Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet

Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet, was an English physician to the British Royal Family and was the obstetrician to Princess Charlotte who became famous due to his role in "the triple obstetrical tragedy" of 1817.
Richard was born in 1762 at Dunster Park, Berkshire, England, the son of Herbert Croft and Elizabeth Young. He was the great grandson of Sir Herbert Croft, a Member of Parliament, who was awarded the baronetcy in 1671. Richard succeeded to the title in 1816 upon the death of his brother, Herbert, who died without male issue.
Richard’s parents sent him to London to complete his medical education where he was trained by his father-in-law, a preeminent obstetrician whose textbook on childbirth was published in 1788. Richard graduated with his MD from the University of Oxford and obtained the office of Physician to King George III. The King’s son, the Prince of Wales and the future King George IV, had only one child: Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, who was slated to become the Queen of England.
Princess Charlotte married Leopold, the future King of Belgium. After meeting him for the first time, she wrote, “I find him charming, and go to bed happier than I have ever done yet in my life”. On their honeymoon, she wrote that he was “the perfection of a lover”. Leopold was fond of her as well, writing “Except when I went out to shoot, we were together always, and we could be together, we did not tire.”
When Princess Charlotte conceived, Croft was chosen to attend her. Following the medical dogma of the time, Croft restricted her diet and bled her during the pregnancy. After 26 hours of labor, Croft sent for Dr. John Sims, who arrived seven hours later. Charlotte delivered a stillborn 9-pound male, and she died hours later from internal bleeding.
Richard was not blamed for the death: both Leopold and the Prince Regent wrote to Richard thanking him for his services. The King ordered an autopsy, which concluded Richard had done everything he could. Nevertheless, Richard blamed himself for the death and became distraught. On February 13th, 1818, at age 56, Sir Richard Croft killed himself with a gun. Near his body a copy of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost was found open with the passage (Act V, Scene II): "Fair Sir, God save you! Where is the Princess?
Society portraitist Sir Thomas Lawrence was commissioned by Croft's half-sister to create a posthumous portrait sketch of Croft in his coffin. The haunting result, now at Croft Castle, is often taken for a man sleeping.
Richard married Margaret Denman, daughter of Dr. Thomas Denman and Elizabeth Brodie, and they had four children together: Thomas Elmsley Croft, who succeeded his father as 7th Baronet; Archer Denman Croft, who succeeded his brother as 8th Baronet; Frances Elizabeth Croft; and the Reverend Richard Croft, rector at Hillingdon, Middlesex, England.