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Anne Archibald (née van der Bilt) is a recurring character in the Gossip Girl series of novels and it's television adaptation. She is the ex wife of Howard "The Captain" Archibald and the mother of Nate Archibald. She is portrayed by Francie Swift.
Novel Series
In the novels, Anne is known as Mrs. Archibald. She is married to Captain Archibald and the mother of Nate Archibald, and is a French socialite. They reside in a townhouse right off Park Avenue and her family owns a summer chateau in Nice. She is known for being unable to cook and being overly dramatic.
Television Series
Season One
Anne makes her first appearance in The Handmaiden's Tale when she attends Eleanor Waldorf's Night in Tangiers party. She attends with Howard to help convince Eleanor to let Howard's firm take her company's stock public. They successfully do so, and when they return home, Anne finds a bag of cocaine while looking for a wine bottle opener. She assumes it's Nate's and tells him so when he returns home. Soon after, Nate sees his father buying more drugs and realizes he has a drug problem. He attempts to talk to Anne about it, but she decides to ignore it due to being in denial. She blames Nate for being difficult lately and plans to attend their dinner that night with Eleanor and Blair Waldorf. At the dinner, Howard begins behaving erratically and Anne realizes Nate was telling the truth. Downstairs, Howard and Nate argue and he punches him in front of the police. He gets arrested, and Anne learns that the DA has been building a case against him for embezzling for a long time (Victor Victrola).
After she gets Howard released on bail, Eleanor's lawyers call to end their deal before he can ruin it with the scandal. She asks Nate to give Blair her grandmother's ring as a way to prove the family's loyalty to the Waldorf's. He refuses, saying they broke up, but she encourages him to anyway. However, he skips her birthday party and ends up not giving her the ring (Seventeen Candles). On Thanksgiving, Anne, Howard, and Nate have dinner alone. Anne is annoyed at being iced out of all her social groups and parties, and that she's losing her reputation. Nate tells her off and leaves the dinner. In a flashback to the Thanksgiving prior, Anne is shown with her family having dinner at the Waldorf's; and that she was adamant that Howard not stress about work during the holiday (Blair Waldorf Must Pie).
Season Two
In the premiere Summer Kind of Wonderful, it's revealed Anne and Nate spent the summer in their Hamptons house, laying low after Howard skipped town. Soon after, Anne reveals to Nate that the FBI has frozen all their accounts while they assess the crimes Howard committed. She also admits that her father William van der Bilt was not happy to hear about her role in Howard's escape and cut her off financially, so they're broke. However, Nate decides to head back to the city anyway while she stays behind. After he returns, she explains to him that for the time being she got a loan from a friend so he doesn't need to worry. She doesn't tell him who the friend is, but he soon realizes it was his best friend Chuck Bass (Never Been Marcused).
In The Magnificent Archibalds, Anne has returned from the Hamptons and stays with Nate at a friend's apartment since their townhouse was seized by the government. When they arrive, they find Howard inside. He tells them that he has a good life in Dominica and he wants them to come live with him. Anne agrees immediately, but Nate is more hesitant. Before he can decide, he learns from Chuck, Vanessa Abrams, and an FBI agent that Howard is planning to hold him and his mom for ransom money from the van der Bilt's. He's given the option to let him get away or to end the whole problem and turn them in. He ultimately decides to turn him in, and Howard is arrested. Anne is devastated, but she and Nate are able to move back into their home and retain their assets.
Season Four
Anne reappears in The Witches of Bushwick when she meets with Blair over her possibly becoming the new face of the Girls, Inc. foundation. She tells her that the board does not approve of her relationship with Chuck, and Blair promises she has no relationship with him. That evening when they're supposed to meet, Vanessa brings her Serena van der Woodsen's resume and tells her she would like to be considered for the position. Meanwhile, Anne is redirected to Chuck's Saints & Sinner's party where she sees Blair kiss Chuck in front of everyone in her slip. After seeing that, she informs Blair that she isn't interested in her being the new face anymore and she doesn't want Serena either.
In Gaslit, Nate learns Anne officially filed for divorce from Howard, despite him still being in prison. He tries to convince her to change her mind and visit him, but she refuses and plans to go through with the divorce. Instead of heading to the van der Bilt's for Thanksgiving, Anne decides to accompany Nate to visit Howard. They have dinner together, and Anne admits to Nate that Howard does seem to have changed. Soon after, Anne is sad that she as disinvited from all holiday parties since she called off her divorce to Howard. Nate reveals that Howard rented a house outside the city for when he is released on parole, and Anne decides to refile for divorce. Later, Nate sees her at Lily van der Woodsen's party and she explains that her social standing matters more to her than her marriage even though Howard was trying to do a good thing with renting the house.
In Petty in Pink, Anne attends the Pink Party at the VDW's. She tells Lily that she knows she blackmailed people to have the party at their penthouse so she could attend, despite being on house arrest. During their conversation, she tells Lily off and that she never forgave her for cutting her off when she refused to leave Howard. She promises she will never be welcome in her social circle again. This is Anne's last appearance in the show.
Season Five
In Beauty and the Feast, Diana Payne tries unsuccessfully to get an interview with Anne. However, Nate is able to convince Anne to do it to tell her side of the story on Howard's crimes.
Family
Novels
- Captain Archibald (husband)
- Nate Archibald (son)
Television Series
- Howard "The Captain" Archibald (ex-husband)
- Nate Archibald (son)
- William van der Bilt I (father)
- William van der Bilt II (brother)
- William "Tripp" van der Bilt III (nephew)
Trivia
- She used to be the face of the Girls, Inc. foundation before letting Raina Thorpe take over.
- She and Howard honeymooned at a bed and breakfast outside the city and she said the house they stayed in was her dream house.
- She is in a book club.
