Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
1.1840-1844:THEFIRSTFOURCHILDREN
Courtwhenheavilypregnant,theQueenevendecidedtocircumventthe
rulesandallowedhertositdownalthoughshetooktheprecautionof
placinganotherladyinfrontofhersothatPrinceAlbertshouldnotnotice
thisbreachofetiquette.100
AsfarastheQueenwasconcerned,publicappearanceswerepartofher
everydayactivitiesandin1858sherecalled:uThinkofmewhoatthatfrst
time[i.e.in1840],veryunreasonable,andperfectlyfuriousasIwastobe
caught,havingtohavedrawingroomsandleveesandmadetositdown-
andbestaredat”.101Shewasawareofbeingustaredat”duringallheroff-
cialceremonies,whenshewasondisplayforhours.Drawingrooms(during
whichladieswereoffciallypresented)andlevees(duringwhichgentlemen
werepresentedandsometimesknighted)heldatStJames’sPalacecould
lastforanumberofhours,withasmanyas400presentations.
102
Duringthe
drawingroomon9April1840,whichlastedfrom2.30p.m.to4.00p.m.,
theQueenstoodthewholetimeanduwasnotabittired,butrested”
whentheyreturned.
103
Asthepregnancyprogressedanditbecameobvious
thatshecouldnotstandforhoursduringthepresentations,Melbourne
advisedherthatsheshouldcontinuetoholdthembutbeseated.104Still,
duringthedrawingroomon25Mayshewasuveryobstinate&wouldnot
sitdown,tillAlbertatlastforcedmetodoso”.105Shedidnothavetosit
downonceduringthedrawingroomon25June,
106
butduringtheleveein
July,whentherewere400presentations,shesatforthegreaterpartand
stillwasudreadfullytired”.
107
DuringhersubsequentconfnementsPrince
AlbertwouldsometimesholdleveesonbehalfoftheQueen,108ithaving
beenagreedwiththePrimeMinisterthatallpresentationstohimwere
tobeconsideredasequivalenttopresentationstotheQueenherself.109
Indeed,hatedasitwasbytheQueen,herpregnancywasusedonoccasions
asanexcuseforavoidingsomethingunpleasant.Sheseemstohaveused
hermainaccoucheurDrLococktohelpheravoidcertainpublicduties,for
example,duringherthirdpregnancyPrinceAlberttoldthePrimeMinister
thatdoctorhadforbiddentheQueentoopenParliamentinperson.
110
Herpregnancywasalsothesubjectofcomment,evenbymembersof
theroyalfamily.InAugust1840PrinceAlbertwastoreceivetheFreedom
oftheCity.SinceatthattimetheQueen’sailingAuntAugustawasmuch
improved,afteraulongparley”itwasdecidedthatthePrinceshouldgo
totheceremonybutnotstayforthebanquet.111On28August,whenthe
PrincewasinLondon,Victorianotedthatitwasherfrstdinnerwith-
outhimsincetheirmarriage.WhenthePrincereturnedbefore11p.m.,
hereportedthatallhadgonewellandhehadbeengivenaverykind
25
