss Lacey. Annabelle seems intimidated by Miss Lacey and her strict standards, not even correcting Miss Lacey's constant use of incorrect names for her. She is quietly amused when Elizabeth sticks snow into Miss Lacey's wig and mocks her.
In the end, Lord Harry and Annabelle mutually agree to break off their engagement. Annabelle finally stands up to Miss Lacey, declaring she doesn't care about becoming "Lady Lacey" anymore and is proud of being herself. Annabelle resolves to stay in the colonies, wanting to think for herself. She develops a kinder disposition and grows closer with Elizabeth.
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure[]
Annabelle's role in the film does not change significantly from the books. However, her family's explicitly stated higher social class adds another aspect to Annabelle's snobbery and arrogance towards Felicity. Annabelle is verbally indignant upon learning she and Elizabeth will be taking lessons at Miss Manderly's alongside Felicity, thinking little of learning with a shopkeeper's daughter.
At the Templetons' Christmas ball, Annabelle tries to dance with Benjamin Davidson, having been intentionally misinformed by Elizabeth that he was the son of a very wealthy Loyalist. Ben is unable to dance with Annabelle and she eventually storms off, leaving him on the ballroom floor.
At the end of the movie, Annabelle, Elizabeth, and their parents come to Felicity's house for Christmas dinner. Annabelle is visibly smiling and enjoying herself, hinting she might be beginning to warm up to Felicity and her family.
Annabelle is played by Juliet Holland-Rose.
References[]
- ↑ This is derogatory and only used by Felicity and Elizabeth.