Sir James is Sir James Reid, personal physician to Queen Victoria.
It seems appropriate this week to read about Britain’s second longest reigning monarch seen through the eyes of her doctor. So far, only on page sixty-one, it is engrossing. Continuing yesterday’s theme here is an extract.
”When the Queen’s favourite collie, Noble, became ill he (Reid) was called in to prescribe for him … ‘ I think you will have him for a long time yet, if he does not get any bones and is regularly, but not overfed’. Three years after this advice was given the Queen’s faithful friend, who always guarded her gloves, died at Balmoral aged sixteen. Reid was present at his death and recorded the occasion in detail … ‘Her Majesty was much upset, and cried a great deal, said she was so fond of those that were gone, and that everything in the world comes to an end: that she believes dogs have souls and a future life: and she could not bear to go to see his body, though she would have liked to kiss his head … I had to increase the strength of her sleeping draught, and only left her at 12.45 am when she gave me the accompanying note of instruction for his burial.
’I just write down what was done in the case of the Prince’s old dog, EOS, who died 43 years ago and is buried in the slopes in a small bricked grave under her statue at the top of the slopes at Windsor. The grave was bricked, and coins were placed in the bag in which the dear dog (who was only 10 years old) was placed. I wish the grave to be bricked. The dear dog to be wrapped up in the box lined with lead and charcoal, placed in it, as well as some coins … I will then tell Mr Profeit to write to Mr Boehm to get a repetition of his statue of the dear Dog in bronze to be placed over the grave.’
Whether it be for a son, for a servant, or for a dog the Queen always attended minutely to the details of the burial. In her eyes each and every one of God’s creatures deserved a memorial. her sculptor was kept perpetually busy creating effigies of Queen Victoria’s dear departed. It was as if she loved them all the more when they were beyond reach, and though she never ceased to grieve for them, in her heart she knew that one day she would be reunited with them. Meanwhile she entrusted the problem of dealing with the earthly remains to her medical attendant, for who was more suited than a doctor to tend a body whether alive or dead?” (Ask Sir James, Michaela Reid)