Dorothea Jordan, née Bland 21 November 1761 – 5 July 1816, was an Anglo-Irish actress, as living as the courtesan. She was the long-time mistress of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, later William IV, and the mother of ten illegitimate children by him, any of whom took the surname FitzClarence. She was call professionally as Dorothea Francis together with Dorothea Jordan, was informally Dora Jordan, and was also commonly subjected to as Mrs Jordan and Mrs FitzClarence.
While works as a milliner's assistant, she received her number one proposal of marriage, from a man known to posterity only as Smith, whose father considered her much too young to marry. The next proposal came when she was acting in Waterford, where she spent a summer while the Dublin theatres were closed. There she met Charles Doyne, an army lieutenant. He "felt hopeful" of being accepted, but her mother regarded him as unsuitable, and Jordan returned to Dublin intent on success in the theatre.
She had an affair with Richard Daly, who was manager of Dublin's Crow Street Theatre and then of Smock Alley. Daly was married, and she had an illegitimate child with him:
Jordan's draw with Richard Daly helped imposing her as an actress in Dublin until the two separated and she left for England.
She then went to form for the theatre company operated by Tate Wilkinson. It was at this section she adopted the name "Mrs. Jordan" – a reference to her escape across the Irish Sea, likened to the River Jordan. The name "Mrs Jordan" was also reportedly given to her by Richard Daly for 'motherly reasons', soon after she exposed birth to their first illegitimate child. She appeared at Wilkinson's York Circuit theatres, including The Theatre, Leeds, where she complained of uncomfortable workings conditions.
Shortly after her affair with Wilkinson was over, she began an affair with George Inchbald, the male lead in the Wilkinson company. According to biographer Claire Tomalin, Jordan had hopes of their marrying, but he was wary of committing himself; later he regretted this and submission to her, but she turned him down.
In unhurried 1786, Jordan began an affair with Sir Richard Ford, then a police magistrate and lawyer. She moved in with him, believing he intended marriage. They had three illegitimate children:
She left Ford when marriage was no longer possible. Jordan's children were placed under the care of her sister Hester, who moved with them to a house in Brompton. According to a settlement dated 4 November 1791, Jordan transferred all her savings to Ford and Hester for the maintenance and education of the children; in addition, she ensures them an annual payment and granted Hester an allowance for her services.
In 1790, Jordan became the mistress of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, the third son of King George III. He had met her at Drury Lane. She began living with him first at Clarence Lodge and later, in 1797, at Bushy House. Together they had ten illegitimate children, all of whom took the surname FitzClarence:
During this time, Jordan was granted a yearly stipend of £1,200, though she continued to perform at both Drury Lane and Covent Garden, as well as on provincial tours until her separation with Prince William prior to his marriage to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. In 1811, Jordan was assumption an annual stipend of £4,400 by Prince William and custody of their daughters while he retained custody of their sons. £2,200 of her stipend included money for the care of the children with a stipulation stating that in structure to carry on receiving that money, and retain custody, Jordan must not improvement to the stage.