Queen Victoria’s journal:
“I had slept in my dressing room. D’ Jenner had sat up with him till ½ p. 12. Dear Albert had been very restless but had frequently had some snatches of sleep, & taken some nourishment. At 3 I got up to see how he was. He did not smile or take much notice of me, but complained of his wretched condition & asked what it could be, & how long it would last? Saw him take a cup of tea & 2 rusks, which he seemed to like. His manner all along has been so unlike himself & sometimes he has such a strange look. Left him to get dressed, — in a state of much cruel anxiety, though greatly reassured by the Doctors thinking him better. He was asleep, after breakfast, so I took an hour’s drive with the D” of Atholl. It was very foggy & raw. On my return found dear Albert resting on in the dressing room, talking & seeming decidedly better. He even desired M’ Ruland to bring a plan about Louis’ house, which we showed him. Sir J. Clark came over (his wife is too ill for him to be able to stay) & he also thought dear Albert’s condition improved. The pulse was better, but he is still weak & excitable, quite unlike himself. I am in a constant state of anxiety & have frequently seen D’ Jenner. — The afternoon very wet. — In & out constantly to my beloved one. Alice reading to him. M’ Brown came to me at 7 to tell me he had no hesitation in saying he thought Albert decidedly better, so did D’ Jenner, & they were of opinion, if things were equally satisfactory tomorrow, Sir J. Clark might be told, he need not come over in the morning. – Found dearest Albert quite himself, so dear & affectionate, when I went in with little Baby, whom he kissed & he quite laughed at some of her new French verses, which I made her repeat. He then soon dozed off, which he has been doing a great deal during the day, & I left, not to disturb him. — Ernest & Marie, having returned, dined with us. —“
©️ Royal Collection Trust / HM King Charles III
Letter from Queen Victoria to Leopold I, King of Belgium:
“My beloved Uncle,—I am thankful to report decidedly better if my beloved Albert. He has had much more sleep, and has taken much more nourishment since yesterday evening. Altogether, this nasty, feverish sort of influenza and deranged stomach is on the mend, but it will be slow and tedious, and though there has not been run one alarming symptom, there has been such restlessness, such sleeplessness, and such (till to-day) total refusal of all food, that it made one very, very anxious, and I can’t describe the anxiety I have gone through! I feel to-day a good deal shaken, for for four nights I got only two or three hours’ sleep. We have, however, every reason to hope the recovery, though it may be somewhat tedious, will not be very slow. You shall hear again to-morrow. Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R”
http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org/
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012 © Bodleian Libraries © ProQuest
