From Queen Victoria to the German Crown Princess – Frogmore, 11 January 1864
I am writing from this dear house at dearest Grandmama’s table, and can give you perfectly good accounts of both mother and child1, but by Lady Macclesfield’s2 letter you will have heard that the baby is a 7 months child3, and that the whole was over in an hour – Brown4 only being there and he only for 20 minutes!!! No one but Lady Macclesfield to do everything which the nurses do! There is no real reason whatever for this event, but I should fear general weakness, and perhaps not lying down quite enough and the child being so very low. She is going on quite well and is well kept up. The dear little baby is kept in cotton wool and has to be kept very warm, but is quite healthy and very thriving. It has a very pretty, well-shaped, round head, with very good features, a nice forehead, a very marked nose, beautiful little ears and pretty little hands.
Good Mrs Clark has a charge of it and I repent much having recommended Mrs Innocent for Alix, as she is very troublesome, cross, grand and a great nuisance. The doctors have had to threaten her she shall be sent away, if she gives more trouble. Alix don’t like her. But I hope it will go on well. I feel anxious to get back to Osborne and be quiet but still, I feel I can be of use here which is a great satisfaction to me. Alix does not sleep well as she sleeps too much in the day; she looked very lovely and dear in her bed this morning but dislikes the whole business extremely and is utterly disgusted with it all. And she (till today) had the disadvantage of not having two bed as she was confined of course in her own bed. Of course, there were no clothes and things had to be got in a great hurry. The baby is in two of the three rooms where dear old Späth5 lived, and its cradle, one of our children’s and the one in which little Victoria was, just under adored Papa’s print in armour which seems to be there as patron saint!6
Be the first to comment