Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 219

From the Queen to the Empress Frederick – 15 June 1888

From the Queen to the Empress Frederick – Balmoral, 15 June 1888

(Immediately following the death of her daughter’s husband, the German Emperor)

Darling, darling, unhappy Child, I clasp you in my arms and to a heart that bleeds, for this is a double, dreadful grief, a misfortune untold and to the world at large. You are far more sorely tried than me. I had not the agony of seeing another fill the place of my angel husband which I always felt I never could have borne. May God help and support you as He did me and may your children be some help, some comfort, as so many of mine were. Though at that time there was bitterness. I can’t write what I feel. I can’t collect my thoughts. I feel stunned. I would wish to do anything and everything to help you, even to go to you if you wished. Do come to us. You should get quite away with the girls for a time. Your health will require it after such a long strain.

Darling beloved Fritz, I loved him so dearly. He was so kind to me always and in ’61. I see him always before me with those beautiful, loving blue eyes. How well he was here last year still. Here you were engaged and here I received the dreadful news. I am so thankful other people have aggravated all were not there… God in His mercy help and support you.1

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Princess Victoria in her Journal – 15 June 1837

Princess Victoria in her Journal – 15 June 1837

The news of the King1 are so very bad that all my lessons save the Dean’s2 are put off, including Lablache’s… and we see nobody. I regret rather my singing lessson, though it is only a short period, but duty and proper feeling go before all pleasures. – 10 minutes to 1 – I just hear that the Doctors think my poor Uncle the King cannot last more than 48 hours! Poor man! He was always kind to me, and he meant it well I know; I am grateful for it, and shall ever remember his kindness with gratitude. He was odd, very odd and singular, but his intentions were often ill interpreted! At about a quarter to 2 came Lord Liverpool3 and I had a highly important conversation with him – alone.4

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Princesses of Orange – Anna of Buren

Anna of Buren was born around March 1533 as the daughter of Maximilian van Egmond and Françoise de Lannoy. She would be their only child, and she was thus the heiress to her father’s estates. Her father was an ally of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and as such he was often away on campaign.

Anna grew up in the world that was centred around the court of Mary of Hungary in Brussels. She spoke the language of the Brussels court, which was French, but she also spoke Dutch. Her father’s death came quite suddenly in 1548. She was probably quite unprepared for the managing of her vast estates. She was just 15 years old and was now Countess of Buren and Lady of Egmond, Countess of Lingen and Leerdam, and Lady of IJsselstein, of Borssele, of Grave, of Cranendonck, of Jaarsveld, of Kortgene, of Sint Maartensdijk, and Odijk. All in all, she was quite the catch.

When her father was on his deathbed – supposedly in full armour –  he toasted to the health of the Holy Roman Emperor, and he had the state of mind to arrange his daughter’s marriage to William, Prince of Orange. He was also known as William the Silent, and he later became the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs. Their wedding took place on 8 July 1551 in Buren. William and Anna settled in the castle of Breda, where their three children were born.

Castle Breda, Anne inhabited rooms in the so-called Blockhouse on the right

Their first child Maria, named for Mary of Hungary, was born in 1553 but she died the next year. A son named Philip William was born in 1554, followed by another Maria in 1556.

The vault in the church in Breda

Anna was alone quite a bit. William was often at the court in Brussels or on campaign. Anna was requested to come to Brussels only once when King Philip II of Spain was to come there. She was good at managing the couple’s estates as William commended her actions in several of his letters. None of Anna’s responses have survived.

She was supposed to accompany her husband to Dillenburg in early 1558, but Anna became ill. We don’t know exactly what Anna suffered from, but she died in Breda on 24 March 1558. She was still only 25 years old. She was buried in the Church of Our Lady in Breda, together with her firstborn daughter Maria. William went on the marry three more times.

