THE QUEEN EXPRESSES HER ANXIETY ABOUT HER HAEMOPHILIAC SON AFTER AN ACCIDENT VICTORIA (1819-1901, Queen of Great Britain)

Third person Autograph letter to Arnold Royle saying that "The Queen is thankful to hear the night was better - at least free from pain. How, exactly, did the accident happen? Are Leopd's rooms comfortable? Has he one or 2? And have you got cradle & crutches & carrying chair?", if not, "they shd. be sent for. If only he can just walk with crutches or sticks - the journey wd. be nothing...", she suggests that he should "arrive at Windsor, (London might be awkward on acct. [of] the arrival) on the 18th or 20th. Both wd. suit The Queen..." she ends by instructing Royle, "Pray always write at once to Sir. Wm. when anything occurs: bad knees, fit or bleeding - He has saved the Pce.'s life so often & is so devoted to him - that he ought to know at once...", 3 sides 8vo., on black edged mourning paper, Osborne headed and monogrammed paper, 2nd February

Sir William Jenner (1815-1898) English Physician, primarily remembered for having discovered the distinction between typhus and typhoid. Appointed Physician Extraordinary (1861) and Physician in Ordinary (1862) to Queen Victoria. Jenner played a large role in attempting to treat Prince Leopold for haemophilia from 1861 until his death, and it is quite likely that Jenner contributed to the cover-up of the Prince's disease.
Arnold Royle was Surgeon in Ordinary to HRH Prince Leopold(George Albert, 1853-1884, 4th Son of Queen Victoria, Duke of Albany, a haemophiliac, died after an accident on 28th March in Cannes) and his personal physician from 1876 until the Prince's death from a cerebral haemorrhage in 1884, so he found himself caught between his strong-willed patient, determined to live an active life, and his equally strong-willed mother. Furthermore, the Queen evidently had somewhat limited faith in Royle and constantly wished him to defer to her favoured physician, Sir William Jenner as shown in this letter. Eventually, however, the medical skill and diplomatic aplomb with which Royle carried out his duties did gain acknowledgement from the Queen, who appointed him a Groom of the Privy Chamber in November 1884, some months after Prince Leopold's death.
Within three months of this letter Prince Leopold and Princess Helena of Waldeck & Pyrmont were married at Windsor, on 27th April.

Item Date:  1882

Stock No:  36265      £775

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