Unexplained Phenomena

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It sounds like Madame Royale had what we would call today, "an incompetent cervix." Here's a link from the Mayo Clinic discussing the condition of an incompetent cervix. Yes, sometimes there is a huge grey area when it comes to defining whether it is a stillbirth or a miscarriage. The definition varies depending on the law in your area. I live in Nevada, and the law here states that any pregnancy that ends after 20 weeks is no longer considered a miscarriage, but a live birth with a birth certificate. If the baby doesn't survive, a death certificate will also be issued.

An incompetent cervix can definitely impair your fertility. Within the opening of the cervix are a bunch of branch-like crypts that produce fluid to nourish sperm. If this is somehow damaged, that fluid is greatly reduced and it makes it very difficult to achieve a pregnancy. If there is a pregnancy, as the baby gets bigger and heavier, there is a strain against the cervix to cause it to start dilating and start premature labor. That's what sounds like what happened to the Duchesse. Nowadays there is In Vitro fertilization to get around the loss of cervical fluid, and sutures to keep the cervix shut, possibly with being bed-ridden to keep the weight off the cervix. This medical technology didn't exist in 1813. This also begs the question, "If this was why her fertility is impaired, how did it get damaged?" It was so well-documented that Louis Charles was raped in prison, how could ANYONE think that it didn't happen to Madame Royale? She did more time in the temple prison than anyone, this is just common sense. . . . There were rumors that she was raped and got pregnant. That is half true. She didn't get pregnant from being raped, her ability to get pregnant was taken from her as a RESULT of being raped. I can't imagine (or don't want to) just how violent that must have been in order for her to have been unable to bear children afterwards. I agree with Elena, it is ridiculous to believe that she and her husband never consummated their marriage. The public can really make some odd claims when gossiping about public figures. They are people, just like you and I! http://www.mayoclinic.org/.../basics/definition/con-20035375

The history of tea drinking in India dates back to 750 BC. Tea in India is generally grown in the North Eastern regions and the Nilgiri Hills. Having evolved since those early days, tea drinking in India has now come a long way. Today this nation is proud to be one of the largest tea producers in the world. Buddhist monks in India have used tea for its medicinal value since thousands of years.

According to a very interesting legend, the history of tea drinking in India began with a saintly Buddhist monk about almost 2000 years ago. It so happened that this monk who later became the founder of Zen Buddhism, decided to spend seven sleepless years contemplating the life and teachings of Buddha. While he was in the fifth year of his contemplation and prayer, he almost fell asleep. He took some leaves from a nearby bush and began chewing them. These leaves revived him and enabled him to stay awake as he chewed on them whenever he felt drowsy. Thus he was able to complete his penance for seven years. These were the leaves of the wild tea plant.

As per the history of tea drinking in India, local people used to brew and drink tea using the leaves of the wild native tea plants. Since that time, different varieties of tea have emerged; the most famous among them is the Darjeeling tea.