Dorothea Jordan

[K Douglas]

Why was she sometimes refered to as Mrs Ireland.

[twopennorth]

Because she was Irish, probably.

p.s I replied to this one elsewhere.

[MustafaTinkl]

She was born Dorothea Bland in Ireland in 1762 and later became a famous comic actress in England under the stage name of Mrs Jordan. In those days "jordan" was slang for a chamber pot. In 1790, by which time she already had four children by Sir Richard Ford, she became the long-term mistress of the future King William IV, by whom she had a further ten children. All of these ten children were subsequently enobled, each with an Irish associated title - Earl of Munster etc - hence the Mrs Ireland thing. With an ironic touch she died in 1816 on July 5 which is the Feast Day of St Modwenna whom many hold to be the Patron Saint of Irish Virgin's.