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1.1840-1844:THEFIRSTFOURCHILDREN
walkingimmensely.EvenwhentheyreturnedtoBuckinghamPalacein
mid-Novembertheydidnotfailtowalk,althoughtheweatherwasuvery
coldandraw”,takingtheirlastwalkjustonedaybeforetheconfnement.
141
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Pregnancywasoftendescribedasanillness,anduIwasill”meantuIwasin
labour”.142Ontheotherhand,manydoctorsbelievedthatpregnancywas
anormal,healthy,andevendesirablecondition.143Theguidingprinciple
ofprenatalcarewastofocusonthenatural,andgoodhealthmeantthat
alltheelementsofthehumanconstitution,thatisthefourhumours,had
tobeperfectlybalanced,avoidingbothweaknessandplethora,orfullness.
Mostpregnantwomenwerethoughttobeplethoricandweretreatedvia
aloweringsystem,whichincludedbloodlettingbyleechingorcupping,
oradministeringdosesofanuopening”(laxative)medicine.However,the
mostimportantpartoftheloweringsystemwasdiet:pregnantwomen
weregivenucoolingfoods”suchasfruitsandvegetables,andprohibited
fromeatinguheatingfoods”suchasmeat,eggs,andspices.Theywerealso
forbiddentheating”beverages,likecoffee,tea,andalcohol.144
ItwasgenerallybelievedthatPrincessCharlotteumighthavebeen
savedifshehadnotbeensomuchweakened”
145
byalackofexercise,but
despitethisviewherdoctor,Croft,wascriticisedforhavingweakened
herbythedietheprescribed.Shewasnotallowedeggsorfoodfrom
animalsforbreakfast,forlunchshehadthechoiceofufruitandsweet
meat”withuBreadorBiscuits”,andfordinner-uplaindressedMeat…
thatwhichismosteasyofdigestion,andnottoexceedtwoglassesof
WineatandafterDinnerandthisistobetheonlyWinetakeninthe
courseoftheday”.146EvenifPrincessCharlottehadobeyedthedoctor’s
orders-andshedidnoteasilyacceptordersfromanyone-herdiet
wouldhavebeensubstantiallymorenutritiousthanthatofmanyofher
pregnantcontemporaries.147
Melbourne’sadviceonlearningoftheQueen’spregnancywasthatshe
shouldeatanddrinkheartily,forwhichsheneededlittleprompting.The
Queenenjoyedeatinganddrinking,andevenwhenshewasstillagirlUncle
Leopoldwrotejokinglythathehadheardthatuacertainlittleprincess…
eatsalittletoomuch,andalmostalwaysalittletoofast”.148Bytheage
ofsixteenshewascomplainingtoherhalf-sisterofbeinguunhappilyvery
fat”.149ThomasCreevey,describingtheQueenin1837,said:
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