She clearly played favorites, leaving the children constantly jockeying for her attention and admiration. She later wrote of her physical distaste for newborns, noting, “Abstractedly, I have no tender for them till they have become a little human an ugly baby is a very nasty object – and the prettiest is frightful when undressed.” If her pregnancies were difficult, Victoria sometimes found it even harder to bond with her children as infants. She and Albert could be harshly critical of their children While Albert was capable (and more than eager) to take on more responsibilities, Victoria chafed at having to cede even a modicum of control. Historians now believe that Victoria likely suffered from post-partum depression following several of the births, causing additional difficulties for the already highly emotional, tempestuous monarch.Īdding to Victoria’s woes was the fact that her pregnancies and the resulting confinements meant that she was forced to turn over much of her daily work to Albert. Despite this, she and Albert had nine children in 17 years. She frequently complained about the physical, mental and emotional toll they took, referring to herself as nothing more than a breeding animal. But while Victoria clearly enjoyed the sexual aspect of her marriage, she struggled with the resulting pregnancies, which she dubbed the “shadow side” of marital life.
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