Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
1.1840-1844:THEFIRSTFOURCHILDREN
thatifuhehadbeenanurseorman-midwife”hewouldnothaveapproved
oftheQueendancinginhercondition.121TheQueendancedagainthree
dayslater,butonlythefrstquadrillebeforeretiringtoasofa,whileAlbert
dancedseveralwaltzesandotherdances.122Evenon20July,sheopened
theballbydancingaquadrillebutwasuratherknockedup”,adding,uIfelt
sovexedIcouldnotjoininthedancing,asIshouldhavelikedtodo”.123
Sheonlystartedtodanceagainon22January1841,whenshetookupart
innearlyallthedances”andgreatlyenjoyedherself.124
TheQueenalsocontinuedtopursueherfavouritesportofriding,
althoughwithtimeshenolongerrodebutdroveinaponyphaetonand
alsowentonlongwalks.Inthisway,shefollowedtheacceptedbehaviour
ofaristocraticladies.Forexample,onherarrivalinLondonLadyMorley,
whohadpreviouslyriddenregularlyevenduringthefrstmonthsofpreg-
nancy,gaveupridingandinsteadtookupwalkingasaformofexercise:
Ihavebeentryingmyagilitytheselastthreemonthsin
takingacertainnumberofturnsaroundtheSquareby
whichIcalculatethatIwalkabouttwomilesatabreathing
thisIbelieveisreckonedagoodthingforallladiesunder
similarcircumstanceswithmyself,&formeIthinkitisquite
necessary,asIhavealwaysbeensomuchaccustomedtoair
&exerciseallmylife,thatifIwastobedeprivedofitlike
manyLondonladiesIshouldloseallmyfacultiesmentaland
corporalandfallintoastateofutterimbecility.125
LadyMorley’sattitudewassecondedbyMaryNoel,whowrotetoher
niece:uAsyouareaccustom’dtosoactivealifeIfearyouwillbeillifyou
aretoosedentary”.126Later,thebythenexperiencedQueenwastoadvise
thepregnantVickynottokeepherroomstoohotandtogetasmuchfresh
airasshecould.uYourfuturehealth,yourlooks,yournervesandyour
powerofusefulnessdependsonit”,127addingthataccordingtoDrJames
Clark,twohoursdailyofgoodairandexercisewouldinsureherhealth.
128
TheQueenlovedhorse-ridingandbeforehermarriagesherodealmost
everyday,weatherpermitting,althoughaftershewasmarriedshegaveup
ridingon12March,perhapsalreadysuspectingshemightbepregnant.
129
Drivesinaponyphaeton,asmentioned,replacedtherides.
BeforehermarriagetheQueenwasnottoofondofwalking.Shedidtake
awalknowandthen,andinbadweatherevenwalkedinside,130despite
complainingitboredherasshethoughtittiringanddislikedwalkingfor
27
