Character Analysis
An Evil Ruler
We're pretty sure that if you could get your hands on the dictionary that Tiffany read, the Queen's picture would appear in the entry defining evil. It might also appear in the entry for unhinged. Because those are two things this ferocious ruler definitely is: evil and unhinged.
The Queen rules Fairyland and, according to the Nac Mac Feegles, has pretty much destroyed it. Apparently things were better when she ruled with the king, but then he bounced and she started destroying the landscape and demanding that the Nac Mac Feegles steal from everyone—both rich and poor—on her behalf. They didn't agree with this, and so they had to leave.
The Queen doesn't care about her subjects; she doesn't care about the fact that Fairyland is this weird white space now; she doesn't even care that a bunch of fairies fled. She just wants to be in control, all the time.
It's All About Me
It's not like the Queen doesn't care about anybody at all, though. Nope—she totally cares about herself. Her super selfish nature, though, means that she doesn't really think about things in the long term—remember that she's deranged enough to kidnap kids to provide amusement for her. She's just like a spoilt child. As Tiffany identifies:
I know what you are, said her Third Thoughts. You're something that's never learned anything. You don't know anything about people. You're just… a child that got old. (12.23)
The Queen just wants things to be fun and interesting (for herself). She likes her dromes because they provide dreams that she can watch, and when Tiffany shows up, she's delighted to have new dreams—even though it means that she's holding a bunch of kids against their will. What a nice lady, huh?
Life is but a Dream
The one intimidating skill that the Queen does have is her ability to manipulate dreams:
The Queen could take dreams and make them more... solid. You could step inside them and vanish. And you didn't wake up just as the monsters caught up with you. (8.70)
In fact, the Queen's whole world is made up of dreams—including her appearance. When you enter the Queen's world you run the risk of getting caught in a dream with no way to get out. And it's not the pleasant kind of dream either—this lady has nightmares and dromes running after all the characters.