Queen Victoria’s journal, 30th November:
“Dear Alice’s engagement day, a year ago & St. Andrew’s day. — Dearest Albert slept badly & felt weak & poorly, but he came to breakfast. — Nemours took leave. – Very mild, but showery. — Rode out with Alice, &c but it rained more or less continuously, so that we did not go far. — Dear Albert felt chilly & uncomfortable, & he could eat but litte luncheon. — Walked out with Lenchen & Louise. – On coming home held a Council for the Prohibition of Exportation of Saltpetre. – Albert seemed better again & was able to eat some dinner. — The Wellesleys & M’ Cook, one of my Chaplains & Inspector of Schools, dined. He is very agreeable & sensible. -“
©️ Royal Collection Trust / HM King Charles III
Queen Victoria’s journal, 1st December:
“Dear Albert had again an indifferent night & looked very wretched. Am quite concerned about him, still he was sufficiently well, on getting up to make a Draft for what I should write to L’ Russell, regarding his Draft to L’ Lyons sent to me yesterday, which Albert did not quite approve. — All excepting him, walked out, & it was very fine, though cold. He went with us to the Chapel, where M’ Cook preached, but I thought him looking very ill & not fit to go through all the kneeling, as he did. At luncheon, he could take nothing. Sir J. Clark & D’ Jenner came over, & were much disappointed at finding Albert so very uncomfortable. They hoped however he would soon be better though it might take a little time. — Walked out with Alice, Ernest & Marie. Went to my beloved Albert afterwards, who has rested a good deal, & he came to my room & was able to take a little tea. He came to our family dinner, listening to Alice & Maria playing on the piano, & wet nearly to bed. When I joined him he said he was shivering with cold, & could not sleep at all. -“
http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012 © Bodleian Libraries © ProQuest
I kind of despair for Albert being so obviously ill and yet everyone else (his doctor included) seemed to be in the hope of improvement. So many questions come to my mind: were people (including the Queen) in denial?, his doctors didn’t really understand how seriously ill the Prince was?, did Albert himself feel like he would get better?; did Albert intimately know he wouldn’t survive but was sparing Victoria from suffering?
It’s difficult to know for sure but I personally think the doctors knew what was happening from the start but were too afraid to tell Victoria. If they had said that he was dying too soon, Victoria could have accused them of not trying hard enough but by saying he would recover even though they knew he was dying, she would see them as trying their best right up until the end. From then on they would forever be favoured by her and potentially be hired again in the future. Albert was a very clever man so I think it’s highly likely that he knew he was dying but didn’t want worry his wife and children
Hello. Sorry for the late reply. What you said makes sense. Especially the part concerning Albert knowing about how seriouly ill he was and wanting to keep that quiet. As for the doctors, if we assume they behaved the way they did because of mainly, well, their concern about professional future oportunities wouldn’t that, at the same time, be unprofessional? Even unethical by modern standards? Personally, I don’t think I’d ‘enjoy’ being tricked into thinking loved ones might recover from some disease when doctors already know they won’t.