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The Dugu Sisters – Three Sisters, Three Empresses, Three Successive Chinese Dynasties

In the sixth century, there lived a general named Dugu Xin. He came from a non-Chinese clan that was said to have a vast network of connections and influences throughout the various kingdoms of China.[1] Dugu Xin was a military general who had served both the Northern Wei and Western Wei dynasties.[2] He eventually became Duke of Henai during the Northern Zhou dynasty. As much power and influence that he wielded, he was no match for his daughters. Three of his daughters played a pivotal role during three different Chinese dynasties.[3] This would change the history of China forever. In order to paint a more comprehensive look at these three different queens, I am not going to discuss them by age, but rather by discussing the history of the Chinese dynasties.

Empress Mingjing (Empress of Northern Zhou Dynasty)

Empress Mingjing was Dugu Xin’s eldest daughter.[4] She married Yuwen Yu, the Duke of Ningdu Commandery.[5] It is possible they may have known each other before their marriage because their fathers had fought alongside each other while serving in the Western Wei military.[6] Thus, Lady Dugu became a duchess. Lady Dugu could have remained in history as a duchess. However, events were happening within the Zhou dynasty that would change her life forever.

Yuwen Yu’s cousin, Yuwen Hu, was the regent to the emperor of the Zhou dynasty.[7]  In 1557, Yuwen Yu’s brother, Yuwen Jue, led a coup against Yuwen Hu and the emperor of Zhou.[8] He usurped the throne from the emperor and proclaimed himself as the Emperor Xiaomin of the Zhou dynasty.[9] Later historians would call his reign the start of the Northern Zhou dynasty.[10] This was because there were many changes to the Chinese dynasty, including the naming of Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an) as the capital.[11]

In the first year of Emperor Xiaomin’s reign, Lady Dugu’s father, Dugu Xin, was implicated in a plot to kill Yuwen Hu, the powerful former Zhou regent.[12] There is no evidence on whether he was involved.[13] Dugu Xin was stripped of his posts and was forced to commit suicide.[14] There is no record of how Lady Dugu and her sisters felt about their father’s death.

Meanwhile, Lady Dugu’s husband, Yuwen Yu, became a pillar of state and was given the office of regional inspector of Qizhou.[15] Yuwen Yu would not rest long, for soon, he would be the next emperor.

Emperor Xiaomin planned to get rid of Yuwen Hu. Before Emperor Xiaomin could act, Yuwen Hu deposed and killed Emperor Xiaomin.[16] Yuwen Hu then made Yuwen Yu emperor in 558. He became Emperor Ming.[17] Lady Dugu became empress.[18] Her reign as empress was short-lived because she died three months later.[19] She was buried with the rights of an empress. The emperor did not live long after her death. In 560, he was poisoned, most likely by Yuwen Hu.[20] He died at the age of 27.

Empress Dugu (Empress of Sui Dynasty)

Of the three Dugu sisters, she is perhaps the most famous, documented, and influential. We actually know her real name, Dugu Qieluo.[21] She was the seventh and youngest daughter of Dugu Xin. At the age of 14, she was engaged to Yang Jian, who was 16.[22] Yang Jian’s father, Yang Zhong, had fought under Dugu Xin while serving Northern Wei and Western Wei dynasties. Yang Zhong reached a prominent position during the Northern Zhou dynasty and was granted the dukedom of Sui.[23]

Dugu Qieluo and Yang Jian fell madly in love with each other.[24] Yang Jian was handsome and had many extraordinary talents.[25] Yang Jian swore to Dugu Qieluo that he would never have any children with any other woman.[26] It was an oath that he would uphold most of the time throughout their long marriage, even when he was crowned emperor.[27] By not having any concubines while his wife was alive was unprecedented in Chinese history.[28] He would become China’s monogamous emperor.

