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Hortense McDuck is Donald Duck's mother and Scrooge McDuck's youngest sister.

Appearances[]

Donald's mother was created by Carl Barks, who first mentioned her in a Donald Duck family tree he wrote down in the 1950s. On this tree, Hortense was included as Scrooge's sister and Grandma Duck's daughter-in-law. Barks gave Donald's mother the name Hortense McDuck, and also mentioned her husband, Donald's father, whom he named Quackmore Duck.

Donald's mother made her animated debut with a brief appearance in the 1955 short No Hunting, where she is a duck parody of the famous 1871 painting "Whistler's Mother". The same idea was later used for Daisy's mother in the cartoon Donald's Diary.

Donaldparents

Donald's parents in Donald Duck Writes a Book.

Donald's parents first appeared in Donald Duck Writes a Book. In Donald's flashback, they could be seen dancing to the music of a gramophone in one panel. Donald's mother had a typical annƩes folles (1920s) haircut. Donald says that his parents were not rich, but nonetheless fun-loving people.

In Mark Worden's illustrated version of Barks' 1950s Duck family tree, Hortense and Quackmore were also given a portrait.

In Of Ducks, Dimes and Destinies, Donald's mother can be seen on a picture in Donald's house while the family is having dinner. In the same story, Magica De Spell tries to obtain the Number One Dime before Scrooge earned it, by travelling back in time to Scrooge's childhood, where she also encounters Hortense, who is still a baby at this point.

In The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, Hortense is a recurring character. According to this series, she is the youngest of Scrooge's sisters. She's a toddler when her eldest brother Scrooge leaves Scotland for America. In the series' 10th chapter The Invader of Fort Duckburg, she leaves Scotland for Duckburg, U.S.A, where she meets Quackmore, Grandma Duck's son, who has a temper very similar to her own. In the beginning of The Empire-Builder from Calisota, Hortense and Quackmore are engaged. This story also shows that she, together with her sister Matilda, hired Emily Quackfaster, Scrooge's secretary. Near the end of the story, she leaves Duckburg with her sister, her husband and their children, Donald and Della.

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Donald mentions his mother.

Donald also mentions his mother in The Sharpie of the Culebra Cut (Uncle Scrooge #332).

In Return to Xanadu (1991), Scrooge mentions that he used to fix his two sisters' dolls back in Scotland when he was a child.

Donald's mother was also mentioned in the Quack Pack episode "Can't Take a Yolk". When the nephews discover that the formula will keep their uncle getting younger until he hatches back into the egg, Huey says: "Better call Grandma. She's in for a big surprise...".

Television[]

DuckTales (2017)[]

Hortense is mentioned and appears in a photograph in the premier of DuckTales, where Webby Vanderquack identifies her as a connecting relation between Donald and his nephews and Scrooge. In "The First Adventure!", Hortense sends a letter to her brother, Scrooge, to look after her kids, Della and Donald, while their father is at hospital.

Legend of the Three Caballeros[]

A picture of Quackmore and Hortense is seen in the episode "Dope-a Cabana".

Trivia[]

  • Hortense is also the name of the ostrich in Donald's Ostrich.
  • Scrooge named his horse after his sister because they have similar tempers.
  • She is named after a flower, just like her son's girlfriend Daisy Duck. This creates a connection between two important women in Donald's life.
  • In two comic stories, Donald himself unwittingly references his mother's baby speech:
    • In Of Ducks, Dimes and Destinies by Don Rosa, Donald is shown sleeping and makes the sound "glxblt" when he snores.
    • In The Dream of a Lifetime, also by Rosa, Donald (who is inside Scrooge's dreams, trying to stop the Beagle Boys) finds his mother as a baby in Scrooge's dreams about his childhood. When Fergus, seemingly thinking Donald is a kidnapper, strangles him, Donald exclaims "blxglt!?".
  • When Webby met Matilda, she called her the youngest of Clan McDuck. Could've been a mistake as Hortense is the youngest actually, but the series was probably a change-up of the comic series, which meant that Hortense is now the middle in the series while Matilda is the youngest child.

