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I.THEPREGNANCIESANDCONFINEMENTS
Indeed,heexpressedhimselfverymuchsatisfed,sayinghehadrarely
seenanyladybeforelookingbetterandlessalteredinhealth.Fromthe
timeoftheQueen’sarrivalatWindsorCastleon12August,DrClarksaw
hereverythirddayandsometimesmoreoften,andduringthelastthree
monthsofpregnancyhethoughtitappropriatethatoneoftheaccoucheur
physiciansshouldvisittheQueenwithhim.174
TherearenoextantnotesoftheQueen’sucase”relatingtoherfrst
pregnancy,apartfromseveralentriesinherjournalandthememorandum
byDrClark.On9July1840,theDuchessofKentnotedinherjournalthatshe
dinedatthePalaceandu[…]dearestAlberttoldmethatVictoriafeltthelife
ofherchild.Itmademeveryhappytohearit”.175On10November,the
Queenwrotetoherhalf-sisterFeodorathatshewasu[…]wonderfullywell,
reallytheDoctorssaytheyneversawanybodysowell.Itakelongwalks,
someinthehighestwind,everyday,andamsoactive,thoughofagreat
sizeImustunhappilyadmit.”176
Inconnectionwiththeugreatsize”oftheQueen,theletterwrittenby
CharlesArbuthnot
177
totheDukeofWellingtonisusuallyquotedinwhich
hereportswhatLadyMahon,amutualfriendofbothhimselfandDrLocock,
hadtoldhim.LocockwascertainthattheQueenwillbeu[…]veryuglyand
enormouslyfat.HesaysthatHerfgurenowismostextraordinary.She
goeswithoutstaysoranythingthatkeepsHershapewithinbounds;and
thatsheismorelikeabarrelthananythingelse”.
LocockalsoinformedLadyMahonthatno-onewastobeatthedelivery
excepthimself,anurse,andPrinceAlbert.LadyMahoncommentedthat
nodoubttheQueenwouldbeveryrelievedatthisprivacy,uuponwhich
[Locock]remarkedthatheverilybelievedfromHermannerastodelicacy,
Shewouldnotcareonesinglestrawifthewholeworldwaspresent.”178
*
Itwasrequiredbylawthatthebirthofroyalchildrenshouldbewitnessed
byanumberofministersandotherdignitaries.Thiswastoensurethat
arecentlyborninfantwasnotsmuggledintothebedroomasallegedly
happenedin1688.
179
However,whenQueenCharlottegavebirthtoaroyal
childin1762,althoughtheoffcersofstateweresummonedtoattenditwas
onlytheArchbishopofCanterburywhowasadmittedintothechamber,
withtheothersremaininginanadjoiningroom,thedoortowhichwasleft
open.180WhenQueenVictoriaherselfwasborn,theDukeofWellington,
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