#statfordlegacy

The family of Queen Mary II, before the births of her last two daughters, (Princess Mary & Princess Matilda in 1837 & 1840)

Adelaide and her husband Charles enjoyed a remote honeymoon at Tregaron Castle on the Isle. Adelaide spent time reading while Charles was secluded in his rooms and went on occasional hunting trips with his friends. When Adelaide and Charles returned to San Myshuno he abruptly left, taking up residence at Dunkeld Palace in Victoria. Adelaide found herself alone raising his children as her own. Charles could never look at his daughters without thinking of their mother Maria Christina whom he dearly loved. After losing his father, his fiance, his first wife, and two children, Charles was never open to loving anyone ever again and distanced himself from his new wife and surviving children. Adelaide dedicated herself to raising Princess Alexandra who would one day become Queen of Windenburg and San Myshuno.

Like Maria Christina, Adelaide preferred spending time with family rather than at court. Adelaide organized a strict curriculum for her stepdaughters, employing tutors and professors from the top universities in the country. Adelaide frequently wrote letters to Charles and Queen Mary, updating them on the children. In December 1874, Charles visited his daughters for the last time at San Myshuno Palace. Charles had gifted his daughters new toys and dresses from Magnolia, gifts they would cherish forever. Adelaide believed that Charles's health had improved and seemed to be in "better spirits", however in February 1875, the Prince died from an illness. Charles had planned to return to Honey House and move in with his wife and daughters, however, he caught a fever which led to his eventual death.

Adelaide comforted the Queen during her grief and lived with her for months at the San Myshuno Palace. Adelaide was now raising the heir to the throne, Alexandra, whom Mary had turned her attention to. Mary saw herself in young Alexandra and believed she needed to be taken under her wing. Adelaide and her stepdaughters would spend months out of the year with Queen Mary at Statford Castle where the young princess would be educated.

In 1875, with the death of Queen Mary II, Alexandra became Queen. Adelaide became the most senior member of the royal court, after Alexandra, and was thrust into the position of a society hostess. Although Adelaide considered herself an introvert and preferred the company of her immediate family, she helped her stepdaughter entertain at the palace. Adelaide became one of Alexandra's senior advisers and was in charge of her household. Adelaide became the matriarch of the royal family by the time Alexandra's children were born. Adelaide helped Alexandra raise her children and took a huge role in their lives. Adelaide helped arrange the marriage of most of her grandchildren, including the marriage of the future King Albert II and Princess Marina of Brindleton.

Adelaide remained at Honey House for the majority of her life and continued to make improvements and renovations to the house. Adelaide turned the over 200-year manor into a shrine to the royal family and spent the rest of her life restoring the house. Honey House became the center of the royal family, with Adelaide's grandchildren visiting the house almost every week. In the 1930s, Adelaide moved into Kingston Palace to be taken care of by her stepdaughter, Princess Charlotte.

Adelaide continued to appear at family functions and official events concerning the royal family. Adelaide devoted much of her time to charities and organizations which she became the patron of including the Windenburg Disabled Veterans Fund, which she she established after the Tartosan Wars in 1905.

Princess Adelaide of Brichester was born in 1847 to Prince Willem-Maurits of Brichester and Infanta Antonia of Selvadorada. Her father was the second son of the reigning King of Brichester and her mother was a niece of King Felipe III of Selvadorada. Adelaide grew up at Emden Castle, a country estate of the Brichester Royal Family. Adelaide's father valued a high education, and thus had all of his daughters educated by tutors from the University of Brichester. Her mother Antonia was an affectionate mother who deeply cared for her children. However, she also had high ambitions, aiming to see her daughters become queens. Adelaide's sisters would become the Queen of Brichester and the Crown Princess of Brindleton through advantageous marriages. Adelaide and her sisters were often referred to as the Brichester Set, beautiful young princesses who became the most sought after brides in the continent.

Adelaide met her mother's cousins, the King and Queen of Selvadorada multiple times throughout her childhood. Before the Selvadoradian Royal Family traveled to San Myshuno for the wedding of Maria Christina to the Prince of the Isle, they visited Antonia and her daughters in Brichester. Maria Christina remarked that her cousin Antonia was "pleasant, but plain" and compared having 9 children to a "living hell". Adelaide was briefly courted by Maria Christina's older brother, Infante Fernando of Selvadorada in 1869, but he died later that year ending the courtship. That same year Maria Christina died in labor, leaving her husband a widower.

Queen Mary II believed that her granddaughters needed a mother figure in their life, and expected her son to give her a grandson who could inherit the throne of Windenburg and San Myshuno. Mary II employed her daughters to look for a bride for her widowed son. Mary's second daughter, Ophelia had met Adelaide at the wedding of her sister to Ophelia's step-son, the Crown Prince of Brindleton. Ophelia suggested to Queen Mary that Adelaide was very beautiful and kind, and being kin to Maria Christina, would make a wonderful mother to her children. Adelaide was invited to Statford Castle in 1870 along with her parents where they were introduced to the Queen and Prince Charles. Prince Charles was pleasant and kind to Princess Adelaide, however she was unimpressed. Prince Charles did not speak much and remained rather quiet, with his mother Queen Mary speaking for him. Adelaide initially wanted to reject Prince Charles, but her mother Antonia had other plans. Antonia manipulated her daughter into accepting the proposal by emphasizing the "shame" that would be brought on the family if she rejected him.