Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
1.1840-1844:THEFIRSTFOURCHILDREN
uanunhappycondition’,uanunenviableposition”,uthistrial”,uthisoccu-
pation”,uacertainevent”,77oruconfnement”.78
Itwascustomaryforwomentoconcealtheirpregnanciesasmuchas
possibleandforaslongaspossible,nordidtheyallowmuchdiscussion
ofit.
79
When,in1839,LadyLyttelton’sdaughter-in-lawrefusedtheQueen’s
invitationtodinner,utheQueen-impertinentlittlecreature”,saidto
LadyLyttelton:usosorrynottoseeyournewdaughterLyLbutIsuppose
therearereasons’.tOhMadame’,Isaid,titissuchearlydays!Ishouldnot
supposeTHAT’(nomoreIdid:Iknewit,whichisquiteanotherthing),
tbutsheisratherdelicateandherlongjourneyhasknockedherup’”.80
Whenhereldestdaughterbecamepregnantin1858,theQueeninformed
herthatsheandPrinceAlberthadnevermentionedthepregnancybut
insteadhadtoldeveryonethatVicky’sinjuredfootwasthereasonforher
notgoingonaplannedtriptoCoburgtoseeherfather.uIhopeyoudo
thesame”,addedtheQueen,uandFritzdon’t[sic]allowhisownpeople
andrelationstoenterintosuchsubjects;itissoindelicate.Papanever
alloweditandIshouldhavebeenfrantic”.81WhentheQueenheardthat
herdaughterhaddiscussedthearrangementsforthebirthofherfrst
childwithherCourtChamberlain,shewasshocked.Thiswasalsoher
reactionwhenPrincessMaryofCambridgeaskedAlbertwhetherVicky
sufferedmuchfrommorningsickness82-wordswhichtheQueenwould
neveruttertouanygentleman”.
83
TheQueenthoughtallthatuNature
decreed”aboutchild-bearingisuabadarrangement,butwemustcalmly,
patientlybearit…andthemoreweretainourpure,modestfeelings,the
easieritistogetoveritallafterwards”,addingthatshewasuverymuch
likeagirlinallthesefeelings,butsinceIhavehadagrown-upmarried
daughterandyoungmarriedrelationsIhavebeenobligedtohearandtalk
ofthingsanddetailswhichIhate-butwhichareunavoidable.”84
WhentheQueen’spregnancywasconfrmedtoMelbourneheinformed
Albertthattherewouldbenoformalannouncementregardingherbeingin
anuinterestingcondition”aswascustomaryabroad,
85
despitethefactthat
itwasuunderstood&known”thatshewasexpectingababy.
86
Itwashardly
surprising,however,thattherewasmuchinterestintheQueen’scondition,
asituationwhichledtoconsiderablegossip.WritingtoLadyPalmerstonon
5April1840,PrincessLievenaskediftheQueenwaspregnant,
87
andatthe
sametimeBaronessLehzenandLadyLytteltontoldMrsStevensonthat
thehopesofthenationuwerenotyettoberealized”.88Afewdayslater,
atthefeteorganisedinhonouroftheroyalnewly-wedsbytheMarchioness
ofLansdowne,theQueenudancedwiththeyoungnoblemenoftheCourt,
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