Vicky

Barely eleven months after her wedding to Frederick III, Queen Victoria's daughter Vicky, gave birth to her first child, in what would be described as

“one of the worst recorded in obstetrical history.”

On 27th January 1859, Vicky gave birth, after a prolonged labour, brought about by miscommunication, in the royal household.

The maid responsible for alerting doctors, to the onset of contractions, inexplicably, delayed giving the notice.

Moreover, the doctors hesitated to examine Vicky, who was not 'suitably attired' wearing only a flannel nightgown.

The baby was breech, and the delayed delivery could have caused the death of both Vicky, and her son.

Accounts of the labour and birth, state, that around midnight of January 26th, Vicky felt birth pangs.

Vicky's physician, Dr. Wegner, ordered that the specialist, Dr. Eduard Martin, be summoned immediately.

However, the note didn't reach the specialist, until 10am - roughly nine hours later!

He arrived too late, Vicky was in agony, screaming in terrible pain.

Vicky's husband, Frederick II, recorded:

"Vicky’s pain, as well as her horrible screams and wails, became even more severe; however, whenever she was granted a respite from her suffering, she would ask for forgiveness from everyone for her screaming and impatience, but she could not help herself.

When the final stage of labour began, I had to try with all my might to hold her head in place, so that she would not strain her neck over much.

Every contraction meant a real fight between her and me, and even today, my arms still feel quite weak.

To prevent her from gnashing and biting, we made sure that there was a handkerchief in her mouth at all times.

Occasionally, I had to use all my strength to remove her fingers from her mouth, & also placed my own fingers in her mouth.

With the strength of a giant, she was at times able to hold off 2 people, & thus the awful torture escalated, until the moment of birth was so near, that complete anesthesia with chloroform was undertaken…

Vicky was laid at right angles on the bed; she let forth one horrible, long scream, & was then anesthetized.”

By the time Dr. Eduard Martin eventually arrived, Queen Victoria’s own physician was already sent for.

Dr. Eduard Martin, instructed him to administer chloroform, to calm an agitated, distressed, Vicky.

After Dr Martin gave her uterine stimulant, to better position the baby, he came out, not breathing, and lifeless.

The child started to breathe a short time later, but the lack of oxygen to his brain, would have lasting issues for the little prince.

A 101-gun salute was fired after the royal baby - a boy - the first of Queen Victoria’s more than three dozen grandchildren!

However, three or four days after the birth, doctors observed that the prince had withered arms.

It was assumed, the baby’s prenatal position, and the extreme pressure that ensued following Vicky's delayed labour, inflicted harm on the infant.

He most likely suffered damage at the brachial plexus, and the nerves in his arm were injured.

As he grew, it failed to develop normally, and by the time Wilhelm was an adult, his left arm was fifteen cm shorter, than his right.

There is speculation that the difficult labour caused fetal distress, which deprived the child of oxygen, for eight to ten minutes.

This might have brought about other neurological problems, the future Emperor would suffer from.

This physical strain would have a long-lasting impact on the life and character, of the future Emperor William II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia.

Vicky would endure the inflicting emotional pain, from the trauma of this birth, for the rest of her life.

Fortunately for Vicky, her following 7 pregnancies, were relatively trouble free.

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Source~RoyalSplendor

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

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Portrait of Vicky, holding her son, Prince Wilhelm. 1859.

Image from the Royal Collection Trust