Letter sent to Odília Meireles de Sá, Queen Augusta Vitória’s maid

Letter sent to Odília Meireles de Sá, Queen Augusta Vitória’s maid, property of the Oporto District Archive.

Régua, 23rd March 1919

Dear Aunt Odília,

I hope these words find you in good spirits. The news coming up the Douro fill my heart with anguish. The boatmen say that the Great Disease from Spain has reached Oporto again.

There were so many deaths when the disease arrived late spring last year. If it can’t be controlled, there will be many more, now that the weather is colder.

How saddened I am by this news, knowing that just last autumn my second mother left for Paços do Porto, to be a maid to Her Majesty, Queen Augusta Vitória. Even more if the suspicions you reported to me in your last missive are true, and our queen is carrying the heir to the throne in her womb; none of you can risk falling ill now.

I don’t want to jinx it, but I fear the worst and I can only warn you and appeal to you to protect yourself as best as you can. I beg you not to leave the palace, where you will be protected from illness by the great walls.

Of course, my eagerness is unjustified, since the safest place one can be is at the Northern Court. The royal family will certainly be safeguarded from the pestilence that is raging; it is of the utmost importance to protect the royal lineage. In these days, more than ever.

Don’t neglect yourself. Honey and lemon juice at least once a day for strength and health, and flowers in every room to keep the air clean. And look after the queen and the baby to come.

I miss you all very much and look forward to your visit during harvest time. These new breeds for biofuel production are growing by leaps and bounds, Mechnikov was right. You’ll have to come and see for yourself.

I hope to hear from you soon, so that I know you’re well, and my heart can be put at rest.

May God bless you.

From your niece,

Alzira Gomes

This missive is the only historical record that indicates the possibility that Queen Augusta Vitória was with child at the time of her death.

Just three days after the date of this letter, Queen Augusta Vitória died of the Spanish Flu. Odília Meireles de Sá took care of Her Majesty when she fell ill and ended up contracting the disease herself. She died a few days later and was buried in a mass grave.

It is unknown whether she ever received this letter from her niece.