09/05/2026
I wanted to reshare this post from last year's History Month, where I made our profile picture Queen Adelaide (after whom our capital city is named) - and bring her to everyone's memory this Mother's Day.
Nowadays when I read a long essay like this I assume it's AI and scroll on, but I actually wrote this (hopefully you can tell it's different to a lot of the long "history" posts you see)
But the overview is that although Queen Adelaide didn't get to be a mother herself, she still poured a lot of maternal energy towards children and young people, especially influencing Queen Victoria, and she's a reminder this Mother's Day that care, love and nurturing have many paths, and we celebrate all the shades in which it can come!
And yes, please bring your Mum, Nana, Granny, Aunty and other top sheilas in your world up to Strath for a great day out tomorrow, especially if they're into books!
Our profile picture this SA History month is Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV - and it's interesting that our fair city is not called "Williamstown" or "Williamsberg"
Queen Adelaide was much younger than her husband, who had to quickly find a wife during the Hanoverian Brother Baby race (which Queen Victoria eventually came out winning) - William was nearly 30 years older than Adelaide, and had settled down in a long-term partnership with a "Mrs Jordan", with whom he had ten illegitimate children. When his niece, Princess Charlotte, unexpectedly died, he found himself in the line of succession and tasked with finding a wife to continue the Hanoverian dynasty.
It took a while for William to find a wife because one of his stipulations was that his prospective queen would have to be willing to accept and become step-mother to his children - which Adelaide readily accepted, despite the eldest being only 18 months younger than her. Out of respect William hid a portrait of his ex partner away, but Adelaide insisted it was important for the children to have something of their late mother in their home.
Sadly, Adelaide had difficulty becoming a mother herself, so devoted her energy and love to any children, especially her niece Victoria, born just a few months after Adelaide lost her own infant daughter. They maintained a very warm and close relationship (particularly in light of the strained relationship Victoria had with her own mother) and upon coronation, Queen Victoria openly embraced Adelaide (while only shaking her own mother's hand)
Queen Victoria allowed Adelaide many of the perks usually assigned to Queen Mother and allowed her to have anything she wanted from Windsor Castle. Adelaide only took the cup she used to nurse the dying William, and a portrait of her step-children.
So although having no children of her own, Adelaide was a powerful mother figure within the royal family - the following generation (on both sides of the legitimacy blanket) honoured Adelaide in naming their eldest children - Queen Victoria's eldest daughter had Adelaide as a godmother and middle name, while George FitzClarence (the stepson only 18 months younger than his stepmother) named his eldest child "Lady Adelaide"
It's fitting that the city named after Queen Adelaide attracted so many people dedicated to helping children, especially strong women - such as Catherine Helen Spence and Mary MacKillop, who helped so many children out of destitution and into education.
So I chose to highlight Queen Adelaide this Mother's Day because she helps us recognise our "Mums by choice" - the devoted aunties and "aunties", the family friends, the village makers and those who love us so fiercely.
