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I.THEPREGNANCIESANDCONFINEMENTS
conveyingitontocanvas.AsforPrinceAlbert,DrFergusonwasclearlyunder
hisspell,claimingthePrincepossesseduatoncetemper,talent,andbeauty”:
HisprofleiscutinthegraceoftheGrecianartinitsbest
age.Theeyeisbrightandwithoutfercenessandsuitswell
withthecalmnessofhisexpressionandtheevennessofhis
colouring.Hiscomplexionisneitherpalenortinted,but
ofaclearwhite,thro’whichtheredshinesjuststrongly
enoughtosaveitfromthechargeofsickliness,whileits
characteristhatofarefnedanddelicatemind.Heisnearly
sixfeethigh,wideshouldered,rathertooshortintheneck,
well-proportionedastothelengthofhislimbs,tho’theknees
arenotquitewellclearlyknit.Thereisasingularsweetness
ofexpressioninhisgrave-hilarity,whichitisimpossibleto
resist.Hischiefestmentalcharacteristicsaregoodsound
commonsenseandathoughtfulnessquiteunusualatso
youngage(22).Perhapsitisthis,whichmakeshimlookolder
thanheis…Allhistastesarethoseofastudentofelegant
literatureandart.Heisamusicianand,Ibelieve,adraughts-
man,talentedratherthanoriginalandthoughdevoidof
intellectualgenius,possessinginaveryunusualdegreetact
bothindiscoveringcharacter,andinmanagingit.5
Aftertheweddingceremony,thenewlywedswenttoWindsorforasur-
prisinglyshort-onlythreedays-honeymoon.
6
Manyfoundituavery
curiousaffair,morestrangethandelicate”andeventheQueen’sclosest
friendswereshockedathernotconformingtotheEnglishcustomswhich
umodestyandnativedelicacygenerallyprescribe”.7TheQueendescribed
theirfrsteveningandnighttogetherinherjournal.Afterarrivingat
Windsor,theyordereddinnertobebroughttotheirsuitebutshehadusuch
asickheadache”thatshecouldnoteatanythingandhadtospendtherest
oftheeveninglyingonthesofa:u[…]but,illornot,Inever,neverspentsuch
anevening!!MydearestdearestdearAlbertsatonafootstoolbymyside,
andhisexcessiveloveandaffectiongavemefeelingsofheavenlyloveand
happiness,Inevercouldhavehopedtohavefeltbefore!Heclaspedmein
hisarms,andwekissedeachotheragainandagain!Hisbeauty,hissweet-
nessandgentleness,reallyhowcanIeverbethankfulenoughtohavesuch
aHusband!”Thentheyu[…]bothwenttobed(ofcourseinonebed);tolie
byhisside,andinhisarms,andonhisdearbosom,andbecalledbynames
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