In 568, Yang Jian became the Duke of Sui after his father’s death, and Dugu Qieluo became Duchess.[29] Dugu Qieluo gave birth to five sons and three daughters. As Empress Mingjing’s sister, she was granted respect and prominence in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Her eldest daughter, Yang Lihua, would be empress to Xuan of Northern Zhou.[30] During his son-in-law’s reign, they began to grow so powerful that their power eclipsed that of the emperor. By the time Dugu Qieluo’s eight-year-old grandson, Emperor Jing, ascended the throne, Yang Jian already had complete control of the court.[31] Emperor Jing quickly yielded the throne to his grandfather, which Yang Jian accepted.[32] Yang Jian became Emperor Wen and started the Sui dynasty, named after his dukedom. Dugo Qieluo became empress.[33]

Because Emperor Wen did not have any concubines, Empress Dugu became very influential. They often discussed politics and state. She would accompany him to the court hall and hired eunuchs to keep her appraised of the topics discussed in court.[34] She also advised him if she did not agree with any of his decisions. Because of her influence over her husband, the palace nicknamed the couple, “the two emperors”.[35] This shows how much the emperor loved and respected her. In 589, China became reunited under the Sui dynasty. They had defeated the other dynasties, and now the only dynasty was the Sui.

Empress Dugu was known to be frugal and cut down many expenses. She wore plain, simple, clothes and forbade the palace women from wearing extravagant clothes.[36] Due to her influence, the emperor and the crown prince also began to live a frugal life.[37]However, Empress Dugu was not entirely benevolent, and Emperor Wen was not entirely faithful.

Historians have described her to be overly jealous and possessive of the emperor.[38] She closely guarded the emperor’s access to women from the back palace[39] and constantly reminded him about the oath he made to her at 16.[40] However, one day when Empress Dugu fell ill, Emperor Wen began to see a slave, who was a descendant of a rebellious official, and had sexual relations with her.[41] When Empress Dugu found out about the affair, she had the woman killed.[42] Emperor Wen was so mad at his wife that he got on a horse and rode twenty miles away from the palace until his ministers caught up with him.[43] They persuaded him to come back to the palace, and Emperor Wen reluctantly agreed. Once he arrived back at the palace, the empress cried and begged for his forgiveness.[44] Once the officials hosted a banquet in their honour, the couple reconciled.[45]

Historians also criticised Dugu for changing the heir apparent from their eldest son to their second eldest son, Yang Guang.[46] This would change the course of Chinese history and would bring about the end of the short-lived Sui dynasty. Empress Dugu disliked her eldest son because he had many concubines.[47] In 591, when the crown princess died from an illness, Empress Dugu believed that it was because one of the crown prince’s concubines had poisoned her.[48] She blamed the crown prince for the death and convinced Emperor Wen to name Yang Guang crown prince instead.[49] Yang Guang seemed to live frugally and showed Empress Dugu that he loved his wife, which pleased his mother. This was only an act to get to the throne because when he became emperor, he was a tyrant.[50] He gave the opportunity for Empress Dugu’s nephew, Li Yuan, to overthrow the Sui dynasty and found the Tang dynasty.

In 602, Empress Dugu died at the age of fifty.[51] After her death, Emperor Wen was greatly saddened but had taken two concubines.[52] He died in 604 and was buried with Empress Dugu. Empress Dugu seemed to be a very influential and respected figure. In a time of polygamy, she favoured the belief of a monogamous marriage. She saw the creation of Sui dynasty and the reunification of Sui. However, her decisions with the changing of the crown prince would end the Sui dynasty and the beginning of the Tang.

Empress Yuanzhen (Posthumous Empress of Tang Dynasty)

Empress Yuanzhen was the fourth daughter of Dugu Xin.[53] She married Li Bing, the Duke of Tang.[54] Duchess Dugu gave birth to Li Yuan.[55] After his father’s death in 572, Li Yuan inherited the duchy of Tang. He overthrew the Sui dynasty and formed the Tang dynasty named after his fiefdom.[56] He became Emperor Gaozu of Tang. As emperor, he honoured his mother by posthumously making her empress. She is known in history as Empress Yuanzhen.

There have been some major political families throughout history. Think about the Borgias, the Windsors, the Kennedys. However, it is difficult to imagine any other the family of women who had so much influence wielded over the history of a nation. These three daughters of Dugu Xin were truly remarkable for they became empresses in different dynasties.

References:

Eisenberg, Andrew. Kingship in Early Medieval China. Brill, 2008.