Gallery[]

External links[]


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Media
Short Films: Mickey Mouse series ā€¢ Donald Duck series ā€¢ Goofy series ā€¢ Pluto series ā€¢ Chip and Dale series

Feature Length Films: Fantasia ā€¢ Saludos Amigos ā€¢ The Three Caballeros ā€¢ Fun and Fancy Free ā€¢ Melody Time ā€¢ DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp ā€¢ Disney's The Twelve Days of Christmas ā€¢ A Goofy Movie ā€¢ Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ā€¢ Fantasia 2000 ā€¢ An Extremely Goofy Movie ā€¢ Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse ā€¢ Mickey's House of Villains ā€¢ Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers ā€¢ Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas ā€¢ Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Television: Mickey Mouse Club ā€¢ The Wonderful World of Disney ā€¢ DuckTales ā€¢ Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers ā€¢ Darkwing Duck ā€¢ Goof Troop ā€¢ Quack Pack ā€¢ Mickey's Fun Songs ā€¢ Mickey Mouse Works ā€¢ House of Mouse ā€¢ Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ā€¢ Minnie's Bow-Toons ā€¢ Mickey Mouse ā€¢ DuckTales ā€¢ Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures ā€¢ Legend of the Three Caballeros ā€¢ Mickey Go Local ā€¢ The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse ā€¢ Mickey Mouse Funhouse ā€¢ Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life ā€¢ Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0

Disney Parks
Mickey's Toontown ā€¢ Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway ā€¢ PLAY!

Entertainment: Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade ā€¢ Stitch's Interplanetary Beach Party Blast ā€¢ Itā€™s Very Minnie! ā€¢ Minnie's Tiara of Dreams ā€¢ Minnie, We Love You! ā€¢ Club Mouse Beat ā€¢ Mickey and Friends: An Extra Big Adventure ā€¢ Minnie @ Funderland
Spring: Disney's Easter Wonderland ā€¢ Hippity Hoppity Springtime ā€¢ Usatama on the Run!
Summer: Summer Blast ā€¢ Disney's Summer Oasis Splash ā€¢ Mickey's WaterWorks
Halloween: Re-Villains! Halloween Parade ā€¢ Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade ā€¢ Frightfully Fun Parade
Christmas A Christmas Fantasy Parade ā€¢ Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade ā€¢ Disney's Santa Village Parade
Parades: Main Street Electrical Parade ā€¢ Donald Duck's 50th Birthday Parade ā€¢ SpectroMagic ā€¢ Mickey Mania Parade ā€¢ Jubilation! ā€¢ Nightfall Glow ā€¢ Paint the Night ā€¢ Happiness is Here Parade ā€¢ Dreaming Up! ā€¢ Mickey's Storybook Express ā€¢ Disney Harmony in Color! Parade
Fireworks: Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland ā€¢ Disney Enchantment ā€¢ Ignite the Dream: A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light ā€¢ World of Color: Celebrate ā€¢ We Love Mickey! ā€¢ Wondrous Journeys

Characters
The Sensational Six: Mickey Mouse ā€¢ Minnie Mouse ā€¢ Donald Duck ā€¢ Daisy Duck ā€¢ Goofy ā€¢ Pluto

