Dorothea Jordan was an Anglo-Irish actress, as well as a courtesan. She was the long-time mistress of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, and the mother of 10 illegitimate children by him, all of whom took the surname FitzClarence. She was known professionally as Dorothea Francis and Dorothea Jordan, was informally Dora Jordan, and she commonly was referred to as Mrs Jordan and Mrs FitzClarence.
Mrs. Jordan in the Character of Hippolyta, painting by John Hoppner, first exhibited 1791 (previously in the National Gallery and Tate collections, now on loan to the National Portrait Gallery)
William Beechey, Dorothea Jordan as Rosalind in Shakespeare's ‘As You Like It’
Mrs. Jordan in her role of Peggy in The Country Girl, David Garrick's tamer adaption of Wycherley's earlier, more scandalous play The Country Wife
In this 1791 James Gillray cartoon, Jordan is depicted in bed with the Duke of Clarence.
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a kept mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically also referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person.
Veronica Franco, famous Venetian poet and courtesan. Portrait by Paolo Veronese.
Courtesans with their servants by Lancelot Volders
Olympe Pélissier (Vernet, 1830) was described by Balzac as "the most beautiful courtesan in Paris". In 1846, she married Rossini.
Lais of Corinth by Hans Holbein the Younger, Kunstmuseum Basel
