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INTRODUCTION
Evenifthebooksdoconsiderthenurserytoacertainextent,thereis
littleinformationabouttheindividualswhoworkedtherewiththeexcep-
tionofLadyLyttelton,whosesurvivinglettersallowedamoredetailed
presentationofherworkasthenurserysuperintendentduringtheperiod
1842-1850.However,asnotedbyHelenRappaport,
15
thenamesofmostof
thenursesareunknown,thatisthemonthlynurses,wetnursesetc.,who
fortwenty-fveyears,fromthecreationofthenurseryin1840untilitwas
closedin1865,tookcareoftheroyalchildren.
ThisstudyattemptstoshedfurtherlightonthenurseryofQueenVictoria’s
children,andconsistsoftwoparts.Thefrstvolumedealswiththecreation,
organisation,andfnancingoftheroyalnursery,withaconsiderationofthe
mostimportantindividualswholookedaftertheroyalchildren,namelythe
medicalstaff,wetnurses,monthlynurses,permanentnurses,governesses
andsubgovernesses.Itstartswithadetaileddescriptionofeachofthepreg-
nanciesandaccouchementsoftheQueen,aswellasBaronStockmar’sideas
andthepracticalitiesconcerningtheorganisationofthenursery.Thesecond
volumewillpresenttheeverydaylifeoftheroyalchildreninthenursery.
AlthoughIreadindepththeavailablepublishedmaterialsaswell
asstudiesonthesubjectoftheroyalnursery,wheneverpossibleItried
togobacktothearchivalsources,especiallythosehousedintheRoyal
ArchivesatWindsorCastle.Crucialamongsuchsourceswerethevolumes
compiledbyPrinceAlbertthatwereinscribedConfidentialFamilyPapers,16
aswellasQueenVictoria’sJournals,
17
which,despitetheheavyediting
byheryoungestdaughterPrincessBeatrice,arestillanhistoricalsource
ofprimaryimportance.18NumerousdocumentsfromtheRoyalArchives
havebeenpublishedhereforthefrsttime.
Amongtheotherarchivesletmementiononlytwoimportantsources.
ThefrstisthepersonaljournalofoneoftheQueen’saccoucheurs,namely
DrRobertFerguson.Thisdocumenthasbeenhithertovirtuallyunknown
tohistorians.19AcquiredbytheRoyalCollegeofPhysiciansinLondonin
2009,itincludes,interalia,DrFerguson’spersonalopinionsregardingthe
Queen’scharacterandmentalhealth,aswellasaccountsofthedisposition
ofPrinceAlbertandothermembersoftheHouseholdsuchasBaroness
LouiseLehzenandBaronStockmar.Italsoincludesadetaileddescription
ofthearrangementsforthebirthoftheQueen’sfrstchild,thePrincess
Royal.ThesecondsourceisthediaryofMrsThurstonwhoworkedinthe
royalnurseryfrom1845to1865:frstasanurseandthenastheheadnurse.
Herinterestingdiary,acopyofwhichwaspresentedtoOsborneHouseby
MrsThurston’sdescendants,hasthusfarneverbeenusedbyhistorians.
