Dorothy Jordan
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Mrs Jordan (November 21, 1761 – July 5, 1816) was an actress, courtesan and was the mistress of the future King William IV of the United Kingdom while Duke of Clarence.
She was born Dorothea Bland near Waterford, the daughter of Francis Bland and his wife, née Grace Phillips.
She became an actress and assumed the name "Mrs Jordan", because it was slightly more respectable for a married woman to be on the stage (there was no "Mr Jordan" and Dorothea Bland never married).
Pretty, witty, and intelligent, Jordan soon came to the attention of wealthy men. She became William IV's mistress in the late-1780's, and seemed to have not bothered herself with politics or the political intrigues that often went on behind the scenes in royal courts. She continued her acting career, and made public appearances with William IV when need-be. Together they had at least ten illegitimate children:
- Lord George Augustus (1794-1842), created Earl of Munster in 1831.
- Henry Edward (1795-1817) (no issue)
- Lady Sophia (1796-1837) married Philip Sidney, 1st Baron De L'Isle and Dudley.
- Lady Mary (1798-1864) married General Charles Richard Fox (no issue)
- Lord Frederick (1799-1854)
- Lady Elizabeth (1801-1856) married William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll
- Lord Adolphus (Rear-Admiral) (1802-1856) (no issue)
- Lady Augusta (1803-1865) married, firstly, Lord John Kennedy-Erskine, 5 July 1827, married secondly, Admiral Lord John Frederick Gordon
- Lord Augustus (1805-1854)
- Lady Amelia (1807-1858) married Lucius Bentinck Cary, 10th Viscount Falkland
Other relationships, descendants
She was also romantically linked with Sir Richard Ford, a police magistrate, and Richard Daly, manager of the Theatre Royal, Cork, both occurring while she was involved with William IV.
She died in 1816 at Saint-Cloud, near Paris, France in poverty.
Her notable descendants include:
- Sir Edward Henry Charles Patrick Bellingham, 5th Bt. Brig.-Gen., Senator of the Irish Free State (26 January 1879-19 May 1956)
- Fra Andrew Bertie (b.1929) Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller.
- David Cameron Leader of the Conservative Party, (born 9 October 1966)
- Duff Cooper British diplomat, Cabinet member and author (February 22, 1890 - January 1, 1954)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute (b.1958) former racing driver.
- Charles Fitzclarence Brigadier General, recipient of the Victoria Cross (May 8, 1865- November 2, 1914)
- Adam Hart-Davis British author, photographer, and broadcaster (born July 4, 1943)
- Rupert Hart-Davis British publisher, literary editor, and man of letters (August 28, 1907 - December 8, 1999)
- Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll a cross-bench member of the House of Lords (born 20 April, 1948)
- Violet Jacob Scottish writer (1863 - 1946)
- Oliver Reed English actor (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999)
- William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle 15th Governor-General of Australia, the last British Governor-General (23 May 1909 - 5 April 1991),
Bibliography
- Mrs. Jordan's Profession: The Actress and the Prince, Claire Tomalin, October 17, 1994, Publisher: Viking, ISBN 0670841595
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