Knechtges, David R., and Taiping Chang, editors. “Yuwen Yu (534-560), Emperor Ming of

    Northern Zhou Dynasty (r. 557-560).” Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature (Vol. 3

    and 4): A Reference Guide, Part Three And Four, Brill, 2014, pp. 2114–2116.

Lewis, Mark Edward. China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. The Belknap Press of

     Harvard University Press, 2009.

Long, Laura. “Dugu, Empress of Emperor Wen of Sui.” Biographical Dictionary of Chinese

    Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E., edited by Lily Xiao Hong Lee et al.,

    M.E. Sharpe, 2007, pp. 275–278.

McMahon, Keith. Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to

     Liao. Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.

Xiong, Victor Cunrui. Historical Dictionary of Medieval China. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

[1] Long, p. 275

[2] Long, p. 275

[3] Lewis, p. 201

[4] Long, p. 275

[5] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[6] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114; Long, p. 275

[7] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[8] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[9] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[10]Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[11]Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[12]Eisenberg, p. 145

[13]Eisenberg, p. 145

[14]Eisenberg, p. 145

[15] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[16] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[17] Long, p. 275

[18] Long, p. 275.

[19] Long, p. 275

[20] Knechtges & Chang, p. 2114

[21] Long, p. 275

[22] Long, p. 275

[23] Long, p. 275

[24] Long, p. 275

[25] Long, p. 275

[26] Long, p. 275

[27] McMahon, p. 182

[28] McMahon, p. 182

[29] Long, p. 275

[30] McMahon, p. 182, Long, p. 276

[31] Long, p. 276

[32] Long, p. 276

[33] Long, p. 276

[34] Long, p. 276

[35] Long, p. 276

[36] Long, p. 277

[37] Long, p. 277

[38] McMahon, p. 182, Long, p. 277

[39] McMahon, p. 182

[40] Long, p. 277

[41] Long, p. 277

[42] Long, p. 277

[43] Long, p. 277

[44] Long, p. 277

[45] Long, p. 277

[46] Long, 277

[47] Long, 277-278

[48] Long, p. 278

[49] Long, p. 278

[50] Long, p. 278

[51] Long, p. 278

[52] Long, p. 278

[53] Xiong, p. 25

[54] Xiong, p. 154

[55] Xiong, p. 154

[56] Xiong, p. 154

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Queen Elizabeth II – The 80s and 90s (Part four)

Read part one here.

Read part two here.

Read part three here.

When Prince Charles turned 30 years, pressure intensified for him to marry. He had met Lady Diana Spencer previously – he had dated her sister Sarah – but it wasn’t until July 1980 that their romance began. He was 12 years older than her. A whirlwind courtship followed, and he proposed on 6 February 1981. Their engagement was announced to the world on 24 February. Just weeks before their wedding, six shots were fired at The Queen during the Trooping the Colour. The shots turned out to be blanks and Elizabeth was not injured. The possibility of an assassination was always there but she was assured in knowing that a succession was in place.

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On 29 July 1981, Prince Charles married Diana at St. Paul’s Cathedral as an estimated 600,000 people lined the streets. The marriage was soon on the rocks, but it would produce two sons, Princes William and Harry. She now had four grandchildren, but there was no slowing her down and she made several international visits. Three days after The Queen’s 60th birthday in 1986, The Duchess of Windsor died at the of 89. The Duchess was buried next to her husband at Frogmore. Later that year, it was time for Prince Andrew to marry Sarah Ferguson and upon their wedding, they became The Duke and Duchess of York. Their first child Princess Beatrice was born in 1988, followed by Princess Eugenie 1990. However, by the end of the 80s, all three of her children’s marriages were in trouble. Diana had taken up with one of her bodyguards, Barry Mannakee, followed by a romance with James Hewitt. Meanwhile, Charles resumed his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Anne had grown close to Timothy Laurence while Sarah was left alone as Andrew was away with the navy. Anne was the first to officially divorce – on 28 April 1992 – and she remarried to Timothy Laurence later that same year.