Secondary characters: Chip and Dale ā€¢ Pete ā€¢ Clarabelle Cow ā€¢ Horace Horsecollar ā€¢ Huey, Dewey, and Louie ā€¢ Scrooge McDuck ā€¢ Ludwig Von Drake
Characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios: Julius the Cat ā€¢ Oswald the Lucky Rabbit ā€¢ Ortensia ā€¢ J. P. Whiskers ā€¢ Homer the Cat ā€¢ Fanny Cottontail ā€¢ Bunny Children ā€¢ Parrot ā€¢ Clara Cluck ā€¢ The Mad Doctor ā€¢ Mortimer Mouse ā€¢ The Three Little Pigs ā€¢ Big Bad Wolf ā€¢ Little Red Riding Hood ā€¢ Yen Sid ā€¢ Magic Brooms ā€¢ JosĆ© Carioca ā€¢ Panchito Pistoles ā€¢ Humphrey the Bear ā€¢ Max Goof ā€¢ J. Audubon Woodlore ā€¢ Figaro ā€¢ Bootle Beetle ā€¢ Butch the Bulldog ā€¢ Fifi the Peke ā€¢ Dinah the Dachshund ā€¢ Aracuan Bird ā€¢ Salty the Seal ā€¢ Louie the Mountain Lion ā€¢ Raja ā€¢ Bear ā€¢ Spike the Bee ā€¢ Lonesome Ghosts ā€¢ Willie the Giant ā€¢ Weasels ā€¢ Peter Pig ā€¢ Mammy Two Shoes ā€¢ Witch Hazel ā€¢ Donna Duck ā€¢ P.J. ā€¢ Pluto's Kid Brother ā€¢ Pluto's Quin-puplets ā€¢ Pluto Junior ā€¢ Clarice ā€¢ Kat Nipp ā€¢ Dolores the Elephant ā€¢ Bobo the Elephant ā€¢ Gopher ā€¢ Bent-Tail the Coyote ā€¢ Bent-Tail Junior ā€¢ Milton the Cat ā€¢ Pluto's Angel ā€¢ Pluto's Devil
Characters from comic stories: Phantom Blot ā€¢ Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse ā€¢ Chief O'Hara ā€¢ Millie and Melody Mouse ā€¢ Gyro Gearloose ā€¢ Gus Goose ā€¢ Beagle Boys ā€¢ Daisy's parents ā€¢ Grandma Duck ā€¢ Gladstone Gander ā€¢ Magica De Spell ā€¢ Flintheart Glomgold ā€¢ Gilbert Goof ā€¢ John D. Rockerduck ā€¢ Hortense McDuck ā€¢ Quackmore Duck ā€¢ Sylvester Shyster ā€¢ Trudy Van Tubb ā€¢ Felicity Fieldmouse ā€¢ April, May, and June ā€¢ Della Duck ā€¢ Moby Duck ā€¢ Hortense
Characters from Disney Television Animation: Launchpad McQuack ā€¢ Webby Vanderquack ā€¢ Ma Beagle ā€¢ Bentina Beakley ā€¢ Duckworth ā€¢ GizmoDuck ā€¢ Bubba the Cave Duck ā€¢ Gadget Hackwrench ā€¢ Monterey Jack ā€¢ Zipper ā€¢ Fat Cat ā€¢ Darkwing Duck ā€¢ Gosalyn Mallard ā€¢ Peg Pete ā€¢ Pistol Pete ā€¢ Roxanne ā€¢ Bobby Zimmeruski ā€¢ Sylvia Marpole ā€¢ Bradley Uppercrust III ā€¢ Tank ā€¢ Baby Shelby ā€¢ The Troubadour ā€¢ Toodles ā€¢ Cuckoo-Loca ā€¢ Martian Mickey ā€¢ Pluto from Pluto ā€¢ Martian Minnie ā€¢ Billy Beagle ā€¢ Xandra ā€¢ Baron Von Sheldgoose
Characters from Disney Experiences: Duffy the Disney Bear ā€¢ ShellieMay the Disney Bear ā€¢ Gelatoni ā€¢ StellaLou ā€¢ CookieAnn ā€¢ 'Olu Mel ā€¢ TippyBlue ā€¢ LinaBell ā€¢ Mr. Easter Bunny ā€¢ Mrs. Easter Bunny ā€¢ Chuuby

Key artists
Producers and directors: Walt Disney ā€¢ Burt Gillett ā€¢ Wilfred Jackson ā€¢ David Hand ā€¢ Dick Huemer ā€¢ Jack Hannah ā€¢ Jack King ā€¢ Jack Kinney ā€¢ Clyde Geronimi ā€¢ Charles A. Nichols ā€¢ Bill Justice ā€¢ Tad Stones ā€¢ Roy E. Disney ā€¢ Bobs Gannaway ā€¢ Paul Rudish

Designers and animators: Ub Iwerks ā€¢ Norman Ferguson ā€¢ Les Clark ā€¢ Art Babbitt ā€¢ Dick Lundy ā€¢ Frank Thomas ā€¢ Ollie Johnston ā€¢ Fred Moore ā€¢ Fred Spencer ā€¢ Floyd Gottfredson ā€¢ Hamilton Luske ā€¢ Ted Osborne ā€¢ Al Taliaferro ā€¢ Carl Barks ā€¢ Ward Kimball ā€¢ Wolfgang Reitherman ā€¢ Don Rosa ā€¢ Andreas Deja ā€¢ Mark Henn ā€¢ Michael Peraza Jr. ā€¢ Robert Griggs ā€¢ Eric Goldberg
Composers: Carl Stalling ā€¢ Frank Churchill ā€¢ Oliver Wallace ā€¢ Paul Smith ā€¢ Albert Hay Malotte ā€¢ Jimmie Dodd ā€¢ Stephen James Taylor ā€¢ Mark Watters ā€¢ Christopher Willis
Voice actors: Walt Disney ā€¢ Marcellite Garner ā€¢ Pinto Colvig ā€¢ Billy Bletcher ā€¢ Clarence Nash ā€¢ Jimmy MacDonald ā€¢ Bill Thompson ā€¢ Paul Frees ā€¢ Wayne Allwine ā€¢ Tony Anselmo ā€¢ Russi Taylor ā€¢ Alan Young ā€¢ Will Ryan ā€¢ Bill Farmer ā€¢ Corey Burton ā€¢ Tress MacNeille ā€¢ Jim Cummings ā€¢ Bret Iwan ā€¢ Kaitlyn Robrock ā€¢ Chris Diamantopoulos ā€¢ Debra Wilson

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