At 3 a.m. on Nov. 4, 1817, the chief ministers of the crown were summoned. But Sir Richard Croft, the male attendant, who belonged to a noninterventionist school of thought, opted not to use forceps. After 50 hours of labor, Charlotte delivered a nine-pound stillborn son. A few hours later, she complained of severe abdominal pain, and died of internal bleeding on Nov. 6 . The custom was set aside by King George VI as his daughter Elizabeth II prepared to give birth to her first child.

Source: New York Times May 06, 2019 13:05 UTC