![]() ![]() She was also a big supporter of the early feminist movement and married a commoner, Lord Lorne, later Duke of Argyll. Several of Victoria’s other children suffered scandals, including Princess Louise, who is believed to have had an illegitimate child, aged 18. She wrote of Edward: “I never can, or shall, look at him without a shudder.” Victoria was convinced the stress of dealing with Edward’s reckless affair had led directly to her husband’s death, believed to be from typhoid fever, aged 42. It was his affair with actress Nellie Clifton that caused the greatest upset, however, because it led to the intervention of Prince Albert. He became known as the “playboy prince” for his love of gambling, boozing and women. But Albert had these high expectations of all his children and they suffered because of that.”įrom an early age, Prince Edward rebelled. Prof Plunkett says: “They tried to micro-manage him. ![]() She leaned on her daughters.īut Albert was no perfect parent and had cripplingly high expectations of their children, especially Prince Edward. With Beatrice still unable, or unwilling, to leave her mother’s side, the newlywed couple moved into the palace to live with the queen.ĭeirdre Murphy, a historian at Victoria’s childhood home, Kensington Palace, said: “Victoria was very dependant on her children, particularly after Prince Albert died. She was just four when Albert died and from that moment Victoria took over every aspect of her life, seemingly desperate for her never to leave home.īeatrice was devoted to her mother and, despite Victoria’s meddling in her love life – chasing away at least one suitor – she married a prince. She even had spies watch them and report back to her.īeatrice, known always as “Baby”, seems to have suffered most. In fact, she did the opposite, imposing herself and her views on every part of the children’s lives, even once they were grown up. With her feelings clear, it would be easy to assume Victoria would have left the upbringing of the children to nannies. She even says they have peculiar “big bodies and little limbs and that terrible frog-like action”. In one letter she referred to babies as “nasty objects” saying that even “the prettiest are frightful”. Her letters revealed that she had a “totally insurmountable disgust for the process”.Įven when her own children started breastfeeding she said it had reduced them to cattle, writing: “It makes my hair stand on end that my daughters have turned into cows.” She suffered depressions before and after births and loathed breastfeeding. Victoria hated many aspects of being a mother. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |