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I.THEPREGNANCIESANDCONFINEMENTS
often.God’swillbedone,andifHedecreesthatweareto
haveagreatnumberofchildrenwhywemusttrytobring
themupasusefulandexemplarymembersofsociety.34
ItcanthereforebeassumedthatVictoriadidnotintendtohavenumer-
ouschildren,yetdespitethis,inthefrstseventeenyearsofmarriageshe
waspregnantforapproximatelyeightymonths-morethansixyearsin
total-andshespentconsiderablylongerrecoveringfromeachbirth.
Inpracticalterms,theQueen’sadultlifewasalmostsynonymouswith
childbearing.35
Inthisrespect,theQueendidnotdiffermuchfromotheraristocratic
womenwhoweretypicallypregnantforperiodslastingmanyyears.The
utypical”aristocratmarriedat21andgavebirthtoherlastchildattheage
of39.Lewisstudiedfftyaristocraticwomen,andofthethirty-sixwho
hadchildren,thirty-onewerestillrearingchildrenafterffteenyearsof
marriage.Indeed,nineteenwouldcontinuetohavechildrenaftertwen-
tyyearsofmarriage.Themedianchildbearingspan-frommarriageto
thefnalbirth-fortheentiregroupwaseighteenyears,resultinginthe
productionofabouteightchildreneach.36
*
ThefrstchildofQueenVictoriaandPrinceAlbertwasbornon22Novem-
ber1840,twoorthreeweeksearlierthananticipated,therefore,theQueen
musthaveconceivedonlyamonthafterherwedding.37On4Marchshe
hadabadheadachewhichpreventedhergoingtodinnerandAlbertstayed
withher,38butafewdayslatershetookpartinaballuntil2a.m.,dancing
severalquadrillesaswellasvalses,agallop,andanEnglishcountrydance,
andsheukeptupwithgreatspirit”.
39
On16Marchtherewerefurther
dances,andagaintheQueenenjoyedherselfimmenselyfrom10p.m.
until2a.m.
40
However,on21Marchshedidnotfeelwellalldayanddined
alonewithAlbertinhisroom.Perhapsthiswasbecauseofthefrstsigns
ofpregnancy,withLongfordnotingthatsheucriedbitterly”.41Thenext
morningshefeltbetterbutlaterbecameuveryfeverish”andspentafew
hoursinbed,althoughshewaspresentfordinner.Twomonthsbefore
theweddingshewroteinherjournalhowmuchshewaslookingforward
tomarriageandhowlittletochildbearing.WhenMelbournetoldherthat
uthemeasureofmarriedhappinessistohaveagreatnumberofchildren”,
18
