“In the summer of 1861 Bertie attended a training camp with Grenadier Guards in Dublin. He often had others arrange trysts for him. He was a man who devoted his life to pleasure. Always aware of the royal family’s public image the betrothal was portrayed as a love match. The Victorian public, in an era of pious rectitude, demanded a pure marriage in which the heir to the throne appeared to be virtuous and chaste. As Albert’s duties increased, his queen often complained of his deteriorating health and his excessive attention to their children. In 1860, Albert arranged a marriage between Bertie and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. After arranging the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal to the Prussian court, Albert turned his attention to Bertie and Alice. The result will be strong self-will, at times obstinacy.'”Įdward VII’s Coronation portrait by Sir Luke Fildes via Wikipediaĭynastic duty was a priority for Prince Albert. His diagnosis confirmed everything they feared: ‘The feeble quality of the brain will render the Prince highly excitable… intellectual organs are only moderately well developed. Victoria complained about his ‘systematic idleness, laziness – disregard of everything.’ The worried parents consulted a phrenologist, a modish quack who claimed the shape of the head affected the brain. Instead of the longed for polymath his son turned out to be a dunce. History Extra tells us, “Albert’s plan for the heir to the throne of the greatest empire the world had ever seen turned out a complete failure. The intense pressure on the backward young prince produced a negative reaction. Here was no renaissance prince in the making: despite being stuffed with facts and theory, he found learning difficult and was unable to concentrate. ![]() Unfortunately, for their eldest son, Albert Edward, known as “Bertie,” such aspirations knew constant failure. From an early age Bertie obstinately refused to conform to his father’s plan for the royal children’s education. Victoria idolized Albert and often told her children “none of you can ever be proud enough of being the child of such a father who has not his equal in this world.” She wished for her sons to be mini-Alberts, molded in their father’s image. Some of the other prince and princesses were less so. Fortunately for Vicky, she was quite bright. These were mixed with corporal punishment for not performing to expectations. There were lessons in languages, especially French and German, along with mathematics, science, Latin, geography, and music. Albert, a product of an intense German education, expected much of his children. Victoria turned over the children to Albert while she continued on with her regal duties. Victoria had nine babies over 17 years – a tremendous physical feat, and a dangerous one given the high rates of maternal mortality at the time.” ( History Extra) The result was four more children: Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice. A wet nurse was therefore employed for all her children, as Victoria devoted herself to Albert. Nor could she contemplate breastfeeding them, finding the whole process repulsive. “An ugly baby is a very nasty object,” she protested, “the prettiest are frightful when undressed… as long as they have their big body and little limbs and that terrible froglike action”. “While Queen Victoria gave birth to many children, she did not necessarily like babies. ![]() Over the next five years another three children were born: Alice, Alfred and Helena. “I hope and pray he may be like his dearest Papa.” With the succession reasonably assured, it might be thought a rest from the risk of childbearing would be appropriate. “Our little boy is a wonderfully strong and large child,” she wrote proudly. Within a year of Vicky’s birth Albert Edward, known as Bertie – the future King Edward VII – was born. The queen was busy with her duties as monarch and could spare little time for her baby, seeing her only twice a day. ![]() Given Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s physical infatuation with each other, their first child, Princess Victoria, called Vicky, was born nine months after their wedding.
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