The Mellifera Press The Queen of Bushy House

One house. Two women. Both determined to endure.July 1818. Dorothea Jordan - celebrated actress and long-time companion of the Duke of Clarence - has returned. Not in flesh, but in spirit. For fifteen years Bushy House was her sanctuary, filled with laughter and her ten children - the FitzClarences. Now she watches as her portraits are taken down and her daughters sent away, in preparation for the duke's new bride.Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen arrives in England with duty pressing heavily upon her shoulders. At twenty-five, she has accepted a proposal no other princess would take. She must tame the duke's debts, win over his unruly children and - above all - produce an heir to secure the British throne.But Adelaide soon senses a presence in Bushy House.As she struggles to find her place in a household shaped by another woman's love, the restless spirit of Mrs Jordan lingers - watchful, wounded and unwilling to be forgotten.Inspired by the true story of Queen Adelaide and the actress Dorothea Jordan, The Queen of Bushy House explores grief and ambition, motherhood and legacy - and the enduring power of a love that refuses to fade.Shortlisted for The Historical Novel Society First Chapters Competition 2024.