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The year 1992 has gone down in history as The Queen’s annus horribilis. Not only did Anne divorce her husband, Sarah and Andrew announced their intention to separate, the Sunday Times also published two excerpts of Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story, which blew up. Diana lied that she had not helped the author of the book and soon the entire royal family was on Charles’s side. Elizabeth was soon worried about the prospect of a divorced heir to the throne. Just a month later, Sarah was splashed bare-breasted across the newspapers. Sarah later recalled, “Her (Elizabeth’s) anger wounded me to the core, the more because I knew she was justified.” The year ended with the horrible news that Windsor Castle was on fire. It was eventually decided to open the palace to the public to pay for the renovations. Four days after the fire, Elizabeth spoke at a luncheon at the Guildhall, “Nineteen ninety-two is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis’.” On 9 December, it was announced to the House of Commons that Prince Charles and Diana would be separating.

The final straw came on 20 November 1995 when Diana appeared in the public affairs program Panorama, unbeknownst to anyone. The Queen then told Charles and Diana to make their separation definite, and their divorce came through on 28 August 1996 – just four months after the official divorce of The Duke and Duchess of York. But if Elizabeth expected that Diana would shrink away, she was mistaken. A year after the divorce – on 31 August 1997 – Elizabeth was informed that Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed had been in a car accident. They and their driver had been killed. The following days as Elizabeth attempted to protect her grandsons from the outside world and to grief in private, the public began to accuse her of being cold. She had not expected the immense outpouring of grief and the public was not placated until she spoke the day before the funeral and managed to praise the daughter-in-law with whom she had been at odds, “In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.”

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Five years on from her annus horribilis, Windsor Castle was restored to its former glory and Elizabeth, and Philip celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. They attended a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey – where they had married fifty years before. The royal family began to manage its public duties more closely in the last years of the 90s. The media had changed and so should they. But those last years also brought a new set of worries for Elizabeth – mainly for her mother and sister who were both in ill health. The Queen Mother was approaching her 100th birthday, and Margaret had suffered a stroke in 1998. There was also some good news as Elizabeth’s youngest son Edward married Sophie Rhys Jones on 19 June 1999, and they became the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Elizabeth and Philip welcomed the year 2000 in the Millenium Dome in Greenwich, though many later commented that they looked less than pleased to be there.1

Part five coming soon.

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The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer Book Review

Princess Alice of Battenberg was born on 25 February 1885 as the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and By Rhine. Her great-grandmother Queen Victoria was present when she was born. She was diagnosed with congenital deafness and she learned to lip-read and speak in both English and German. She met Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. They fell in love and married in a civil ceremony on 6 October 1903 and they went on to have five children together – including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Alice worked for the Red Cross, where she helped organise soup kitchens and even flew to Sweden for medical supplies under the pretext of visiting her sister Louise. During this time Alice hid a Jewish widow named Rachel Cohen and two of her five children. In 1993, she was honoured as Righteous Among the Nations and her son Prince Philip said,

“I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special. She was a person with a deep religious faith, and she would have considered it to be a perfectly natural human reaction to fellow beings in distress.”

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer is a children’s book based on Alice’s story. It is written from the point of view of-of one of Rachel’s children and is wonderfully illustrated. In addition to the original story, it also includes information on the real-life Alice, making it an excellent introduction to the untold lives of royal women.

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer is to be released on 10 September 2019 in the UK and the US.

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Princesses of Orange – Anna of Lorraine

Anna of Lorraine was born on 25 July 1522 as the daughter of Antoine the Good, Duke of Lorraine and Renée of Bourbon-Montpensier. Not much is known of her youth.

On 22 August 1540, she married René of Châlon, Prince of Orange at Bar-le-Duc. They had one daughter together who was born in 1544 and was named Maria. Tragically, she lived for only for a few weeks. Maria was buried in the Grote Kerk in Breda.  Not much later, René took part in the siege of St. Dizier in the service of Emperor Charles V and was killed. He was buried with Maria in Breda.

