Queens and Wet Nurses: Indispensable Women in the Dynasty of the Sun King (1540-1580).

Sagrario Gómez-Cantarino,Mercedes De Dios-Aguado,Maylene Cotto-Andino,José Siles-Gonzalez,María Idoia Ugarte-Gurrutxaga,Laura Romera-Álvarez

doi:10.3390/healthcare10020316

Abstract

In Spain, the wet nurse had a prominent place in the Court of Philip II (1540–1580), suckling princes. The aim of this review is to identify the role of wet nurses in the Spanish monarchy and the survival of the infants, who were children of Philip II (16th century). A scoping review is presented, studying documents on wet nurses in the Spanish monarchy. The dialectical structural model of care (DSMC) is applied, and three thematic blocks are used to make up the historical-cultural model. Books, chapters and databases were analysed from Cuiden, Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar, from January–September 2021. These wet nurses were treated as ladies, as they came from wealthy families related to royalty. The services of wet nurses from neighbouring localities to the court were used. They had to be of good appearance and in excellent health. They were hired because of the need for survival of the infants, children of Philip II. The functions of the four wives of Philip II were relegated to reproduction, childcare, family and monarchical duties. They used empirical medicine in the form of prescriptions for beauty, hygiene and feminine care. The wet nurses were the driving force that promoted the health of babies through breastfeeding.

Highlights

The wet nurse’s job is possibly one of the oldest jobs performed by women, and yet one of the least known
The word nutrix comes from the word nutricium, which was the office of a wet nurse, the etymological origin of which was nutricia, referring to the salary she received for her work
Once the arranged marriage had taken place, they generally moved to the court, which was initially located in Toledo and later in Madrid, a situation that occurred from the third wife of Philip II onwards [20]

Summary

Introduction

The wet nurse’s job is possibly one of the oldest jobs performed by women, and yet one of the least known. To study the figure of the wet nurse, her representation and her role in history, a retrospective study is needed to uncover the origin of the concept and the relevant contribution of wet nurses to the generations since, starting from almost the beginning of humanity. This historical research article describes the role of the wet nurse in Europe, in Spain, among royal families. She played a transcendental role throughout Ulysses’ life and in the poem

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion