New bike needed

the phantom pieman

I've finally got my wife back on a MTB after a few years with neck and back issues - it;s a tatty old Marin Bear Valley, around 12 years old. As it has been left to her to look after it needs attention....
TBH it needs a respray, new drive chain, new rear wheel etc ... so I may as well just buy a new bike.
Here is my issue - she does not want to be leaning forward in the XC type pose. I have a pair of funky german handlebars on at the moment, that look like On-One Marys on steriods - and a very short stem that bring the reach back towards what she is happty with.
This is coupled with the std bolt on riser section for aheadsets - which raiser the bars around 4 inches. This set up works ...
So for the new bike, I was thinking along the lines of HT all mountain/playbike, as they seem to have high front ends/ short top tubes - which would be ideal. TBH the higher the headtube the better - she isn't going to be coming down full on down hills, and she's interested in comfort, not speed ....
Up to 1000 englis pound - any suggestions ??