René had inherited the principality of Orange from his maternal uncle, but he left no surviving children, and in his last will, he left his possessions to the son of his father’s brother, William of Nassau-Dillenburg – later better known as William the Silent, Prince of Orange. Thus, the new Prince of Orange had no connection to the original House of Orange.

Anna was left a widow at the age of 22, and she remarried four years – on 9 July 1548 – to Philip II, Duke of Aarschot. They had one son together, who was born on 1 September 1549, but he would not know his father who had died in April 1549. After this, Anna did not remarry, and she devoted her life to her son’s education.

Anna died in Diest on 15 May 1568.

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Pocahontas and the English Boys: Caught between Cultures in Early Virginia by Karen Ordahl Kupperman Book Review

Pocahontas was born circa 1596 as the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of a network of tribes in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She was credited with saving the life of a Colonist John Smith. She was captured in 1613 and converted to Christianity during her captivity. She took the name Rebecca, and she eventually decided to remain with the Colonists. She married John Rolfe the following year and gave birth to their only child – Thomas Rolfe – in January 1615.

In 1616, Pocahontas and her family travelled to London to be presented to society as a “civilised savage.” She arrived as a celebrity, but tragically, she died in Gravesend on the return journey. Long after her death, her story was romanticised in art and film.

Pocahontas and the English Boys: Caught between Cultures in Early Virginia by Karen Ordahl Kupperman tells the story of Pocahontas and three English boys. The English boys lived with the Natives from a young age, spoke their language and travelled between cultures as Pocahontas did. I must admit I was quite uneducated about Pocahontas’ times and circumstances, and I was glad to learn more about it. Even though the three English boys are not quite a fit subject for a site like mine, I found their stories quite interesting and well-told.

Pocahontas and the English Boys: Caught between Cultures in Early Virginia by Karen Ordahl Kupperman is available now in both the UK and the US.

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The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne by Sarah-Beth Watkins Book Review

King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France married in 1625 and they went on to have nine children together. Of their five daughters, three survived passed infancy; Mary, Elizabeth, and Henrietta. None of them would live to see their 30th birthday and they would go on to live very different lives.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne by Sarah-Beth Watkins brings together their stories. The eldest daughter, Mary, was designated as Princess Royal in 1642. At the age of nine, Mary married William II, Prince of Orange but the marriage was not consummated until several years later. Mary was pregnant with her first, and only, child when William died of smallpox 1650. Their son, the future King William III of England, was born a few days after his father’s death. Mary was not popular in the Netherlands and she spent a lot of time away. When her brother was restored as King Charles II, she returned to England where she too died of smallpox in 1660. She was 29 years old. It is Mary’s image on the cover of the book.

Their second daughter was Elizabeth. She suffered the most under the political unrest and turmoil. She was just 13 years old when her father was executed and by then she had essentially been a prisoner for 7 years; being moved from place to place. In 1649, she requested parliament to allow her to stay with her sister Mary in the Netherlands. She died on 8 September 1650 and permission for her stay in the Netherlands arrived three days after her death. She was still only 14 years old.

Henrietta was born in 1644 during the Civil War. Shortly after her birth, her mother travelled to France – leaving her daughter behind – to ask for the French King’s help. Henrietta was put in the care of Anne Villiers, Countess of Morton who managed to flee with the young princess to France when matters became worse. Henrietta grew up at the French court and in 1661, she married the King’s brother Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Henrietta was pregnant seven times but only two of her daughters (Marie Louise and Anne Marie) survived to adulthood. She was part of the Secret Treaty of Dover and was finally able to visit England. Shortly after arriving back in France, she fell ill and died on 30 June 1670. She was still only 26 years old.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne is well-written and finally makes their stories known to the wider public as they deserve to be. I always enjoy Sarah-Beth Watkins’ style of writing and she knows her stuff. My only regret is that the book isn’t any longer.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne by Sarah-Beth Watkins is available now in both the UK and the US.

