1st photo of Princess Elizabeth with her mother the Duchess of York.

Princess Elizabeth was born 96 years ago in her maternal grandparents London home. Yes, the then Duchess of York had a home birth! Pain relief available was chloroform which made the mother at least unconscious but a careless overdose resulted in death. All baby and childcare practices in the early 20th century would be unrecognisable to todays parents with only poor people breastfeeding. Royalty would hire wet nurses.

Good baby rearing practice then demanded rigid observance of routines for baby –  feeding, sleeping, potty training according to the clock, not need. Crying was considered normal and good for the lungs. Truby King a Canadian Doctor was  the fashionable  baby Guru here and he invented the concept that babies could be spoiled ! A spoiled baby would turn  out to be an undisciplined and unproductive adult was his view. He urged mothers to start discipline/rigid routine from day 1. His methods existed until the 1960s.

Whatever ……the photo below shows a beautiful  happy and healthy toddler.

Maybe the proof of the pudding is in the eating 🤔

Happy official birthday to The Queen