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The Year of Queen Victoria – Queen Victoria and postpartum depression

Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert had nine children together. She was pregnant for around 80 months total in the 1840s and 1850s, over six years in total and this does not take any recovery into account. Queen Victoria knew all too well that childbirth could easily kill her – her cousin Charlotte of Wales was the perfect example. Victoria was understandably furious when she found herself pregnant just weeks after her wedding to Albert. She angrily wrote to her grandmother Augusta, “It is spoiling my happiness; I have always hated the idea, and I prayed God night and day for me to be left free for at least six months, but my prayers have not been answered, and I am really most unhappy. I cannot understand how one can wish for such a thing, especially at the beginning of a marriage.” She further added that if she had a “nasty girl”, she would drown it.

On 21 November 1840, Victoria gave birth to a daughter who would be known as Victoria, The Princess Royal. Luckily, Queen Victoria did not attempt to drown her. Queen Victoria was relieved to have survived the ordeal and spent two weeks in bed after giving birth, as was the custom. Just three months later, she found herself pregnant once more. She wept and raged and was miserable at the prospect. During the following hot summer, Victoria suffered constant headaches. She was often depressed, writing to her uncle King Leopold I of the Belgians that her “present heavy trial, the heaviest I have ever had to endure.”

The Prince of Wales by Queen Victoria (public domain)

On 9 November 1841, Victoria gave birth to the future King Edward VII. She was thrilled that she had given birth to a boy but felt very low after a painful labour. She wrote in her journal, “I will not say much, but my sufferings were really very severe, and I doubt that I should have died but for the great comfort and support of my beloved Albert… At last, at 12 minutes to 11, I gave birth to a fine, large boy! Oh, how happy, how grateful did I feel that Almighty Providence has so greatly blessed me and preserved me so mercifully through so many days and trials. Though tired I felt very well once the child was there.” When she held her new baby, she felt nothing, no love or affection. She would suffer from a postpartum depression for a year. In those early days, she felt weak and depressed and had trouble sleeping. Victoria began to see visions, “spots on people’s faces, which turned into worms”, and “coffin floated” before her eyes. Prince Albert told the obstetrician that Victoria was “afraid that she is about to lose her mind!” In April 1843, she wrote to King Leopold that her nerves “were so shattered” that “I suffered a whole year from it.” Prince Albert took Victoria to Scotland to help lift her depression.

On 25 April 1843, Victoria gave birth to her third child – a daughter named Alice. This time she only felt rather bored. She was quickly pregnant again and gave birth to her fourth child – a son named Alfred – on 6 August 1844. It was again a grueling labour and her suffering was “severe.” Her fifth child – a daughter named Helena – was born on 25 May 1846. Her sixth child – a daughter named Louise – was born on 18 March 1848. Just a few days after the birth of Louise, they were forced to leave London in fear of their lives as the Chartists has declared a massive meeting. Victoria was still recovering from the difficult labour lay on her bed and sobbed. Her seventh child – a son, named Arthur – was born on 1 May 1850. He was followed by her eight child – a son named Leopold – on 7 April 1853. This was also the first time she took chloroform during the labour, but this did not prevent another postpartum depression, which can occur at any time in the first year after giving birth. In May 1854, Victoria and Albert had a violent fight over an inconsequential problem with the royal catalogue and Albert was unable to calm her down. Her ninth and last child – a daughter named Beatrice – was born on 14 April 1857.

By her last pregnancy, Albert had grown tired of Victoria’s complaints about pregnancy. In the autumn of 1857, he accused her of being selfish and demanding. He wrote to her, “I, like everyone else in the house make the most ample allowance for your state… We cannot, unhappily, bear your bodily sufferings for you – you must struggle with them alone – the moral ones are probably caused by them, but if you were rather less occupied with yourself and your feelings and took more interest in the outside world, you would find that the greatest help of all.”

He struggled to comprehend the amount of hormones released by childbirth and thought Victoria simply lacked reason. Victoria came to understand that her depression came and went, but it affected her most during and after pregnancy. She even prepared the Princess Royal for “lowness and tendency to cry.. it is what every lady suffers with more or less and what I, during my first two confinements suffered dreadfully with.” 1

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